Despite being 7,700 there already, more British soldiers are being sent to Afghanistan to fill in for the Canadians and Dutch who, despite the war being legal and part of NATO, may come home due to huge public pressure in both countries. Since 2001, 82 British and 71 Canadian soldiers have died.
UK troops to fill Nato's boots in Afghanistan
By Tom Coghlan in Kabul
22/10/2007
Daily Mail
Gordon Brown has repeatedly said that the reconstruction of Afghanistan is central to British foreign policy
The Government is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan to make up for the expected withdrawal of other Nato forces, a spokesman for the organisation has said.
Britain already has 7,700 soldiers fighting Taliban insurgents in Helmand province, at a time when senior Army officers complain that there is a serious overstretch in the armed forces.
There are fears that the Canadian and Dutch governments may withdraw their forces because of growing political pressure.
James Appathurai, the spokesman for the Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, disclosed that Britain was considering increasing its troop commitment.
He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "The British are talking in the south not only about keeping what they have, but potentially increasing it."
Mr Appathurai's remarks follow a Government announcement that troop numbers in Iraq are to be nearly halved by next spring.
The Prime Minister was accused by the Conservatives of trying to overshadow their party conference by announcing that 1,000 British troops in Basra would be home by Christmas.
He later said that by next spring 2,500 of the 5,500 troops in Iraq are expected to have been with drawn.
Reducing troop numbers in Basra would make troops available to be sent to the arguably more risky conditions of Afghanistan, where 82 British soldiers have died since 2001.
Gordon Brown has repeatedly said that the reconstruction of Afghanistan is central to British foreign policy.
Britain and other Nato member states will attend a summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday at which Mr de Hoop Scheffer will call for more troops and material to be sent to Afghanistan.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said last night: "We are keeping our force levels under review but we are not about to make any future announcement."
Within the diplomatic community in Kabul it is widely expected that Canada will withdraw from its current fighting role in Kandahar after losing 71 soldiers since 2001.
The Dutch government has indicated that it is looking for other Nato countries to take over in Uruzgan province from August 2008.
The Dutch have lost 11 soldiers in the past year.
telegraph.co.uk
UK troops to fill Nato's boots in Afghanistan
By Tom Coghlan in Kabul
22/10/2007
Daily Mail
Gordon Brown has repeatedly said that the reconstruction of Afghanistan is central to British foreign policy
The Government is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan to make up for the expected withdrawal of other Nato forces, a spokesman for the organisation has said.
Britain already has 7,700 soldiers fighting Taliban insurgents in Helmand province, at a time when senior Army officers complain that there is a serious overstretch in the armed forces.
There are fears that the Canadian and Dutch governments may withdraw their forces because of growing political pressure.
James Appathurai, the spokesman for the Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, disclosed that Britain was considering increasing its troop commitment.
He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "The British are talking in the south not only about keeping what they have, but potentially increasing it."
Mr Appathurai's remarks follow a Government announcement that troop numbers in Iraq are to be nearly halved by next spring.
The Prime Minister was accused by the Conservatives of trying to overshadow their party conference by announcing that 1,000 British troops in Basra would be home by Christmas.
He later said that by next spring 2,500 of the 5,500 troops in Iraq are expected to have been with drawn.
Reducing troop numbers in Basra would make troops available to be sent to the arguably more risky conditions of Afghanistan, where 82 British soldiers have died since 2001.
Gordon Brown has repeatedly said that the reconstruction of Afghanistan is central to British foreign policy.
Britain and other Nato member states will attend a summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday at which Mr de Hoop Scheffer will call for more troops and material to be sent to Afghanistan.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said last night: "We are keeping our force levels under review but we are not about to make any future announcement."
Within the diplomatic community in Kabul it is widely expected that Canada will withdraw from its current fighting role in Kandahar after losing 71 soldiers since 2001.
The Dutch government has indicated that it is looking for other Nato countries to take over in Uruzgan province from August 2008.
The Dutch have lost 11 soldiers in the past year.
telegraph.co.uk
