Britain to cut 3,000 troops from Iraq by May: paper

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will cut troop levels in Iraq by almost 3,000 at the end of May, the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday, citing a timetable for withdrawal the newspaper said it had seen.

Within the next two weeks, British Prime Minister Tony Blair would announce the reduction to Britain's 7,200-strong force based in the south of the war-ravaged country, it said

The news came as President Bush prepared to outline plans to send another 21,500 U.S. troops to Iraq.

A spokeswoman at Blair's office and a Ministry of Defense spokesman dismissed the Telegraph story as speculation.

"Our withdrawal from Iraq, we have always said it will be conditions based," the defense ministry spokesman said. "We would like to reduce our force levels as the Iraqis increase their ability to provide security for their own country."

The Telegraph, however, said it had seen a timetable for the withdrawal that would see the number of British troops fall to 4,500 by May 31.

The document revealed that barring "major hiccups" in the next few months, 1 Mechanized Brigade would enter Iraq with a much smaller force when it replaced 19 Light Brigade in June for a half-year tour, according to the Telegraph.

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