The problem with UK forces is they are too small.
It started becoming obvious that the UK decided to make Afganistan the main effort almost a year ago. What is happening now is an acceleration of that transfer of forces.
The ISF in Basrah was not ready and was not planned to be ready until Mid-late 2008. Hense the sudden diversion of forces from Ninawa, Anbar, Salahadin, Wasit and Baghdad to accelerate the stand-up of 14th Division. That was a change in plans that happened in Jun/Jul. In May, the 12th was still on schedule and half the ISOF elements were in Mosul and Al Asad.
This accelerated transfer of UK assets has effectively delayed operations in the hot provinces of the north by shifting major elements to Basrah ahead of schedule.
“This accelerated transfer of UK assets has effectively delayed operations in the hot provinces of the north by shifting major elements to Basrah ahead of schedule.”
This is incorrect. There was no ‘accelerated transfer’. Actually it had been delayed a little from initial announcements.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,,1780432,00.html
May 2006 - Iraqi’s could control security by the end of the year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6173234.stm
November 2006 - Margaret Beckett confident that British troops would be able to pull back to the airport and hand over control of basra ‘sometime in the spring of 2007’.