The number of British troops in Iraq is to be reduced by 500 to 8,000 over the coming month, Britain's Defence Secretary John Reid announced Monday, according to DPA. Addressing parliament Reid called the reduction a "relatively minor adjustment", and referred to a "routine" rotation of troops. Reid said the reduction was due to the closure of two military bases in Basra, the transfer of some training duties to Iraqi forces and structural differences between brigades. But he emphasized that British troops would stay in Iraq "until our job is done".
