BRITAIN: Mr Tony Blair's cabinet has unanimously approved the redeployment of more than 800 British troops into US-controlled central Iraq, despite the growing unease of many Labour MPs at Westminster writes Frank Millar.
Their decision came after the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Michael Walker, put paid to reports of disquiet among defence chiefs by declaring the US request for assistance was militarily justified.
In a Commons statement yesterday afternoon the Defence Secretary, Mr Geoff Hoon, said there was "a compelling military operational justification" for the decision to move the soldiers of the Black Watch from their base in southern Iraq closer to the capital, Baghdad. And he insisted the move entailed "a militarily acceptable level of risk for UK forces", who he stressed would remain under UK operational command.
At the same time Mr Hoon sought to reassure MPs the redeployment would last "weeks rather than months", while denying a report in yesterday's London Times that another 1,300 British troops are to be sent to Iraq under contingency plans being drawn up by military planners. Despite Mr Hoon's denial, some defence experts last night maintained it was almost inevitable that Britain would be required to send more troops in the run-up to the Iraqi elections in January.
However, Downing Street hoped the immediate air of mutiny among Labour MPs had been calmed by Sir Michael's public declaration that "there is a clear cut operational imperative that it is both sensible and reasonable to respond positively" to the American request for back-up ahead of an expected assault on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja.
Sir Michael said the proposed redeployment represented "an important and viable military task which we will be pleased to carry out".
He added: "The decision is both militarily sensible and contributes to our overall strategic aim of ensuring elections take place in January."
Mr Hoon echoed that point in his statement to MPs after repeated suggestions throughout the week from Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat benches that the forthcoming US presidential election was a factor in the decision. "Crucially, Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi and the interim government want to establish sufficient security for elections to take place," he said.
While declining to give detailed information about the redeployment for reasons of operational security and the safety of troops on the ground, Mr Hoon told MPs the British force being moved would remain under the operational command of the UK general currently in charge of their existing area of operations.
The Defence Secretary told the House: "This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January."
Tacitly confirming that the move would free US forces for an assault on Falluja, Mr Hoon continued: "We share with the Iraqi Interim Government and our coalition partners a common goal of creating a secure and stable Iraq, where men, women and children in towns like Falluja can feel safe from foreign terrorists, from the kidnappers who murdered Ken Bigley and from other criminals."
Mr Hoon also cautioned MPs that the UK area of responsibility in Iraq, centred on Basra, could not be considered in isolation.
"What goes on in the rest of Iraq affects southern Iraq and affects UK troops wherever they are based," he said.