US to replace UK troops next year

American troops will move into southern Iraq early next year to replace departing British forces, the top US general in Iraq said.

His comments came as Iraq's major parliamentary parties reached a compromise yesterday to pass a resolution allowing all foreign troops other than Americans to remain in Iraq until July 2009. Britain has said its 4,000 troops will withdraw from the southern port city of Basra by the end of May.

Army General Ray Odierno, the overall commander of US and allied forces in Iraq, said in an interview late on Saturday that he is considering moving either a brigade or division headquarters - about 100 personnel - as well as an undetermined number of combat troops to Iraq's second-largest city.