Brown announces end to Iraqi combat missions; Drug war offers 2-for-1 for Washington

Britain end combat mission in Iraq

British combat missions in Iraq came to a formal end Thursday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki.

"Today marks the closing chapter of the combat mission in Iraq," said Brown.

British forces had operated out of their base in the southern port city of Basra in support of Operation Telic, their mission in coordination with the U.S.-led effort in Iraq.

Brown announced the decision to end the British mission in December. At their peak, British forces numbered 46,000, but those numbers dropped off precipitously in the years following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

British forces in Basra commemorated the occasion during a flag-lowering ceremony with their American counterparts. Iraqi forces have operated out of Basra International Airport for some time as British troops began to withdraw last year.

Brown praised the historic ties with Iraq, saying the end of the combat mission heralded the beginning of a new partnership.

"Today we open the next chapter in our relations, a chapter which I preface with my deep respect and appreciation for Iraq's achievements and my gratitude to Britain's armed forces who have made such a lasting contribution," he said.

Brown and the visiting Maliki moved on a series of economic incentives during the London visit, with both premiers promising increased economic and cultural exchanges.

"This partnership has delivered successful results," said Maliki. "Now the military mission has finished, our two countries will pursue new partnerships in the areas of politics, economics, business and science."

The British announcement comes as violence in Iraq has surged to its highest level in years. Hundreds were killed in suicide operations targeting Shiite pilgrims last week, and explosions Thursday in Sadr City killed more than 50 people.

Group pleads guilty to supporting PMOI

A California group pleaded guilty to providing funds to a blacklisted Iranian dissident group based in Iraq as British MPs march in support of the group.

Seven people pleaded guilty to federal charges of providing material support and conspiracy to provide material support for a charity linked to the People's Mujahedin of Iran, a group listed by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The group said it has solicited funds for a charity known as the Committee for Human Rights for Iran, which the U.S. Justice Department says is a front organization that supports the terrorist activity of the PMOI, the Los Angeles Times reports.

"We cannot allow any terrorist organization to fundraise on our shores or to steal money from our own citizens so that they can finance their own terrorism operations," U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said.

The roughly 3,500 members of the PMOI reside at their Camp Ashraf enclave in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala near the Iranian border. It received its FTO designation for its violent opposition to the Iranian regime, which includes the deaths of Americans in overseas attacks in the 1980s.

The PMOI has few friends in Iraq, however, and several top officials there have made repeated calls for members of the group to relocate to another country or face deportation to Iran.

Baghdad, however, had moved to eliminate the post of one of the group's staunchest critics, national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie, who says the PMOI members in Ashraf are criminals who should be expelled, arguing they are trying to influence politics in Iraq.

Meanwhile, several British lawmakers supporting the group marched on London calling for protection for the group as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki meets with British Premier Gordon Brown.

UNHCR aids displaced Iraqis

The U.N. Human Rights Commission launched its second wave of a cleanup campaign to remove sewage and other refuse from refugee camps in Baghdad.

Sectarian violence in Iraq erupted in 2006 following a devastating attack on the revered al-Askari Mosque, forcing thousands into internal displacement.

Officials with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees found 9,000 displaced persons still living in six refugee camps in the Chikook suburb of Baghdad amid open sewage and mounds of refuse.

UNHCR officials hired companies to use tractors and employ disposal units to remove the sewage from the streets while dispatching scores of workers to help the displaced improve their hygiene and methods of safe waste disposal.

"We cannot close our eyes to such extremely vulnerable internally displaced Iraqis and the community hosting them," said Daniel Endres with the UNHCR.

The United Nations estimates there are more than 1.3 million internally displaced Iraqis.

Afghan drug war part of containment effort

Washington should consider coordination with drug enforcement authorities in Iran to tackle the Afghan opium trade as part of a two-pronged strategic push.

Washington struck a conciliatory tone with Tehran at an international summit on Afghanistan in the Netherlands on March 31, where both nations shared common concerns over the illicit drug trade in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan produces about 90 percent of all the heroin and opium in the world, providing the insurgent Taliban, and likely al-Qaida, with a source of revenue to fund its militancy.

Beyond the terrorist element, narcotics traffickers work with organized crime elements in Iran, which struggles with a growing number of heroin addicts.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran has suffered mounting casualties as part of its fight against drugs as Iranian forces routinely combat traffickers along the border region.

With the IRGC allegedly supporting regional terrorist elements through its elite Quds force, U.S. authorities could address two regional issues simultaneously by coordinating with Tehran in the fight against illicit narcotics, a report by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy states.

The report says that despite a lack of success in similar initiatives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has an effective track record in coordinating with foreign counterparts in Afghanistan and elsewhere, making modest success possible with Iran.

Though Iran has not expressed willingness to join the international military effort at containing al-Qaida and Taliban forces, courting Iran in the counter-narcotics effort may have sweeping benefits to the U.S. agenda in the region, the report says.

London unveils Afghan, Pakistan strategy

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined his national objective to tackle the insurgency and growing national challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In a report titled "U.K. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward," London outlined a comprehensive strategy aimed at establishing a multilateral approach to security challenges in Central Asia.

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled the American strategy for Afghanistan, calling for increased military troops and trainers, a renewed focus on al-Qaida and non-military aid to Pakistan.

The British effort echoes those agendas, emphasizing the containment of al-Qaida and the reduction of insurgent activities in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As part of its effort, London will move to assist both countries in the ability to contain threats within their respective borders while building national security forces, government institutions and sustainable economic development.

In Pakistan, the British effort will support efforts at stabilization while moving to control nuclear non-proliferation.

The Afghan effort will focus on long-term sustainability of capable governance, accountability and the rule of law.

"It is vital that we maintain our commitment, alongside regional partners and in close coordination with the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, across the full range of action set out in this strategy," Brown said.

Rudd pledges troops to Afghanistan

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced he would send additional troops to Afghanistan as part of the international effort to stabilize the war-torn country.

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled a new American strategy for Afghanistan that couples state reconstruction with non-military aid to Pakistan and an increased fight against al-Qaida.

World leaders pledged support for the Afghan mission during a March summit at The Hague, and several NATO allies came forward with modest military support to help secure the Afghan presidential elections in August.

Rudd said he would send more than 200 troops to Afghanistan to train national forces and several others to provide security for the August elections, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports.

"This commitment is not a blank check but is focused on training the Afghans to manage their own security, thereby allowing Australia to bring our military combat operations to a close," Rudd said.

In addition to military trainers, Rudd pledged donations of some $55 million a year to fund the effort to bring Afghan national forces to a level of autonomous sustainability.

"It's an integrated strategy which has the best prospect for success here, covering off the diplomatic, the political, the civilian aid component and the military effort at its core," he said.

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(dgraeber@upi.com)