Britain ‘preparing to send more troops to Afghanistan’

The Government is preparing to send hundreds more troops to join the Nato mission in Afghanistan.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Despite the rising number of British personnel killed and wounded and signs of fraying public support for the mission, ministers are expecting a request for reinforcements from General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, who is reviewing the mission.

British sources said that he will next month ask for a significant increase in international troop numbers.

His expected “surge” comes amid signs that the British force in Afghanistan is spread too thinly, raising the risk to troops.

Almost 1,000 British service personnel have been killed or wounded in the country since 2001. Figures released on Monday showed that more British troops were wounded in action in July than in the whole of 2006. July’s casualty total was the highest monthly figure since British troops entered Afghanistan in 2001.

Britain has 9,000 troops in Afghanistan. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the British Army, said on Monday that those numbers will have to be maintained for as long as five years before Afghan forces are able to secure the country.

Ministers have said European nations and Afghan forces should bear more of the growing military burden in Afghanistan, but privately, senior British figures are resigned to sending more UK troops too.

That could take British numbers above 10,000. Most of the extra troops would be training and supporting Afghan forces.

Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, said: “General McChrystal is doing a review. It may be that he asks for more troops and it may be that more troops are needed from the coalition in the short term.”

The comments come as Nato said its forces in Afghanistan was suspending “offensive operations” during Thursday’s national election.

“Only those operations that are deemed necessary to protect the population will be conducted on that day,” the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

Brigadier General Eric Tremblay said: “Our efforts alongside our Afghan security partners will focus on protecting the people of Afghanistan from the insurgents so that the population can freely exercise their right to choose their next President and their provincial representatives.” Read full article…

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