Brown makes fact-finding visit to Iraq

Britain's next Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, assured Iraq's leaders of continued British support yesterday as he made a flying visit to Baghdad to "listen and learn" before he takes office later this month.

Mr Brown, who is pondering Britain's future involvement in a four-year-old war that is hugely unpopular among Britons, noted Tony Blair's acknowledgement that mistakes had been made in the war and said he wanted to "learn the lessons".

Critics say post-invasion planning was poor, leading to a security vacuum in which a Sunni Arab insurgency took root and sectarian violence erupted, killing tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Insurgents have begun bombing bridges in their campaign against the country's ruined infrastructure. In the latest attack, a suicide bomber destroyed a major bridge over the Diyala River north of Baghdad yesterday.

It was Mr Brown's first visit since being confirmed as the successor to Mr Blair, whose popularity at home was undermined by his steadfast support for the war. Mr Brown has always accepted responsibility for the Cabinet decision to invade Iraq.

"I'm here to listen and learn... to see what's happening with al Qaeda... in relation to Iran... to the sectarian conflicts, to see all the people on the ground and make an assessment of what's happening so I'm better informed," Mr Brown, Britain's Finance Minister, told reporters travelling with him. Mr Brown, who spent about six hours in Iraq, has ruled out an immediate pullout of British troops. He refused again yesterday to be drawn into media speculation that he may speed up the withdrawal to assuage public anger.

His visit comes as the size of the British force in Iraq is being reduced by about 1,500 soldiers to 5,500 troops.

Mr Brown has said he will reduce troop numbers as and when possible, but aides say he is unlikely to make any big sudden shifts in policy as the British military is already planning further cutbacks.

Mr Brown, who was accompanied by Defence Minister Des Browne, held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani, the top British general in Iraq, US commander General David Petraeus and the US ambassador.

"He made clear to Prime Minister Maliki and President Talabani that British support for the Iraqi government is unchanged," a British embassy spokesman said.

Mr Brown said earlier that in his talks with Mr Maliki he planned to discuss national reconciliation between Iraq's warring sides.

"On political reconciliation I want to know how they are going to move forward... and if I don't have suggestions from them I will put suggestions to them," he said.

Thousands of US and Iraqi troops have been deployed in Baghdad, epicentre of sectarian violence, to crack down on Shi'ite and Sunni Arab militants and buy time for Maliki's government to reach political compromises to form a real power sharing government with minority Sunni Arabs and Kurds.

Washington is demanding movement in key areas, such as revenue-sharing oil law, provincial elections and constitutional reforms. But analysts say the Shi'ite-led coalition government is weak and divided and incapable of meeting these benchmarks without external pressure.

Mr Maliki said in a statement after his talks with Mr Brown he hoped Parliament would pass the laws soon.