Brown under pressure to save Labour by withdrawing from Iraq

Gordon Brown is under pressure today from Labour MPs to announce an immediate timetable for the withdrawal of all British forces from Iraq in a bid to rescue his leadership.

The Prime Minister, who returned from the G8 summit in Japan to chair the Cabinet today, has promised to announce plans for a reduction of forces in Iraq before the summer recess. He will do so - probably the week after next - after a flying visit to Iraq.

But Labour MPs tabled a Commons motion on Wednesday night calling on him to go further by setting out a timetable for the total withdrawal of British troops. It was led by Ian Gibson, and has quickly gathered names, including those of Jeremy Corbyn and Kelvin Hopkins. They say Brown could 'transform' his leadership if he announces the early withdrawal of all British troops.

Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, has privately told Brown that he can reduce the number of British forces from the current total of over 4,000 to 3,500 - but if he goes below that number, they would not be able to properly defend themselves at their base in the Basra airport.

Tony Blair reduced numbers by 2,000 to around 5,000 before he left Number Ten in 2007. Brown angered the Tories by announcing a further cut of 1,000 troops while he was on a trip to Basra during the Conservatives' annual conference last autumn. He said then that he hoped to reduce the number to 2,500 - but that plan was dropped after a surge in violence this spring.

Sir Jock, who recently warned against overstretch of the British armed forces with their Iraq and Afghanistan commitments, has also told Brown that there is no question of our troops being used to invade anywhere else, such as Zimbabwe. "We can't do another operation," said Sir Jock, who is apt to quote Colin Powell's dictum: "If you break it, you own it." Powell meant that when the US forces smashed into Iraq, they should have realised that they would have to stay to clear up the mess.

Major General Barney White-Spunner, the UK's commanding officer in the region, told the BBC yesterday that UK troops have been instrumental in delivering much improved security and stability to Basra in recent months.

THE MOLE: TROOPS IN IRAQ

FIRST POSTED JULY 10, 2008