Iraq envoy challenges UK's Brown on troop pullout

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Reuters) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown dodged a strong challenge today from Iraq's UN ambassador, who asked whether he would ''abandon'' Iraqis by pulling out Britain's 5,000 troops in the country.

''Are you going to abandon the Iraqi people under the pressure to withdraw your forces and leave the country?'' Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati asked Brown after the British leader had addressed the United Nations on development issues.

''We are doing what we can,'' Brown replied at the question-and-answer session with UN officials and diplomats. ''We accept our responsibilities and we will discharge our responsibilities to the people of Iraq.'' He told Bayati he thought the pace of reconstruction in Iraq ''can be quicker.'' Brown had also given US President George W Bush no promises on how long Britain would keep its troops in Iraq at a White House meeting yesterday.

British forces entered Iraq as part of the 2003 US-led invasion that was strongly endorsed by Brown's predecessor Tony Blair, who quit as prime minister last month. But the British public's support for their presence has steadily waned.

After the invasion, the British were given responsibility for parts of southern Iraq. Britain has already handed over security control to Iraqi forces in three of the provinces it was responsible for.

Brown said yesterday Britain intends to do the same in the fourth province, Basra, subject to military advice. The head of the British military said last week Britain should be in a position to hand over Basra by year-end.

Reuters JT DB2138