UK Troops To Return From Afghanistan

June 20, 2002

UK troops have been in Afghanistan since December

UK troops deployed to Afghanistan as part of a mop-up operation against al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters are set to return home.

Ahead of the withdrawal the UK officially handed over command of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) to Turkey whose army's presence is set to be increased.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is expected to tell the Commons on Thursday that all 1,700 members of 45 Commando battlegroup Royal Marines will be brought home from Afghanistan in mid-August.

The Ministry of Defence has also confirmed that up to 900 of the 1,300 UK peacekeepers based in Kabul will be pulled out.

'Substantial contribution'

A spokesman said about 500 would remain, in line with earlier plans to keep a "reduced but substantial British contribution remaining in Afghanistan".

"These are not surprising developments, we've always said the numbers of troops were in Afghanistan for a certain amount of time and that time is drawing to a close," he said.

Royal Marines deployed on missions to hunt for remaining pockets of al-Qaeda would finish "as planned" by the end of July, with some beginning to leave in the first two weeks.

General John McColl who was in command of the international force in Afghanistan said that things had significantly improved there since the British troops went in.

"I don't claim everything is perfect either in a security sense or a political sense but it has improved considerably in a relatively short period of time," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan says the departure from Afghanistan is heralding a shake-up of all UK overseas troops.

'Flexible force'

He says once the marines and peacekeepers have left Afghanistan, British troops in the Balkans will be cut by up to one half - which could mean a total of as many as 6,000 troops heading home.

The MoD spokesman said there was "no connection" between the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the removal of troops from the Balkans.

After a review, Nato had decided on having a "lighter and more flexible force" in the Balkans and the UK contingent would be reduced as part of changes in the sizes of groups supplied by member states.

But shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin said that "shortfalls" in British soldier numbers meant the UK was increasingly unable to meet overseas objectives.

He said: "It is clear that the shrinking military under Labour is now too small for the government to maintain their commitments.

"The Army's strength presently stands at 100,900 - a shortfall of nearly 8,000."

Mr Jenkin insisted that despite a limited number of engagements the mission had been a success.

'Great contribution'

That message is likely to be echoed by Mr Hoon who will tell MPs that despite the fact operations to track down Taleban and al-Qaeda forces have turned into a hunt for a largely invisible enemy, the Financial Times says.

A MoD spokesman said the British troops had made "an enormous contribution to the stability of Afghanistan" and that had been "critical" to its future.

The 5,000-strong ISAF began deploying in and around the Afghan capital Kabul just days before an interim administration was sworn into office on 22 December last year, following the end of Afghanistan's Taleban regime.

ISAF's original mandate was due to end on 20 June, but the UN Security Council decided to extend the force for six months.

The British marines have been involved in a number of missions since arriving in the region, including securing a turbulent area in south-eastern Afghanistan and combing the mountain valleys to destroy remaining pockets of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The marines' commander, Brigadier Roger Lane - who has reportedly faced criticism over his role, although the MoD denies this - will be leaving Afghanistan with his troops.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_2052000/2052915.stm