Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
London Daily Telegraph
June 17, 2008 By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Gordon Brown has announced that British troop numbers in Afghanistan will be increased to their highest level yet and has played down suggestions of an early withdrawal from Iraq.
Speaking at a news conference in London with George W Bush, the US president, the Prime Minister said the new Afghan deployment would take UK numbers in the country beyond the 8,000 mark.
"Today, Britain will announce additional troops for Afghanistan, bringing our numbers in Afghanistan to the highest level," Mr Brown said.
Britain has 7,800 troops in Afghanistan and the announcement of another 230 will take that figure above 8,000 for the first time. The British death toll in Afghanistan last week reached 102.
There are also more than 4,000 British troops in southern Iraq, and the pressure of the two deployments has severely stretched the Armed Forces.
Recent reports have suggested that Mr Brown is pushing for an early withdrawal from Iraq, causing consternation in Washington.
But Mr Brown and Mr Bush insisted that both countries will withdraw forces from Iraq only when the security situation in the country improved.
"In Iraq, there is a job to be done, they will continue to do the job. There will be no artificial timetable," Mr Brown said.
"We have a job that is still to be done."
Mr Bush said that troops would only leave when they had succeeded in their work.
"I have no problem with how Gordon Brown is dealing with Iraq," he said.
"He's left more troops in Iraq than initially anticipated."
Last week, The Daily Telegraph revealed that British diplomats have warned Gordon Brown in confidential briefing documents that the Afghan drug trade and the corruption of the country's government will prolong the insurgency against UK forces.
Ministers reject suggestions that the British mission lacks a clear strategy, and many British troops in Afghanistan are frustrated that their tactical victories over the Taliban are not fully appreciated in the UK.
Mr Bush praised the British mission in Afghanistan as "necessary work in the interests of peace and security".
June 17, 2008 By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Gordon Brown has announced that British troop numbers in Afghanistan will be increased to their highest level yet and has played down suggestions of an early withdrawal from Iraq.
Speaking at a news conference in London with George W Bush, the US president, the Prime Minister said the new Afghan deployment would take UK numbers in the country beyond the 8,000 mark.
"Today, Britain will announce additional troops for Afghanistan, bringing our numbers in Afghanistan to the highest level," Mr Brown said.
Britain has 7,800 troops in Afghanistan and the announcement of another 230 will take that figure above 8,000 for the first time. The British death toll in Afghanistan last week reached 102.
There are also more than 4,000 British troops in southern Iraq, and the pressure of the two deployments has severely stretched the Armed Forces.
Recent reports have suggested that Mr Brown is pushing for an early withdrawal from Iraq, causing consternation in Washington.
But Mr Brown and Mr Bush insisted that both countries will withdraw forces from Iraq only when the security situation in the country improved.
"In Iraq, there is a job to be done, they will continue to do the job. There will be no artificial timetable," Mr Brown said.
"We have a job that is still to be done."
Mr Bush said that troops would only leave when they had succeeded in their work.
"I have no problem with how Gordon Brown is dealing with Iraq," he said.
"He's left more troops in Iraq than initially anticipated."
Last week, The Daily Telegraph revealed that British diplomats have warned Gordon Brown in confidential briefing documents that the Afghan drug trade and the corruption of the country's government will prolong the insurgency against UK forces.
Ministers reject suggestions that the British mission lacks a clear strategy, and many British troops in Afghanistan are frustrated that their tactical victories over the Taliban are not fully appreciated in the UK.
Mr Bush praised the British mission in Afghanistan as "necessary work in the interests of peace and security".