One of the most notable misconceptions about British foreign policy over recent months is that with a change in government, our long-standing commitment to support the Iraqi people has gone out of the window.
I have seen a lot of reporting on the British departure from Basra Palace working on the presumption that this was the end of the road for the British in Iraq. This is not true.
Those who take a careful look at the British government's statements over the past year will realise that this latest step is in line with efforts going back months to create the necessary conditions in the province of Basra for this region to be formally handed over to the Iraqis. The hand-over of Basra Palace in no way marks the end of the process, but it certainly signals our confidence that we are well on the way towards that goal.
We have always refused to set out an artificial timetable for withdrawal from Iraq on the principle that this process should happen when Iraqis are ready to take over these responsibilities and conditions on the ground are appropriate - and not based on political interests in London, Washington or anywhere else.
We are pleased that the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the US Ambassador, Ryan Crocker, in their recent report recognised the progress made by the Iraqi Security Forces. The training of the Iraqi Security Forces has been a key task of UK forces and we will continue to work with the Iraqis and the coalition to improve capacity where needed. We also welcome Petraeus's findings that sectarian violence across Iraq has fallen over the last eight months. This is good news and we congratulate the Iraqi and coalition forces who have sacrificed so much to bring this about. Petraeus's report also highlighted the huge differences in security levels and the kinds of challenges in different parts of the country, it is these qualitative differences which mean that Britain is moving towards being ready to hand over Basra, while certain other regions will continue to require a Coalition presence.
I am often asked why Britain is preparing to hand over responsibilities and gradually reduce its number of troops, while elsewhere the Americans have been intensifying their levels of engagement. The simple answer is that Basra is not Baghdad. Basra has largely been unscathed by the appalling violence between Sunnis and Shiites and, although some Sunnis left the city following the increase in tensions after the last year's Samarra Mosque attack, many of them subsequently returned. Neither is there a meaningful presence from Al Qa'idah or Ba'athists.
Rather, the majority of violence can be attributable to militias and criminal groups, jostling for position in the new political landscape. Knowing that the British presence is finite and seeking to establish their nationalist credentials, as well as fighting each other, most of these groups' fire power has been directed at British troops in recent months.
However, rather than the Iraqi authorities being perpetually reliant on foreign forces to tackle this scourge, Britain's approach has been to train Iraqis, who best understand the dynamics of their own localities, to take these responsibilities themselves. These UK efforts have resulted in a total of more than 20,000 Iraqi Police Service students trained in basic and advanced policing skills by our forces.
At the same time, we have not turned a blind eye to the infiltration of the police and army by militias. In the high profile incident regarding the (very appropriately named) Serious Crimes Unit, this notorious unit was closed down.
When we handed over the other three provinces which Britain originally had responsibility for, our troops went into the phase of over-watch of these provinces; if Iraqis needed our support we would step in to assist. However, when there were disturbances in Al Amarah, despite being put on high alert, UK forces were never needed to go in, because Iraqi forces handled this on their own. A similar situation will exist when the province of Basra is handed over; our troops will remain in Iraq for some time to come to provide support if needed, but we hope that as with these other provinces, our judgement is correct and we withdraw leaving Iraqi forces which can operate without us. Our troop levels have decreased gradually from 44,000, to around 5,000, reflecting the decreasing demands on these troops.
Another myth is that these long-declared British plans have come as a surprise to our US counterparts. In practice, since the war in 2003, we have discussed such plans on a continual basis with both Iraqis and our Coalition counterparts. All of these British efforts are based on assessment by both Iraqi and coalition military experts on the ground and are minutely coordinated and discussed.
Recognise
It is also vital to recognise that the solution to the challenges in Iraq is not a purely military one. A politically and economically strong and united Iraq will be much more resistant to the destructive narrative of terror and violence. The UK has invested heavily in rebuilding the crippled infrastructure in these provinces and this commitment will continue long after Basra has been fully transferred to Iraqi control.
In order to continue moving towards greater stability, democracy and prosperity, Iraqis need to know that they have the long-term support of the international community and the solidarity of their neighbours.
There are still huge challenges ahead and in parts of the country the violence continues. The aim must be to encourage and help the Iraqi to establish stability and development in order to allow refugees to return and contribute their skills and energy towards rebuilding their homeland. At the same time, it has never been more important that we reiterate Britain's commitment to stand alongside the Iraqis in their aspiration for a brighter and better future.
Dr Kim Howells is British Minister of State with responsibility for the Middle East.