Britain handed over control for security to Iraqi forces on Sunday in Basra, the last of four provinces in which the UK once held security responsibility.

British officials depicted the handover as a positive development that would allow the drawdown of UK forces in Iraq from about 4,500 now to 2,500 by the spring. “As far as we’re concerned, Pic [provincial Iraqi control] is a huge achievement for Iraq, the UK and the coalition, and good news,” said a UK defence ministry official.