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British sending special forces
200 troops could be used to help U.S. fight Afghan targets on the ground
10/27/2001
LONDON – British officials Friday announced plans to send 200 special forces
troops to join the U.S.-led battle against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden in
Afghanistan.
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram told Parliament on Friday that 200 troops
from the Royal Marines who are engaged in a training exercise in Oman will be
placed on assault ships in the region and kept on alert for action inside
Afghanistan. He said an extra 400 troops would be on standby from bases in Britain, which
has been the strongest supporter of the United States since the Sept.11 attacks.
"This is a concrete demonstration of our resolve to see the campaign against
international terrorism through to the end," Mr. Ingram said. "We have said we
are in this for the long haul, and we mean it." The deployment, smaller than had been predicted, will be backed up by an
impressive armada of British warships, submarines, and naval supply ships as
well as an aircraft carrier and a troop assault ship, officials said. A total of
4,200 personnel will be involved. The plan was immediately endorsed by the opposition Conservative Party, whose
leaders are backing Prime Minister Tony Blair's aggressive response to the
terrorism crisis. Thus far, Britain is the only nation to join the United States
in attacking Afghanistan. The primary role of the British troops, Mr. Ingram said, was to provide
support for the continuing air campaign. Adm. Michael Boyce, chief of the Defense Staff, said the marine commandos
could be used on "precise surgical raids" against targets on the ground. "There may be times when we spend a very short time on Afghan soil, and there
may be a time when we spend days," he said, adding that the British military
presence could be greatly enlarged if necessary. In general, military experts regard Britain's special forces as an excellent
complement to American special troops. The Americans are trained for short, intense battles, while the British are
trained for longer deployments that involve blending in with local populations
and gathering intelligence, analysts said. British naval forces have already participated in the airstrikes against
Afghanistan, launching several cruise missiles, but Friday's announcement marks
the first time that ground troops have been readied for deployment. Mr. Ingram predicted that the campaign against the Taliban and the al-Qaeda
terror network headed by Mr. bin Laden would be lengthy. After Mr. Ingram briefed Parliament, the prime minister made a radio address
to British military personnel throughout the world on the British Forces
network. Mr. Blair said there was "no other alternative" to sending troops to
the region. "It is a huge responsibility, but it is necessary to do it," he said. "This
is a battle that we have to undertake for the defense of civilized values
everywhere and for the free world." Mr. Blair, asserting that Britain's security is at stake, said urgent action
is needed to prevent the terrorists from building up supplies of "chemical,
biological, and even nuclear weapons of mass destruction." The marines being sent are part of the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade and
have been specially trained for winter fighting under Arctic conditions. They have been on an extended training mission in Oman that ends this
weekend. Several key British assets, including the aircraft carrier Illustrious and
the destroyer Southampton, will remain in the region once the exercises in Oman
are over to support the anti-terror operations. A submarine with cruise missiles
will also be put in place for further attacks. Bernard Jenkin, the shadow defense secretary from the Conservative Party,
said Friday afternoon that the deployment is justified and that action is
necessary. "To fail would be a fatal signal and would give encouragement to the
terrorists and to those who sustain them, not just in Afghanistan but around the
world," he said.