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No extra UK troops for Iraq
27/04/2004 17:12 - (SA)
London - Britain has sufficient troops on the ground in Iraq, Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Tuesday after days of speculation that more reinforcements would be sent.
"We keep the questions of troops under review the all time," Blair told reporters at Downing Street alongside visiting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"The advice we have is that we've got sufficient troops to do the job," he said.
Britain now has 7 900 occupying southern Iraq, according to the most recent ministry of defence data.
But in recent days there have been reports that more could be sent to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Spanish forces.
On Monday, the ministry of defence acknowledged that "in light of recent events", including the Spanish pullout, Britain was in talks with its coalition partners about troop numbers.
The Times newspaper said on Monday that Blair's government was mapping out "a highly complex series of options" that could see more British troops in Iraq once the 1 300-strong Spanish contingent departs.
"They range from sending another 1 500 to 2 000 troops to fill the gaps left by the Spanish, to taking over command of a second multinational division in central-south Iraq," it said.
The latter option, The Times added, "would significantly raise Britain's military and political stake in the country", with London seeking to exert greater influence over security in Iraq.
Pulling out of Iraq was one of the first moves taken by Spain's new Socialist government, which was elected on March 14.
- AFP
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