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Britain Agrees to Move Troops Nearer Baghdad
EFL(Reuters) - Britain agreed on Thursday to a U.S. request for UK troops to move to dangerous areas near Baghdad, a politically risky step for Tony Blair who could face a sharp backlash if casualty rates start rising. Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told parliament about 850 personnel would move north for a period of weeks, not months, to allow U.S. troops to tackle insurgents elsewhere. But of course, the ankle-biters accuse Blair of aiding W's re-election campaign "This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January," he said. U.S. military chiefs asked for UK forces to move north into volatile areas near Baghdad in order to free up U.S. troops to focus on hotspots like Falluja before the elections. "We share ... a common goal of creating a secure and stable Iraq where men, women and children in towns like Falluja can feel safe from foreign terrorists," Hoon said. Politicians, many in Prime Minister Blair's Labour party, are aghast at the prospect of British troops being moved to areas of greater danger. Until now, the British have been concentrated in a relatively quiet zone of southern Iraq around the second city of Basra. Since the Iraq war began, 68 British troops have been killed, compared with more than 1,000 Americans. HT - Drudge Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-21 |
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