Troops will switch to help Americans, says Hoon

The deployment of about 850 British troops to assist the US in Iraq was announced today by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.

In a Commons statement, greeted with some protests from Labour backbenchers, Mr Hoon said he had been advised there was a "compelling military operational justification" for the controversial deployment.

He said the First Battalion, the Black Watch and supporting units will deploy in an area within the Multi National Force (West) to relieve US units.

But he denied there were plans to send a further 1,300 troops to Iraq, as suggested in some reports this morning.

Insisting the deployment was made on operational, not political, grounds, Mr Hoon said: "This deployment will be for a limited and specified period of time, lasting weeks rather than months."

It was right the UK should contribute to the objective of delivering a prosperous and secure future for the Iraqi people.

Mr Hoon said that after a reconnaissance mission, the Chiefs of Defence Staff had advised him that UK forces were able to undertake the operation.

He had been told "there is a compelling military operational justification for doing so and that it entails a militarily acceptable level of risk for UK forces.

"Based on this military advice, the Government has decided that we should accept the US request for assistance.

"I emphasise again that this was a military request and has been considered and accepted on operational grounds after a thorough military evaluation by the Chiefs of Staff."

The deployment was a "vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January".

Mr Hoon said the troop deployment would also include medics, signallers and engineers, taking the total to around 850 personnel.

"I cannot give the House further details about the location, duration or specifics of the mission.

"MPs on all sides will understand that to do so would risk the operational security of the mission and potentially the safety of our forces.

"Can I also emphasise that there are no plans to send a further 1,300 troops to Iraq as suggested this morning."

The force will remain under UK command but co-ordinate activity with the US chain of command in the area. It will operate at all times under the UK rules of engagement.

Of suggestions that the Americans had enough troops to do the job themselves, Mr Hoon said the Black Watch brought extensive "hard-edge" capability to the area.

"It is not the case, as is often implied, that there are 130,000 US troops that could take on the task.

"In fact, fewer than a third of US forces in Iraq have the requisite combat capability and of those even fewer have the armoured capability that is needed."

Mr Hoon said an armoured infantry group of the First Battalion Scots Guards would fulfil the divisional reserve role currently undertaken by the Black Watch.

"This deployment is limited in scope, time and space," he insisted. "It does not represent a permanent commitment of forces."

The overall trend in the number of British troops in Iraq was downward from the peak of 46,000 during the war to around 8,500 today and was expected to continue to fall.