ChrisH
10-24-2004, 06:01 AM
US welcomes UK troop deployment
The US has welcomed a decision by the UK to redeploy troops to central Iraq after it asked for assistance. Five hundred Black Watch soldiers and 350 support personnel will move from Basra to the US sector in central Iraq, but remain under British control.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher praised Britain's support, saying it demonstrated "the kind of role that Britain is prepared to play".
The redeployment was announced by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on Thursday after ministers agreed to the US request, based on a recommendation from Gen Walker.
BRITISH REDEPLOYMENT
500 Black Watch soldiers with up to 50 Warrior armoured vehicles
100 Queen's Dragoon Guards with 12 Scimitar armoured vehicles
50 Royal Marines light infantry from 40 Commando
300 support personnel such as engineers, logisticians, signallers and medics
Mr Boucher said: "It just demonstrates, once again, the kind of role that Britain is prepared to play in a matter that affects their security and our security, the security of all of us, and that is stabilising Iraq and helping the people of Iraq take control of their destiny and reconstruct their country."
Details of when and where Black Watch will go have not been disclosed, but officials have said it will be within a large area to the south and west of Baghdad.
Gen Walker said the troops will be under "tactical control" of the US commander, but "he has no authority to give them orders that would, in any way, be against the doctrine and training that we would undertake".
"This is an unusual deployment in the context of what has happened so far in Iraq, but this is business as usual for us in the military."
Gen Walker added: "We have a clear-cut task, within a clear-cut geography and time limits."
He reiterated the government's promise that Black Watch will be home for Christmas.
Mr Hoon told MPs there was a "compelling military operational justification" for the move, and it entailed a "militarily acceptable" level of risk.
Preparations for the redeployment have been under way at the Black Watch's base in Basra, in southern Iraq, for several days.
The regiment's Warrior armoured fighting vehicles have been reinforced to provide better protection against possible insurgent attacks.
Shadow Defence Secretary Nicholas Soames said the Tories supported the redeployment as "a necessary military contribution" but criticised the length of time taken to announce a decision, after initial reports of the US request emerged last Friday.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3764912.stm
EDIT: The Black Watch are Scottish regiment, one of the most famous in the British Army. This is a link to a profile, if you are interested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3752068.stm
The 100 Queens Dragoon Guards mentioned are a largely Welsh regiment. (Wales is my part of the UK)
Welsh troops prepare for Iraq tour
Soldiers from The Queen's Dragoon Guards - the Welsh Cavalry - are reported to be supporting 500 soldiers from the Black Watch in the US sector.
The Welsh Cavalry armoured reconnaissance unit, which could be sent to support the Black Watch, will consist of 100 men and 12 Scimitar armoured fighting vehicles.
Simon Pearson, who runs military consultancy BH Parners, told BBC Radio Wales he believed the US required support in some of the areas under its control in preparation for a planned assault on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja.
"What the Americans are preparing for is a four to five week assault on Feluja.
"They've puled out 800 to 1,000 combat troops to go and deal with that.
"Felujah lies 35-40 miles to the north west of Iskandariya which is where I understand the Black Watch and the Queen's Dragoon Guards are going.
"There's no doubt we are getting slightly deeper into it.
'Morale high'
"The military planners will have done an assessment which would have said that we need some light armoured support and that's where the Queen's Dragoon Guards come in.
"I think they are being put slightly more at risk than they are in Basra. But from what I hear morale is very high and they are looking forward to it."
Preparations for the redeployment have been under way at the Black Watch's base in Basra for several days.
The Welsh Cavalry, which has its home at Maindy Barracks in Cardiff, recruits mainly from Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
They are undertaking their second tour of duty in Iraq.
During their first tour, which ended earlier this year, reconnaissance tanks from the Queen's Dragoon Guards were at the spearhead of British operations around Basra.
Members of the regiment were rewarded for their efforts in destroying more than 20 Iraqi tanks by being presented with the Commando dagger by the Royal Marines.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3763758.stm
May God bless and bring them all, American and British, back home safe and sound.
Chris
The US has welcomed a decision by the UK to redeploy troops to central Iraq after it asked for assistance. Five hundred Black Watch soldiers and 350 support personnel will move from Basra to the US sector in central Iraq, but remain under British control.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher praised Britain's support, saying it demonstrated "the kind of role that Britain is prepared to play".
The redeployment was announced by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on Thursday after ministers agreed to the US request, based on a recommendation from Gen Walker.
BRITISH REDEPLOYMENT
500 Black Watch soldiers with up to 50 Warrior armoured vehicles
100 Queen's Dragoon Guards with 12 Scimitar armoured vehicles
50 Royal Marines light infantry from 40 Commando
300 support personnel such as engineers, logisticians, signallers and medics
Mr Boucher said: "It just demonstrates, once again, the kind of role that Britain is prepared to play in a matter that affects their security and our security, the security of all of us, and that is stabilising Iraq and helping the people of Iraq take control of their destiny and reconstruct their country."
Details of when and where Black Watch will go have not been disclosed, but officials have said it will be within a large area to the south and west of Baghdad.
Gen Walker said the troops will be under "tactical control" of the US commander, but "he has no authority to give them orders that would, in any way, be against the doctrine and training that we would undertake".
"This is an unusual deployment in the context of what has happened so far in Iraq, but this is business as usual for us in the military."
Gen Walker added: "We have a clear-cut task, within a clear-cut geography and time limits."
He reiterated the government's promise that Black Watch will be home for Christmas.
Mr Hoon told MPs there was a "compelling military operational justification" for the move, and it entailed a "militarily acceptable" level of risk.
Preparations for the redeployment have been under way at the Black Watch's base in Basra, in southern Iraq, for several days.
The regiment's Warrior armoured fighting vehicles have been reinforced to provide better protection against possible insurgent attacks.
Shadow Defence Secretary Nicholas Soames said the Tories supported the redeployment as "a necessary military contribution" but criticised the length of time taken to announce a decision, after initial reports of the US request emerged last Friday.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3764912.stm
EDIT: The Black Watch are Scottish regiment, one of the most famous in the British Army. This is a link to a profile, if you are interested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3752068.stm
The 100 Queens Dragoon Guards mentioned are a largely Welsh regiment. (Wales is my part of the UK)
Welsh troops prepare for Iraq tour
Soldiers from The Queen's Dragoon Guards - the Welsh Cavalry - are reported to be supporting 500 soldiers from the Black Watch in the US sector.
The Welsh Cavalry armoured reconnaissance unit, which could be sent to support the Black Watch, will consist of 100 men and 12 Scimitar armoured fighting vehicles.
Simon Pearson, who runs military consultancy BH Parners, told BBC Radio Wales he believed the US required support in some of the areas under its control in preparation for a planned assault on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja.
"What the Americans are preparing for is a four to five week assault on Feluja.
"They've puled out 800 to 1,000 combat troops to go and deal with that.
"Felujah lies 35-40 miles to the north west of Iskandariya which is where I understand the Black Watch and the Queen's Dragoon Guards are going.
"There's no doubt we are getting slightly deeper into it.
'Morale high'
"The military planners will have done an assessment which would have said that we need some light armoured support and that's where the Queen's Dragoon Guards come in.
"I think they are being put slightly more at risk than they are in Basra. But from what I hear morale is very high and they are looking forward to it."
Preparations for the redeployment have been under way at the Black Watch's base in Basra for several days.
The Welsh Cavalry, which has its home at Maindy Barracks in Cardiff, recruits mainly from Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
They are undertaking their second tour of duty in Iraq.
During their first tour, which ended earlier this year, reconnaissance tanks from the Queen's Dragoon Guards were at the spearhead of British operations around Basra.
Members of the regiment were rewarded for their efforts in destroying more than 20 Iraqi tanks by being presented with the Commando dagger by the Royal Marines.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3763758.stm
May God bless and bring them all, American and British, back home safe and sound.
Chris