Britain's new Prime Minister Gordon Brown will downplay any rumors of a cooling of US-British relations during his upcoming talks with President George W Bush. Despite recent speeches by Brown's ministers that have sparked speculation of a shift in foreign policy away from the United States, Brown has denied any such plans. Brown and Bush will emphasize the strong "special relationship" between London and Washington during their discussions at Camp David, but it is unlikely that Brown will develop the same close personal bond with Bush as his predecessor, Tony Blair. According to politics professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University, the focus will be on maintaining a professional working relationship rather than a deep personal connection. Brown's spokesperson stated that topics to be discussed include global trade liberalization talks, climate change, as well as issues in Darfur, Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Russia, and Iran. Brown has confirmed that Britain will uphold its United Nations obligations in Iraq and there will not be an immediate withdrawal of British troops, despite some within the Labour Party pushing for it. However, the leader of the British military mentioned that Britain should be prepared to hand over control of Basra to Iraqi forces by the end of the year. Regarding Iran, Brown mentioned that military action is not off the table, but he believes that sanctions could still convince Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. The close relationship between Bush and Blair was established following the 9/11 attacks and their joint decision to invade Iraq. The ongoing violence in Iraq was a major factor in Blair's resignation as Prime Minister, leading to criticism from both voters and his own party. He was often ridiculed in the British press as being too submissive to President Bush, a perception that Brown, his successor, will want to avoid. Brown has managed to improve the ruling party's standing in the polls since taking office and there is speculation that he may call for an early election. Despite showing interest in European leaders, Brown has not been particularly enthusiastic about the European Union in the past. The discussion about a change in British foreign policy started when Brown appointed David Miliband as the foreign secretary, who was reported by British media to have doubts about the Iraq war. Brown also gave a lower-level position to Mark Malloch Brown, a former UN deputy secretary general who has criticized both Britain and the United States for their actions in the war. Recently, Malloch Brown mentioned that the close relationship between Brown and Bush may not be as strong as the one between Blair and Bush, and another minister emphasized the importance of alliances over military strength in a speech to a Washington audience.