Cut and run Mookie says Brits are retreating from Basra

Independent:

The British Army has been defeated in Iraq and left with no option but to retreat from the country, claims radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Violent resistance and a rising death toll among UK troops has forced a withdrawal, he said in an interview with The Independent.

"The British have given-up and they know they will be leaving Iraq soon," Mr Sadr said. "They are retreating because of the resistance they have faced. Without that, they would have stayed for much longer, there is no doubt."

The young nationalist cleric heads Iraq's largest Arab grassroots political movement, and its powerful military wing, the Mehdi army. It has clashed frequently with British forces in southern Iraq, most recently in the battle for power over the oil-rich port city of Basra. Scores of British soldiers have been killed and wounded by Sadrist militants.

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Note he apparently is still not in Iraq to issue such statements. I think the US may have a surprise for him. There have been rumors floating that the Marines can down size their mission in Anbar, but stay in the country. I think a port city like Basra would be a natural location for a Marine unit.

The UK Army chief denies they are retreating.