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Afghan deployment to be outlined UK to boost Afghan force by 1,400
(3 days later)
The deployment of about 1,000 extra UK troops to Afghanistan is due to be confirmed later. The UK is to deploy 1,400 more troops to Afghanistan, bringing numbers up to 7,700, Des Browne has told MPs.
The details of the deployment are expected to come in a Commons statement from Defence Secretary Des Browne. The majority will be deployed over summer and will be mainly based in the volatile province of Helmand, where UK forces have been fighting the Taleban.
Most are likely to be sent to the volatile province of Helmand, where UK forces have been fighting the Taleban. The defence secretary said the move was being made with the agreement of the chiefs of staff and was "manageable".
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said reinforcements were needed because it was a "difficult and complex area", where UK forces faced hostile action. He denied that the need for more forces in Afghanistan had forced the recent decision to reduce troops in Iraq.
The Taleban wanted to create a "medieval theocracy", he told ITV1's Sunday Edition. And, in a Commons statement, he said it would be an "error" to believe that the need to increase troop numbers was the result of poor planning.
Spring offensive Nato duty
Mr Ingram said: "We face quite hostile action there and that is why we have to bolster our strength there."
There are currently 5,600 British troops in Afghanistan, mostly in Helmand.
Nato commanders have said they need more soldiers to tackle an expected spring offensive by the Taleban.Nato commanders have said they need more soldiers to tackle an expected spring offensive by the Taleban.
The UK says it is having to send more troops because of the reluctance of fellow Nato members' to send their forces to southern Afghanistan.
Mr Browne said: "We believe every Nato partner should be prepared to do more to meet this need. But we must be realistic.
ADDITIONAL DEPLOYMENT Battle group will include elements from: 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1st Battalion Scots Guards5th Regiment Royal Artillery39th Regiment, Royal Artillery Source: Ministry of Defence
"I have lobbied our partners consistently for more help but it is increasingly obvious that at present, when it comes to the most challenging parts of Afghanistan, only we and a small number of key allies are prepared to step forward."
He added that the increase in troops was done "in accordance with unequivocal military advice".
Some of the forces deployed will be reservists although numbers are yet to be confirmed. The troops will be committed until 2009, Mr Browne said.
As well as Helmand, the troops will also be operating in the neighbouring province of Kandahar, and the provinces of Uruzgan, Zabul, Nimruz and Day Kondi.
The announcement of the extra UK deployment comes days after Prime Minister Tony Blair said the country's military presence in Iraq was being reduced by 1,600 personnel.The announcement of the extra UK deployment comes days after Prime Minister Tony Blair said the country's military presence in Iraq was being reduced by 1,600 personnel.
And it comes as Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett visits Pakistan, where she will discuss efforts to prevent members of the Taleban taking refuge inside the country's borders. British troops will continue to be based in the south
'Winnable' battle For the Conservatives the shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the increase indicated that "we are taking a disproportionate burden".
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, who has called for UK soldiers to be out of Iraq by October, backed the plans to bolster Afghanistan forces. He described it as "scandalous that only four Nato nations ... the UK, the US, the Canadians and the Dutch - surprise, surprise - are contributing by far the greatest to the security in the south, and the most dangerous parts of the country.
He told the BBC: "I think [the military campaign] is winnable - that's the judgement of the senior commanders. "The UK taxpayers and the UK military are taking far more of the share of the burden than we should in what is supposedly a communal operation."
"There is no doubt that this is in a different category altogether from Iraq and it is somewhere where we should be putting resources to bring about, as far as we can, a successful conclusion." He said success in Afghanistan was "essential" for global security and said there were now questions to be asked about the future of Nato.
The Tories have said the new Afghan deployment shows UK forces are too "overstretched" to carry out duties in both there and in Iraq. Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said it was frustrating that Nato allies were not participating more, but he understood the "logic" of the increased deployment.
Manpower revamp 'Vital partner'
The UK has recently revamped its operations in Afghanistan to put most manpower into Helmand province in the south, where the fighting is at its most fierce. He questioned defence planning, saying "if we are going to keep up the operation in Afghanistan over a period of years, isn't it essential we complete the draw-down from Iraq as quickly as possible so that we don't continue operations on two fronts."
The 1,300 troops currently in Kabul will come out of that region shortly. Mr Browne's statement came as Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett visits Pakistan for talks with President Pervez Musharraf.
The majority of those will go south to Helmand, except for about 400 who will leave Afghanistan. She said: "I welcome the opportunity to discuss the work we are doing together on counter-terrorism, as well as other aspects of our relationship.
The remaining 5,200 troops in the country will be bolstered by the expected extra 1,000 troops, making the UK force in Afghanistan 6,200-strong. "I also expect to discuss the steps we are taking to defeat the Taleban in Afghanistan. Pakistan is a vital partner in this region and their commitment is essential to creating a stable and secure Afghanistan."