UK's Brown says to visit Iraq soon

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) Britain's leader-in-waiting Gordon Brown said today he planned to visit Iraq soon but refused to set out a timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from the country.

The long-serving finance minister, on course to replace Tony Blair when he steps down next month after a decade as premier, also said it was vital to win hearts and minds so that al Qaeda was isolated and moderate Muslims were boosted.

Blair's popularity plummeted after he sent British forces to join the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, and a rebellion by his Labour Party in September forced him to say he would quit within a year, opening the way for Brown to take over.

Brown, who faces a difficult balancing act distancing himself from Blair policies he supported, has said Britain would stand by its UN obligations in Iraq. But he admits that mistakes have been made.

In preparation for taking over from Blair, Brown has already visited British troops in the southern Iraqi city of Basra and he said today: ''I will continue to keep in touch with them and I will be visiting again fairly soon.'' ''I want to make my own assessment of the situation and to listen to what they have to say, to listen to what the troops have to say themselves and then to listen to what the authorities in Iraq have to say,'' he told BBC Radio.

Asked if he would set a timetable for British withdrawal, he said, ''I don't think at this stage you pre-set a date. From a situation where we had 44,000 troops in Iraq, it is now down to 7,000 and it will go down to 6,000 and it is coming down.'' In an area where British troops in April suffered their worst death toll since the war, he said British troops were moving towards an advisory position and allowing Iraqis gradually to take over.

Brown said there were maybe 60 al Qaeda groups operating around the world and it was vital to isolate extremists and back moderates.

''The new front is winning the battle of hearts and minds.'' he said.

On Thursday, Blair signalled the star of a new era in British politics when he said he would step down as prime minister on June 27 after 10 years in power.

His resignation triggered a party leadership contest in which Brown is not expected to face a serious challenge. The new Labour leader automatically becomes prime minister.

Labour lags the main opposition Conservatives badly in opinion polls and Brown needs to regain the support of the English middle classes if he is to win the next national election, expected in 2009.

REUTERS SG KP1435