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TONY HARRIS: And good
evening, everyone. I'm Tony Harris in tonight for
Rick Sanchez.
We'll start in Iraq where America's top ally is
cutting its losses or in the minds of many in
Washington, cutting and running at Iraq's moment of
truth. Today the last British forces withdrew from
the center of Basra. The 500 troops join the rest of
the British contingent dodging fire at the city's
airport. This sets the scene for a probable British
pullout and it leaves the fate of Iraq's
second-largest city to Iraqi forces and the powerful
Shiite militias.
Our coverage starts in Baghdad with CNN's Michael
Ware.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Iraq, the
overnight withdrawal of 500 British forces from the
last of three British-run outposts in the southern
oil-rich city of Basra marks the end of British
military domain of southern Iraq.
Where British forces once dominated five provinces,
this is the last act in the preparation of the
handover of the fifth and final province.
Whilst the move had been announced by the British
government back in February, it is certain to
heighten tensions between London and Washington over
differing opinions of military strategy here in Iraq.
While the ministry of defense in London and the
British embassy here in Baghdad defend the move as
preplanned and in alignment with British policy to
ultimately hand security over to Iraqi authorities,
American and Iraqi critics are sure to label this as
a symbol of defeat.
Indeed, British forces have struggled to maintain
influence and control in southern Iraq almost since
their arrival in the invasion in March 2003.
Government and security forces have long been
dominated by what U.S. military intelligence says are
Iranian-backed Shia militia forces. It is militia
forces who have run the south and it's the British
who have been attempting to merely hold the line.
This act, though planned, is symbolic of what many
will consider failure across southern Iraq. Michael
Ware, CNN, Baghdad.