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21/10/2004
UK troops will head north to reinforce Americans, Hoon confirms
The Defence Secretary has acceded to a US request for British troops to be sent to south west Baghdad to relieve its forces in the area.
The UK force heading north will consist of a UK armoured battlegroup drawing on the 1st Battalion The Black Watch and supporting units. The troops will, however, not come under the aegis of US commanders, and the operational command of soldiers remains with General Rollo, the UK's commanding officer in the region.
The total deployment of around 850 personnel will "operate at all times" under UK rules of engagement. The duration of the deployment will be "weeks rather than months", it was announced.
In the Commons today, Geoff Hoon said that the Chiefs of Staff have decided that UK forces "are able to undertake the proposed operation, that there is a compelling military operational justification for doing so and that it entails a militarily acceptable level of risk for UK forces".
Based on this military advice, the government has decided that we should accept the US request for assistance, he said.
The Defence Secretary also scotched rumours that Britain would be sending out an additional 1,300 troops to plug the gap left by the dispatch of the Black Watch.
To deflect suggestions that the government's decision was politically rather militarily motivated, Mr Hoon emphasised again that this was a "military request, and has been considered and accepted on operational grounds after a thorough military evaluation by the Chiefs of Staff".
This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January, he added.
"We cannot consider the current UK area of responsibility in isolation. What goes on in the rest of Iraq affects southern Iraq and affects UK troops wherever they are based. We must therefore consider our contribution in the context of the overall security situation right across Iraq," the House was told.
There are currently around 8,500 British troops stationed in Iraq.
(gmcg/mb)
The UK force heading north will consist of a UK armoured battlegroup drawing on the 1st Battalion The Black Watch and supporting units. The troops will, however, not come under the aegis of US commanders, and the operational command of soldiers remains with General Rollo, the UK's commanding officer in the region.
The total deployment of around 850 personnel will "operate at all times" under UK rules of engagement. The duration of the deployment will be "weeks rather than months", it was announced.
In the Commons today, Geoff Hoon said that the Chiefs of Staff have decided that UK forces "are able to undertake the proposed operation, that there is a compelling military operational justification for doing so and that it entails a militarily acceptable level of risk for UK forces".
Based on this military advice, the government has decided that we should accept the US request for assistance, he said.
The Defence Secretary also scotched rumours that Britain would be sending out an additional 1,300 troops to plug the gap left by the dispatch of the Black Watch.
To deflect suggestions that the government's decision was politically rather militarily motivated, Mr Hoon emphasised again that this was a "military request, and has been considered and accepted on operational grounds after a thorough military evaluation by the Chiefs of Staff".
This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January, he added.
"We cannot consider the current UK area of responsibility in isolation. What goes on in the rest of Iraq affects southern Iraq and affects UK troops wherever they are based. We must therefore consider our contribution in the context of the overall security situation right across Iraq," the House was told.
There are currently around 8,500 British troops stationed in Iraq.
(gmcg/mb)
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