Blair to shift 850 soldiers to Baghdad

By ED JOHNSON
The Associated Press

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LONDON — In a step fraught with risks for Prime Minister Tony Blair, Britain agreed yesterday to send 850 of its soldiers from relatively peaceful southern Iraq to a volatile area near Baghdad, freeing U.S. troops to step up attacks on insurgent strongholds west of the capital.

British lawmakers, many of whom opposed the war, are angry, fearing a major increase in British casualties. And some are grumbling that Britain is "bailing out" President Bush in his bid for re-election.

Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said an armored battle group from the First Battalion Black Watch would move from its base around the southern city of Basra into a U.S.-controlled sector close to the capital. Sunni insurgents have been carrying out daily attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqis in the area.

The battalion, complete with support units of medics, signalers and engineers, would stay for a limited period of time, "weeks rather than months," Hoon said. Britain's chief of defense staff, Gen. Sir Michael Walker, later said the deployment would last a maximum of 30 days.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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