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| Attack on Terrorism - Campaign on terror |
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| UK troops deployed to root out al-Qaeda By Brian Groom in London and Edward Alden in Washington Published: March 21 2002 14:04GMT | Last Updated: April 4 2002 21:15GMT |
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 Britain is to send up to 1,700 troops to root out hardcore al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, in its biggest military deployment for combat operations since the Gulf war. The force - based around 45 Royal Marine Commando - will be under US command and will form a brigade alongside US and Canadian battle groups. The decision to deploy the troops was taken after a request from Washington, which wanted to exploit Commando expertise in mountain warfare. The decision underscored the fact that, while the US has said the fighting is "winding down," the war remains far from over. The UK force will join about 5,300 US troops on the ground in Afghanistan, and the US has no plans to reduce that number. The deployment represents a big increase in the UK's combat role in Afghanistan - so far only its special forces have been involved. Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, told the Commons: "These troops are being deployed to take part in war-fighting operations. We will be asking them to risk their lives. Their missions will be conducted in . . . hostile terrain against a dangerous enemy. They may suffer casualties. "No government makes such decisions without reaching the absolute conviction that it is something that must be done." Defence officials said the deployment had no bearing on whether the UK would have the resources to join any future action in Iraq, but Mr Hoon refused to answer questions from MPs on that issue. He said: "The force will go to Bagram, with the first members of 45 Commando Group on the ground within days, and ready to commence offensive operations by mid-April." Three companies of 45 Commando are aboard HMS Ocean in the Indian Ocean. The British battle group - codenamed Operation Janaca - will be supported by 7 Battery of 29 Commando artillery regiment, as well as Royal Engineers and logistics troops. Mr Hoon said no one who had read accounts of Operation Anaconda, in which US and Afghan forces suffered casualties in operations near Gardez, close to the Pakistan border, "could be anything other than concerned about the level of resistance". Officials expect the troops to be in theatre for three months with about 30 days spent on actual operations. Opposition leaders supported the decision but the Conservatives were angry they had not been briefed in advance. A sombre Commons was generally supportive, with only a small number of backbenchers voicing opposition. The deployment brings UK forces involved in the Afghan campaign to 6,100, including 1,600 in the international security force in Kabul, and the crews of ships and aircraft. Mr Hoon said there had been a "very positive" atmosphere in talks with Turkey about taking over leadership of the security force. The US formally requested the additional UK troops last week. General John Rosa of the US Joints Chiefs of Staff said yesterday he did not see the deployment as marking a new escalation. "I don't think you could characterise it as a major push," he said. A British embassy official, however, said the recent fighting had clearly shown the need for more regular troops to be involved. "The nature of the campaign in Afghanistan has obviously gone in a more boots-on-the-ground direction," he said. The announcement came as the US yesterday declared an end to Operation Anaconda, the two-week offensive against as many as 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in south-east Afghanistan. Pentagon officials said that 16 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters were killed in a firefight about 45 miles south west of Gardez. There were no US casualties. |