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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| UK troops offer for Afghanistan | UK troops offer for Afghanistan |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has offered to send more British troops to serve on operations in Afghanistan. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has offered to send more British troops to serve on operations in Afghanistan. |
| The troops would be sent to provide security ahead of the country's presidential elections, British officials have said. | The troops would be sent to provide security ahead of the country's presidential elections, British officials have said. |
| They said the increase in troops would only be temporary and would most likely involve hundreds, not thousands, of British troops. | They said the increase in troops would only be temporary and would most likely involve hundreds, not thousands, of British troops. |
| The offer was made as Mr Brown flew to a Nato summit in Strasbourg. | The offer was made as Mr Brown flew to a Nato summit in Strasbourg. |
| 'Burden-sharing' | |
| The offer would only be made if other countries were willing to also send military units to help security. | |
| An official said: "There is obviously a risk of the Taleban wanting to disrupt these elections. The smooth running of these elections is clearly in our interests. | An official said: "There is obviously a risk of the Taleban wanting to disrupt these elections. The smooth running of these elections is clearly in our interests. |
| "The prime minister will be making clear in discussions that we will consider a temporary increase in our troop numbers to cover the election period subject to appropriate burden-sharing." | "The prime minister will be making clear in discussions that we will consider a temporary increase in our troop numbers to cover the election period subject to appropriate burden-sharing." |
| The UK currently has some 8,000 troops serving in the country, most of them in the southern province of Helmand. |