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IRAQ:
ADJUSTMENTS TO UK FORCES IN MULTINATIONAL DIVISION (SOUTH
EAST)
With
permission, Mr Speaker I would like to make a statement
on troop levels in Iraq. Overall I am announcing a net
increase of around 370 in troop numbers to bring the
total of UK forces in Iraq to about 8,900. As the House
is aware, we keep the number and composition of UK forces
in Multinational Division (South East) (MND(SE)) under
constant review. Since MND(SE) was established in Summer
2003 we have made a series of adjustments in the light
of the security situation on the ground and the advice
of the General Officer Commanding. The most significant
of these have included the multinationalisation of the
headquarters, which was originally based on a UK division;
the deployment of two additional surge battalions which
I announced in September; and the deployment of a replacement
for these battalions plus a small number of Royal Military
Police primarily to provide a surge capability to assist
with the training and development of Iraqi security
forces in MND(SE), which I announced to the House on
28 October and 15 December.
As
a result of the latest advice from the General Officer
Commanding, we plan a number of further such adjustments
within MND(SE). The two surge battalions, currently
the 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
and the 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers have
made excellent progress in their work with local Iraqi
forces, who are increasingly taking on responsibility
for basic security functions in MND(SE). We therefore
judge that it is unlikely that we shall need two battalions
to perform this role beyond this Summer, but again we
will keep this under review. As a sensible precaution,
we are reducing the Notice To Move of 40 Commando Royal
Marines, in order to keep open the option of deploying
it to continue this work when the Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders and Royal Highland Fusiliers reach the end
of their tours. In the meantime 40 Commando will continue
with its current activities.
In
January 2004 we deployed two additional platoons of
Royal Military Police from 110 Provost Company to assist
in the provision of specialised training for the Iraqi
Police Service. They will come to the end of their tour
in June, having performed an invaluable role. We judge
that this work should continue, and therefore plan to
deploy two platoons of the RMP from 160 Provost Company
to replace those returning next month.
In
addition, the House will be aware that the security
situation in Iraq remains difficult, even in parts of
MND(SE) which on the whole continues to be one of the
more stable areas of Iraq. In particular, there is a
continuing threat from violent groups in the area around
Al Amarah in the province of Maysan. Although UK forces
and Iraqi security forces have taken, and continue to
take, robust and appropriate action to deal with this
threat, the General Officer Commanding, Major General
Stewart, judges that with the planned withdrawal of
1 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a light infantry
battalion, at the end of its six-month tour in July,
it would be advisable to take this opportunity to deploy
a Warrior-trained infantry battalion. This will provide
General Stewart with a well-protected and mobile reserve
which will give him greater operational flexibility.
We therefore plan to deploy the 1st Battalion The Black
Watch with a small number of logistic enablers. This
will involve around 600 personnel, a net increase of
about 200 when the withdrawal of 1 Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders is taken into account.
Finally,
in view of the nature of the threat posed by violent
groups around Al Amarah in particular, which has involved
both mortar and rocket attacks on UK bases, General
Stewart has requested, and I have agreed, the deployment
of 69 Squadron from 36 Regiment Royal Engineers, some
170 personnel, for a period of around three months.
These engineers will carry out force protection work,
including the construction of additional physical defences
in British bases, to reduce the threat posed by the
kinds of attacks we have seen in recent weeks.
I
would emphasise to the House that these are sensible
adjustments, at the request of the General Officer Commanding,
to UK forces in MND(SE). It remains the case that we,
with our coalition partners, are considering the levels
and dispositions of forces required in Iraq in the months
ahead, to support the sovereign Interim Government of
Iraq through the process leading to the election of
a Transitional Assembly and Government early in 2005.
If we judge that further changes to the UK military
contribution in Iraq would be appropriate to support
this process, we will of course inform the House at
the earliest opportunity. At present, however, no such
decision has been made.
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