AP: British troops to be sent to Afghanistan

[Eugene]

Monday, February 26, 2007 · Last updated 8:08 a.m. PT

British troops to be sent to Afghanistan

By DAVID STRINGER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

LONDON -- Britain's Defense Secretary Des Browne on Monday announced
the deployment of 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan to tackle a threatened
Taliban spring offensive, days after Tony Blair announced a major withdrawal
from Iraq.

The announcement will bring the total U.K. troop level in Afghanistan to
around 7,700 until 2009, meaning Britain will have more forces based there
than in Iraq for the first time since the 2003 Iraq invasion. Blair said
Wednesday that Britain would soon reduce numbers in Iraq to 5,500.

-snip-

Browne previously authorized deployment of an extra 800 troops to the
region on Feb. 1, but failed to persuade several other NATO countries to
contribute new combat troops during a summit in Seville, Spain, earlier
this month.

"It is increasingly clear, that at present, when it comes to the most
demanding tasks in the most challenging parts of Afghanistan, only a
small number of key allies are prepared to step forward," Browne told
the House of Commons.

-snip-

Full article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103AP_Britain_Afghanistan_Troops.html

[htuttle]

1. "When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,"

"And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier _of_ the Queen!"
-- Rudyard Kipling, "The Young British Soldier"

[TheLeftyMom]

2. out of the frying pan... n/t