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Tony Blair has flown to Basra to pay a surprise Christmas visit to British troops stationed in Iraq.
The Prime Minister touched down in an RAF Hercules from Kuwait. The visit was kept a closely-guarded secret until today.
Mr Blair was due to have meetings with the UK's deputy ambassador to Iraq Tim Torlot, US officials and British military commander Nick Houghton.
Lieutenant General Houghton is the most senior British official in Iraq. The Prime Minister was also meeting America's head commander, Gen George Casey.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair wanted to show his and the nation's gratitude to the 8,500 British servicemen and women in Iraq.
The spokesman added that Mr Blair also wanted to "talk through the way forward" with diplomats and military commanders in the wake of last week's Iraqi elections.
The Prime Minister will also discuss how the process of 'Iraqi-isation' of local military and security forces is progressing in the UK's main sector of operations with General John Cooper, general officer commanding of the south east region based around Basra.
British commanders have expressed concern in the past that local security forces have been infiltrated by insurgents.
Mr Blair's spokesman said that following that up-to-date assessment "then we are in a better position to talk about what happens to our troops".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/22/ublair.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/22/ixportaltop.html
The Prime Minister touched down in an RAF Hercules from Kuwait. The visit was kept a closely-guarded secret until today.
Mr Blair was due to have meetings with the UK's deputy ambassador to Iraq Tim Torlot, US officials and British military commander Nick Houghton.
Lieutenant General Houghton is the most senior British official in Iraq. The Prime Minister was also meeting America's head commander, Gen George Casey.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair wanted to show his and the nation's gratitude to the 8,500 British servicemen and women in Iraq.
The spokesman added that Mr Blair also wanted to "talk through the way forward" with diplomats and military commanders in the wake of last week's Iraqi elections.
The Prime Minister will also discuss how the process of 'Iraqi-isation' of local military and security forces is progressing in the UK's main sector of operations with General John Cooper, general officer commanding of the south east region based around Basra.
British commanders have expressed concern in the past that local security forces have been infiltrated by insurgents.
Mr Blair's spokesman said that following that up-to-date assessment "then we are in a better position to talk about what happens to our troops".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/22/ublair.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/22/ixportaltop.html