He’s speaking live at 12:3o. The visit is unexpected, and clearly to show security advances made in the province. Patraeus reports to Congress in 8 days, so timing is crucial. As Allah points out, the most important meeting today isn’t with the Iraqi President or the military. Bush will be meeting with local sheiks, in an attempt to get them involved politically in the rebuilding.

McClatchy is reporting that US combat deaths are declining steadily.

So, what about the British? They’ve pulled their last troops out of Basra. Mission complete, right? For the insurgent groups, yeah.

US President George Bush has made an unannounced visit to Iraq on the day British troops completed their pull out of Basra.

Iraqis are celebrating the move as a defeat, but Gordon Brown insisted Britain could still intervene in Basra when necessary.

Sounds like a craptastic plan! Make a lot of progress. Then withdraw. When things start going to crap again, and they will, start from the beginning again. Is anyone across the pond paying attention?

Today Mr Brown insisted the move to Basra Air Station was an “organised” one, though he admitted the situation in Iraq “could have been handled a lot better”.

Mr Brown said troops would still be able to re-intervene in Basra in “certain circumstances”.

Both Iraqi officials and citizens heralded the British pull out as a defeat, despite Mr Brown’s comments.

Last night, Hakim al-Mayahi, the provincial council member in charge of the security portfolio in Basra, said: “There have been many promises made by the British forces regarding the security problems, but they failed to fulfill most of these. That is in addition to the lack of support from the central government in Baghdad.

“The tribes and the locals have better weapons than our security forces.”

Members of the Shi’ite Mehdi Army cheered the withdrawal. “They were facing catastrophe and withdrew because of the attacks by the Mehdi Army,” Mehdi Army fighter Abu Safaa said.

People on the streets of Basra also celebrated the departure of the British.

“We reject any strangers and they are colonialists,” said Rudha Muter. “We are pleased that the Iraqi army are now taking over the situation – we as an Iraqi people reject occupation, we reject colonialism – we want our freedom.”

Congratulations, Great Britain. In the eyes of the Middle East, you have been defeated. You guys don’t do really well against small, rag tag militias, do you.

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