Britain Delays Iraq Troop Withdrawal (1/2)

Defense Secretary Des Browne told members of parliament that the expected spring homecoming for thousands of British troops based in Basra has been delayed.

"In October we announced our plan from drawing down UK troops from southern Iraq. In the light of last week's events, however, it is prudent that we pause any further reductions while the current situation has unfolding. It is absolutely right that military commanders review plans when conditions on the ground change."

Last October, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced plans to cut the British force from 4,100 to 2,500 this spring, with an indication that further cuts could follow.

The decision to delay the withdrawal was prompted by recent fighting between the Iraqi army and Shia militants loyal to the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. More than 1,000 people were killed in the fighting and relative calm only returned when the two sides agreed to a cease-fire on Monday.

At the height of the fighting, British and American troops were called in to support Iraqi government forces.

参考译文：

英国国防大臣德斯•布朗向国会议员表示，已经推迟了数千名驻巴士拉的英军士兵的归国行程，这一行程原定在春季进行。

“我们在十月份宣布了从伊拉克南部撤出英军士兵的计划。然而，根据上周发生的事件来看，当前的局势还不明朗，我们暂停以后的撤军行动也是出于谨慎。当局势发生动荡时，军事指挥官重新考虑计划是完全正确的。”

去年十月，英国首项戈登•布朗宣布了一项计划，准备在今年春季将驻伊英军数量由4100削减到2500，并且指出还会继续削减。

决定推迟撤军是因为最近伊拉克军队和效忠于激进教士穆克塔达•萨德尔的什叶派武装分子发生了交火。1000多人在交战中被打死，周一双方同意停火才重新出现相对平静。

激战中，美英两军都被召集起来支持伊拉克政府军。

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