Statement expected over troop deployments
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will make a statement in the House of Commons on Monday, telling MPs that no decision has yet been made about the possible re-deployment of British troops in Iraq.
Mr Hoon is, however, expected to confirm that the Government has been asked by the US to redeploy British troops outside the UK-controlled sector in southern Iraq, to an area near Baghdad.
The Government has faced mounting pressure to make a statement on its plans, which could see around 650 British troops moved north in order to cover for U.S. units battling insurgents in rebel-areas such as Falluja.
Opposition MPs have expressed their concerns over the plans with former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook stressing that UK troops could be blamed for the more aggressive tactics used by US soldiers operating in northern Iraq.
Conservative defence spokesman, Nicholas Soames warned the Government against making a “political gesture” to the US ahead of the forthcoming Presidential election.
“We need to watch the timing of all this and be careful that this isn’t just being used as a kind of political gesture to reassure the Americans of Prime Minister Blair’s support for the American efforts,” he told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said any question of putting British troops under US operational command “would be extremely controversial”.
The Government has flatly denied accusations that it is using British troops to boost President Bush’s political standing ahead of the US elections.
“For people to suggest that there is some tawdry political deal here, I think, diminishes the effort that has been made by our soldiers on the ground,” Health Secretary John Reid told BBC’s Breakfast with Frost.
