British PM makes secret trip to Iraq

[Robbien]

Source: New Zealand TV

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made a secret trip to Iraq - leaving London just hours after his talks yesterday morning with Prime Minister Helen Clark.

And his statement on arrival in Baghdad also came as a surprise.

Mr Brown said he expects Iraqi authorities to take control of Basra province within two months and the number of British troops there will be significantly reduced.

His first trip to Iraq comes a week before he is to make a key statement on Iraq to Parliament.

Read more: http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Story/tabid/209/articleID/36048/Default.aspx

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BBC is reporting
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7023735.stm

that parliament is unhappy and saying Brown is playing politics, using Iraq as a photo op:

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said Mr Brown preferred a photo opportunity in Basra to keeping his promise to tell MPs first about planned troop cuts.

He said the PM used the armed forces as a "political football". Sir John Major also questioned the timing of the announcement and Mr Brown's visit.

But No 10 said it was "preposterous" to suggest the PM was playing politics.