Media: AFP
Byline: n/a
Date: 14 August 2006

LONDON - British military forces will hand over a camp in southern Iraq next
month, a military commander announced on Sunday.

The Queen's Royal Hussars will hand over to Iraqi forces Camp Abu Naji,
south of al-Amara, the capital of Maysan province, according to the Iraqi
government.

The Guardian reported in an early edition of its Monday paper that British
troops will not leave the province immediately, citing unnamed defence
sources.

Instead, they will move to a base near Basra and take on long-range patrols
in the province's marshlands and borders with Iran.

Lieutenant Colonel David Labouchere said Iraqi soldiers and police had been
"very impressive in implementing new security plans", adding that Iraqi
authorities believed they were "well on the way to transition to Provincial
Iraqi Control."

Well I hope it all goes as smoothly as our handover of camp Smitty in Al-Muthannah.