Iraq to Take Over Security Responsibility

A top government official said Friday that Iraq has an agreement to take over security responsibilities from foreign forces in southern Iraq this month.

Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie was responding to a Japanese news report that British, Australian and Japanese troops will transfer security responsibilities in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities next week, and soon withdraw from the area.

"There is an agreement to take over the security responsibilities from the British, Australian and Japanese forces in southern Iraq during this month," al-Zubaie said. "There is such a plan and such news is not based on nothing. We hope that the Iraqi security forces will live up to their duties there. It is the dream of all Iraqis that our forces will handle security issues all over Iraq."

The Kyodo News agency, citing people close to the coalition forces, reported that British officials told their counterparts in the other two countries last week that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will announce the transfer of security authority in southern Iraq on Tuesday.

Officials in the Iraqi prime minister's media office said they could not confirm or deny the report.

Al-Zubaie said he knew nothing about plans for such an announcement and could provide no other details.

Japan has about 600 troops in Muthanna's capital, Samawah, carrying out other humanitarian tasks. Australia has about 1,320 troops in Iraq and the Middle East, including around 460 soldiers guarding Japanese engineers in Samawah. Britain has about 8,000 troops in southern Iraq, and roughly 2,000 others in Gulf region.