Residents of Baghdad have shown mixed reactions to the Iraqi parliament's approval of a resolution, allowing thousands of British and other non-US foreign troops to remain in the country into 2009.

"I support the parliament's decision. It is a democratic step because the government and army are still growing."

"The Iraqi parliament should point out an essential point in its resolutions that the foreign troops must focus only on training Iraqi troops in the next period."

Iraq's parliament has passed legislation to allow 4,000 British troops and smaller contingents from Australia, El Salvador, Estonia and Romania to remain until the end of July 2009.