British forces completed their pullout from the last base in Basra on 3 September 2007, transferring security responsibility to Iraqi soldiers and police. Troops relocated to an airbase west of the city while local forces assumed checkpoints across the urban center.
Reaction on the streets was subdued. Life continued as normal, with residents shopping at markets and returning home before temperatures peaked near 48 degrees Celsius. Some traders expressed satisfaction at the departure; others remained wary, with rival Shiite militias still contesting control of the city's political and economic life.
Local officials were more openly welcoming. Senior provincial council member Hakim al-Mayyahi said Iraqi security forces were prepared to take charge, though he acknowledged shortages of personnel and equipment. Two military brigades were deployed to fill the gap. Officials also announced plans to convert Saddam Hussein's former riverside palace on the Shatt al-Arab waterway into a tourist attraction.
The International Crisis Group offered a cautionary note. In a June 2007 report, the think tank warned that Shiite militants, who had bombarded British positions daily, would regard the pullout as a vindication, and that militia control of Basra's political and economic life had deepened during the years of British presence.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2007, in its own words.