An Extra 3,000 British Troops For Iraq

The Government is to send several thousand more troops to Iraq, with some arriving there as early as tomorrow.

But the full brigade-level force of 5,000 which the Foreign Office wanted to avert "strategic failure" in Iraq cannot be sent because commanders do not have enough easily deployable troops available.

They are so short of men to reinforce the 10,000 already there that those who go will have to fly in two separate groups. A thousand are to leave now, to be followed by about 2,000 more.

The decision to send troops, expected to be announced in the Commons on Monday by Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, follows pressure from the Foreign Office for a substantial increase in the British presence in Iraq .

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, told Tony Blair on Wednesday that the number of British troops had to be increased to demonstrate the allies' commitment to Iraq.

He sees it as the only way to persuade the US to add to its own numbers in the face of a terrorist campaign by Saddam Hussein loyalists that has killed 67 American and 11 British soldiers.

A British civilian mine-clearance expert, Ian Rimell, 53, from Kidderminster, Worcs, became the latest person to die when he was ambushed near Mosul on Thursday.

Evidence of the difficulties Britain faces in finding the reinforcements came in a letter from Mr Hoon to opposition parties in which he said he was sending an infantry company of about 120 men as an interim measure.

That followed a call by Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, and his defence spokesman, Bernard Jenkin, for more troops. They will demand a full debate on the issue next week.

A company from 2 Bn, the Light Infantry, based at Dhekelia, Cyprus, will fly to Iraq over the weekend, with 1 Bn, the Light Infantry expected to arrive next week.

The 3,000 extra troops to be sent to Iraq are expected to include 1 Bn, the Royal Regiment of Wales, based in Germany.

The call for more troops caught the armed forces cold with most rapid deployment forces on long-term leave after months in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Commanders could normally send paratroopers or Royal Marine commandos very swiftly to reinforce any operational deployment but a series of operations culminating in the Iraq war has meant they are not ready.

Not only have British soldiers fought gruelling campaigns in the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq over the past four years, they have also had to cope with the foot and mouth crisis and the firemen's strikes.

That has disrupted the formation readiness cycle, which gives the right mix of training, maintenance and time off. Troops have been left undertrained and immense strain has been put on families.

Acknowledging that leave would be cancelled, Mr Jenkin said: "Our soldiers are fast becoming the most exploited public sector workers."

This is scary if we AND UK are short of manpower. What are we going to do if war breaks out with North Korea or even some smaller engagement. A buddy of mine in the Marine Corp. just got back two weeks ago from Iraq. He was there with the initial thrust towards Baghdad. He said all the Army and Marine units will be recycled with at the most of 30 day leave and then sent back to Iraq.

If war breaks out with N. Korea I don't think it's going to involve boots on the ground. It will be involving more missiles. It wouldn't be a ground war with the seriousness of that situation. I still say it's time we take out the men we have in Kosovo.

"This is scary if we AND UK are short of manpower. What are we going to do if war breaks out with North Korea or even some smaller engagement."

The South Koreans have lots of 'boots on the ground.'

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