Gordon Brown may make a U-turn on Iraq

LONDON: US President George Bush has been told to prepare himself for a British U-turn on Iraq once Gordon Brown takes over reign from Tony Blair, a media report said on Sunday.

Bush has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals from Brown during his first 100 days in power. It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.

Bush recently discussed with a senior White House adviser on how to handle the fallout from the expected loss of Washington's main ally in Iraq, the newspaper said.

Details of the talks came as a close ally of Brown called for a quicker withdrawal of British troops.

"We should get out of Iraq as soon as is practicable. We should consult the Iraqi government - but they cannot have a veto. This cannot be delayed," Nigel Griffiths, a former minister said.

Blair is due to step down on June 27 after a decade in power with Chancellor Brown set to take over.

Under Blair, Britain has been the United States' staunchest ally in the war in Iraq and its key partner in the decision to invade the country in March 2003.