British troops may end up in one of the most violent flashpoints in Iraq in an operation to help the United States forces poised for an assault on the rebel stronghold of Fallujah. Soldiers from the Black Watch may be deployed to Iskandariyah, south of Baghdad, an area that has seen militants carry out sustained attacks on US and Iraqi government forces, as well as the kidnap and murder of foreigners and Iraqis. The Americans claimed to have "pacified" the area in a major military operation after it passed into the hands of insurgents for months. But it remains highly volatile. Iskandariyah and nearby Latifiyah are important strategically as a "feeder route" to Fallujah, and US commanders are said to want the British battalion to provide support backfill, in military jargon for US troops heading for Fallujah to reinforce the 1,200 troops already based there...
Unconfirmed reports are that a large number of tanks are en route to Fallujah. |