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| Brown flies in for Baghdad visit | Brown flies in for Baghdad visit |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has arrived in Baghdad on his first visit to Iraq since becoming UK prime minister. | Gordon Brown has arrived in Baghdad on his first visit to Iraq since becoming UK prime minister. |
| It comes as Mr Brown is said to be considering a phased reduction of UK troops in Basra, cutting numbers by 2,000 to 3,000 by spring 2008. | |
| Mr Brown will hold talks with senior Iraqi politicians including officials from the main sects as well as Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. | Mr Brown will hold talks with senior Iraqi politicians including officials from the main sects as well as Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. |
| He is also due to meet the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. | He is also due to meet the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. |
| BBC political correspondent James Hardy said Mr Brown arrived at Baghdad International Airport under heavy guard. | BBC political correspondent James Hardy said Mr Brown arrived at Baghdad International Airport under heavy guard. |
| Officials said the purpose of the trip was to gauge the readiness of the Iraq forces to take more control of their own security, he added. | Officials said the purpose of the trip was to gauge the readiness of the Iraq forces to take more control of their own security, he added. |
| Mr Brown's visit comes ahead of his Commons statement next week on the future of the British mission in Basra. | Mr Brown's visit comes ahead of his Commons statement next week on the future of the British mission in Basra. |
| Britain currently has 5,000 troops stationed at Basra Airport following their pull-out from Basra Palace - their last remaining base in the city itself. | Britain currently has 5,000 troops stationed at Basra Airport following their pull-out from Basra Palace - their last remaining base in the city itself. |
| Plans for a complete UK withdrawal from Basra were rejected. | Plans for a complete UK withdrawal from Basra were rejected. |
| But Mr Brown has been advised that once the focus of troops is largely on training and mentoring Iraqi forces, numbers could drop from 5,000 to 3,000. | But Mr Brown has been advised that once the focus of troops is largely on training and mentoring Iraqi forces, numbers could drop from 5,000 to 3,000. |
| It is thought British forces are likely to stay in Basra for up to two further years. | |
| They are currently heading towards "overwatch", which involves mentoring and training the Iraqis and not actually going on patrols. |