UK troops 'will leave Iraq within a year'

LONDON: Britain will seek to withdraw most of its over 4,000 soldiers from Iraq by October next year, The Independent quoted a highly placed defence source, as saying. A few hundred will remain to train Iraqi forces, he added.

The effective end to British involvement in the conflict, with the loss so far of 176 service personnel, is possible because of a dramatic improvement in the security situation.

"Iran does not want an unstable Iraq in the medium term," said the source, adding that the Iranians feel it would be a waste to risk men and materials on the British who are in the process of leaving.