More British troops likely to be called for by US in Iraq

[maddezmom]

LONDON (AFP) - With British troops nearing the end of their mission in a US-controlled zone south of Baghdad, observers believe Washington will call again on its chief ally for reinforcements in the build-up to next month's crucial Iraqi elections.

"It is very likely we are going to see extra British soldiers sent to Iraq (news - web sites) over the elections period," Charles Heyman, chief analyst at Britain's authoritative Jane's Defence Weekly, told AFP.


"When US forces are under pressure again, they are going to go straight to the UK and say we want your people as quickly as possible, and the UK will almost certainly deliver," he said.


An 850-strong British force, predominantly from Scotland's Black Watch regiment, began operations at Camp Dogwood, 20 miles (32 kilometres) south of Baghdad on November 3.


Britain has about 8,000 troops in the relatively tame southern Iraq, around Basra, compared to 138,000 US troops in the centre and north.


more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1503&ncid=721&e=6&u=/afp/20041204/ts_afp/iraq_britain_us_troops


edited to add what the US's other large member of the "coalition of the willing is up to now. :eyes:



CANBERRA, Australia - Defense Minister Robert Hill traveled to Iraq (news - web sites) Saturday to meet with some of the 900 soldiers Australia has stationed there as part of the U.S.-led coalition, the ministry said.



Hill will also meet with U.S. military officials and discuss progress on the country's reconstruction, the ministry said in a statement.


Hill said maintaining order in the lead up to elections expected on Jan. 30 was crucial.


"It is clear that a lot of work still needs to be done to curb the ongoing violence and attacks by insurgents and former Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) loyalists, who are trying to prevent the elections from going ahead and to stop progress," Hill said in a statement.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=3&u=/ap/20041204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/australia_iraq

[PartyPooper]

1. Too bad the Queen isn't in charge. I'm sure she would say "NO!"

[Warren Stupidity]

2. So now that we crushed the evil-doers

in fallujah, striking a mortal blow to the foreign terrorists, saddam dead enders, and criminal remnants of the baath regime who dared to not submit to our authority, we need reinforcements from both the yanks and the brits.

Hmmmm.... good thing that as a nation we are VERY STUPID or we might begin to suspect that things are not going very well at all in iraq.

[PurityOfEssence]

3. In for a penny, in for a pound of flesh

Oil. Yum. Liiiight sweeeeet crude, mmm...