The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Basra

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

His comments came as Iraq's major parliamentary parties reached a compromise Sunday to allow approval of 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 Gen. Ray Odierno, the overall commander of U.S. and allied forces in Iraq, said in an interview with The Associated Press late 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.

Moving a headquarters unit to Basra would essentially give the U.S. complete responsibility there and across the rest of the country for providing training and support to all Iraqi security forces.

"It will be a smaller presence than what is here now. We think it's important to maintain some presence down here just because we think Basra is an important city, and we think it's important to have some oversight here," Odierno told The AP in Basra, where the general was briefed by British Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon about the area's stability and preparations being made to withdraw.

Odierno said Multi-National Division - Center, which is responsible for the area south of Baghdad will expand south to the Persian Gulf and the Kuwait border. Basra is at the heart of the country's vital oil industry.