The Iraqi flag was raised during the handover by UK troops A UK withdrawal or retreat?

On Monday 550 UK soldiers completed a withdrawal from central Basra to join 5,000 troops at an airbase outside the city, taking up an "overwatch" role.

Mr Brown said the move was pre-planned and did not mean defeat.

Iraqi foreign minister Hoysher Zebari said a complete UK withdrawal would lead to "catastrophic consequences".

The pull-out by British troops to the outskirts of Basra dominated Mr Brown's second prime ministerial news briefing.

'Long term plan'

Asked if he and President Bush still shared the same vision for the future of Iraq, Mr Brown replied: "We are on exactly the same path ...

"Just as the American government wish to discharge its obligations to the Iraqi people, we will continue to discharge our obligations.

"Both of us wish to see a situation where the security of the different provinces of Iraq is taken over by the Iraqis themselves. We always recognised that this would happen at different stages."

We are not getting any signals that there is any plan to pull this force out of Basra, because that would really lead to catastrophic consequences Hoysher Zebari Iraqi foreign minister

Mr Brown added: "Our policy is exactly the same: to make it possible for the Iraqi people to be responsible for their own security."

Mr Zebari told BBC's World At One programme that the withdrawal of British troops to a base outside Basra had been "in the planning for some time" between the Iraqi government and the multi-national forces.

"This is a partial withdrawal; the British commitment is still strong and is still there to maintain stability and security in that vital part of Iraq," he said.

"We expect more constructive, positive engagement from the British forces. I mean definitely, I don't see them sitting there doing nothing.