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Five hundred more UK troops are set to be sent to Afghanistan after Britain's defence chief today pledged they would be properly equipped.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup was due to make the promise to the National Security, International Relations and Development Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister.
The Chief of the Defence Staff was expected to stress that the numbers of armoured Mastiff and Ridgeback vehicles as well as helicopters have "increased greatly" since troop numbers were raised to 9,000 in August.
They include Merlin helicopters, which were given the green light for operational use a month ahead of schedule, after a £42.5million upgrade programme to prepare them for the conditions in Afghanistan.
Sources also suggested that Gordon Brown may today confirm the deployment of the 500 extra troops, which will take Britain's force level in Afghanistan to 9,500.
After months of deliberation, US President Barack Obama is expected to announce tomorrow that he will send up to 30,000 more US troops.
About 9,000 Marines will be shipped out within days.
The extra forces will head to Helmand province where they will join the bulk of the British forces involved in some of the fiercest fighting against the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Mr Brown was today due to renew calls on Pakistan to step up efforts to track down Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders he believes are hiding in the north of the country.
He pledged last month "in principle" to boost the British deployment to 9,500 subject to three conditions.
They were a commitment by the Afghan government to provide sufficient home-grown troops for training, assurances that the British forces could be adequately equipped and that would be part of a coalition-wide deployment with each ally bearing its "fair share".
The PM announced at the weekend that an international conference would be held in London on 28 January to secure agreements from Afghan president Hamid Karzai of 50,000 trainee troops for training, a beefed-up local police capability and action to tackle corruption.
It is designed to prepare the way for the gradual hand-over of provinces to Afghan control, at least five by the end of next year, which could lead to UK forces coming home.
But Mr Brown said that no timetable was being set for scaling back the UK force.
Reader views (5)
Why, when the bottom has fallen out of the UK do we keep wasting money on a war we will never win? End the war now & bring the troops home. Money needs to be spent on resolving the UK's issues before wasting on a pointless war.
- Dom, London
All MP's children should be required to enlist in active front duty. Only then would they seriously consider any deployment of troops in foreign wars.
- Porky Pies, Land of Make Believe, London
The trouble is this is not an extra 500 troops the current battle grouip in Helman Province was sent out 500 men short. It is only bringing the battle group up to its correct strength.
Other NATO countries should be providing logistics and medical support along with more helicopters if they are unwilling to fight. Its time an ultimatum was sent to all NATO countries not supplying troops to this war. If they are unwilling to help they should be asked to leave NATO with immediate effect.
- Lance Johnson, Canterbury, UK
bin liner is dead, how come the ignorant clown doesn't know this? That is, clown's either ignorant or he's lying. Am I suggesting that clown is NOT lying...?
If he had been alive, why have there been NO HD videos of him? It stretches beyond credulity - just like this Government's statements - that AQ couldn't have got one to bl and smuggled HD videos out.
- Ralph, London
wake up brown there are 46 other countrys in the alliance get them to send their troops instead of us and the americans doing all the hard work
- Anon, leicestershire
