I know what you mean! Also, all media reports about Basra have to include the line ‘in the grip of a turf war between rival Shiite factions’. Evidence, please :-)
“By Christmas 2007, we expect there to be around 4,500 UK troops based in Iraq. This number will fall to around 2,500 from next Spring.”
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Templates/Factsheet.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7bF0BB1DF1-A9C7-4E17-96E7-B3301B06E45F%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fDefenceInternet%2fFactSheets%2fOperationsFactsheets%2fOperationsInIraqFactsandFigures%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#mc2
So the UK 4th Mech Bde will be augmented to ~5350 personnel in to the spring. Good.
3-14 IA Bde is due to form in March and 4-14 in mid-2008. The timing fits. By then the 14th IA Div will be up to 60-70% and growing fast.
Previous reporting made it sound like the UK was starting withdrawl after New years to reach 2500 in July. This puts them augmenting up by a Bn until spring and then starting to reduce...
Much better.