Brits’ withdrawal not to affect Basra – official

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: A member of Basra’s provincial council on Saturday said that British forces’ withdrawal will not affect the situation in the province, denying that any negotiations have been conducted with the Brits in this regard by the local authority in Basra. “Such issues are exclusively attributed to the central government in Baghdad,” Hamid al-Dhalimi told IraqiNews.com. “But army and security forces are fully capable of preserving security and imposing stability in the province, especially that British forces’ presence in Basra has become minor,” he added. The oil-rich city of Basra lies 590 km south of Baghdad. MH (P)/SR 1