Brown, Bush to discuss Britain's role in Iraq

LONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown heads to Washington today on his first major overseas visit since his 10-year wait to succeed Tony Blair ended last month.

He will hold talks with President Bush at his Maryland retreat, Camp David, and deliver a speech to the United Nations in New York after talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Brown arrives with some thorny issues in his policy folder, not least the fate of Britain's remaining soldiers in Iraq.

Britain has 5,500 troops in the country, based almost entirely on the fringes of the southern city of Basra. Military chiefs in London have said Britain is likely to hand over control of Basra to local forces by the end of the year, a move certain to spark a domestic clamor for more British troop withdrawals.

Brown will discuss with Bush Britain's likely role in aiding the U.S. plan to deploy a missile-defense system in Europe, his Downing Street office said.

Downing Street said the leaders would also examine a potential role for Britain in a Middle East peace conference in the U.S., which Bush has called and said would likely be held in September. They also will discuss the Iran nuclear controversy, the eventual status of Kosovo and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, officials said.