Britain to cut half its Iraq force

LONDON — Britain will cut its troop strength in Iraq in half in the coming months, from more than 5,000 to about 2,500 in spring 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Monday.

Speaking in the House of Commons on the opening day of Parliament’s fall session, Brown said the reduction is possible because of improving security in Iraq, particularly what he called a “calmer” situation around Basra, where British troops are based.

Brown said Britain’s security role in Iraq was changing to a strictly “overwatch” role of training Iraqi soldiers and police officers, protecting supply routes into the country and patrolling the border with Iran. He said British troops would also be available for a “re-intervention” to help Iraqi forces if necessary.

He said that role would gradually change to almost exclusively a training role by the spring. As that shift occurred, he said, Britain would decrease its troops from 5,500 — the level at the beginning of September — to 4,500 by the end of the year, then to 4,000 and eventually to 2,500 in spring.