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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| UK troops offer for Afghanistan | UK troops offer for Afghanistan |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown is offering to send more British troops to serve on operations in Afghanistan. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown is offering 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 in August, UK officials said. | |
| They said the increase would only be temporary and would most likely involve hundreds, not thousands, of troops. | They said the increase would only be temporary and would most likely involve hundreds, not thousands, of troops. |
| But the offer is conditional upon other Nato members also being willing to send military units to help security. | But the offer is conditional upon other Nato members also being willing to send military units to help security. |
| 'Burden-sharing' | 'Burden-sharing' |
| A UK 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. | A UK 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. |
| "This will be a temporary deployment in order to deal with security issues arising from the elections. This is not at this point a decision. This is something that remains under consideration." | "This will be a temporary deployment in order to deal with security issues arising from the elections. This is not at this point a decision. This is something that remains under consideration." |
| The UK currently has some 8,000 troops in the country | The UK currently has some 8,000 troops in the country |
| Officials have also made it clear that any potential deployment is not connected to a wider debate over Britain sending more troops as part of a permanent deployment to Afghanistan. | Officials have also made it clear that any potential deployment is not connected to a wider debate over Britain sending more troops as part of a permanent deployment to Afghanistan. |
| The extra troops - it is thought around the size of a battalion - would come home straight afterwards, the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said. | The extra troops - it is thought around the size of a battalion - would come home straight afterwards, the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said. |
| The temporary deployment offer was made as Mr Brown flew to the Nato summit in Strasbourg. | The temporary deployment offer was made as Mr Brown flew to the Nato summit in Strasbourg. |
| Earlier US President Barack Obama urged better use of Nato resources in Afghanistan, saying al-Qaeda was a greater threat to Europe than to the US. | Earlier US President Barack Obama urged better use of Nato resources in Afghanistan, saying al-Qaeda was a greater threat to Europe than to the US. |
| The UK currently has some 8,000 troops serving in the country, most of them in the southern province of Helmand. | The UK currently has some 8,000 troops serving in the country, most of them in the southern province of Helmand. |
| Last week, Mr Obama published plans to send an extra 21,000 American troops to Afghanistan. | Last week, Mr Obama published plans to send an extra 21,000 American troops to Afghanistan. |