Britain could start scaling back its troop presence in Iraq over the next 12 months, Defense Secretary John Reid said Sunday. In an interview with CNN's «Late Edition,» Reid said neither Britain nor the United States had «imperialist ambitions» in Iraq and wanted the country's own forces to take over responsibility for security, according to AP. Reid made the remarks when asked to comment on a leaked British government memorandum that states Britain is considering cutting its troop presence from the current 8,500 to 3,000 by the middle of 2006. The memo, first published in a British newspaper last week and signed by Reid, also says there is a «strong U.S. military desire for significant force reductions.» Reid declined to comment directly on the memo, but confirmed Britain's strategic plan was to transfer security responsibility to Iraqi soldiers. --More 2315 Local Time 2015 GMT
