Topic: Some senior British military officers urge withdrawal from Iraq to concentrate on Afg

Media: The Associated Press
Byline:
Date: 29 September 2006


LONDON_Some senior British military officers are arguing for a withdrawal
from Iraq to that forces can concentrate on Afghanistan, The Guardian
newspaper reported Friday.

Advocates of that view believe the conflict in Afghanistan can be won, said
the newspaper's report, which was attributed to unidentified sources.

Defense Secretary Des Browne recently pressed NATO allies to contribute to
the fight against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

"Allies must step up to the plate to meet our collective commitment to
support the government and people of Afghanistan," Browne said at a NATO
meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia, on Thursday.

Britain now has about 7,500 troops in Iraq and 5,600 in Afghanistan.

A memo from a staff officer at the Defense Academy which was leaked this
week reflected the argument with the ministry.

"British armed forces are effectively held hostage in Iraq _ following the
failure of the deal being attempted by COS (chief of staff) to extricate
U.K. armed forces from Iraq on the basis of 'doing Afghanistan' _ and we are
now fighting (and arguably losing or potentially losing) on two fronts," the
memo said.

The Ministry of Defense said the memo was not written by a senior officer,
and that the author was reporting views from a range of sources.