US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday defended Britain's decision to reduce its force levels in Iraq to 2,500, saying it was the result of a joint agreement worked out with US commanders.
Gates refrained from comment on the possibility of a full British withdrawal from Iraq over the next year, but his British counterpart Des Browne said any decisions would be based on conditions on the ground in Iraq. "I don't want to get into a hypothetical about what will happen next spring," Gates told reporters after a meeting here with Browne that dealt mainly with Iraq and Afghanistan.
"That's why General (David) Petraeus will be presenting an additional review in March about what he thinks ought to happen with respect to continuing the drawdown of US forces after July," he said referring to the US commander in Iraq.
"But I will say the figure of 2,500 and the mission of the 2,500 has been closely worked out with General Petraeus and ... is the product of a joint agreement between the United States and Great Britain in terms of the role of British forces in the south," he said.
The two also discussed a meeting of Nato defence ministers later this month that is expected to take up unfilled military requirements for Afghanistan. Gates has been pressing European allies to provide trainers for the Afghan National Army and needed military assets such as helicopters, unmanned surveillance aircraft and special operations forces. Browne made no comment on whether Britain was prepared to increase its troop commitment to Afghanistan as it draws down forces from Iraq.
"Let me just say all those decisions taken about Iraq in relation to troop levels are a response to the circumstances and conditions in Iraq, and those decisions that will be taken about Afghanistan will be in response to the circumstances and conditions in Afghanistan," Browne said.
Gates praised Britain as a "stalwart ally and major contributor of every stage of the Iraq campaign," and noted that it is already the second largest contingent in the Nato-led force in Afghanistan. The United States has the largest force in Afghanistan with 26,000 troops, while Britain has some 7,000 soldiers there.