UK Troops in Basra Cut by 1,000

US troops are to be cut by 1,000 by the end of the year, Gordon Brown has said on a visit to Iraq. Mr. Brown also confirmed Basra province could be handed over to full Iraqi control within the next two months. The Ministry of Defense announced in July that 500 troops would be withdrawn - 270 of whom are already back home. The remaining 230 and a further 500 should be home for Christmas. After that, 4,500 UK troops will remain at the Basra Airport base.