This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/6250999.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Beckett welcomes US troop plans | Beckett welcomes US troop plans |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has welcomed US plans to send more than 20,000 troops to Iraq, but said the UK has no plans to do the same. | Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has welcomed US plans to send more than 20,000 troops to Iraq, but said the UK has no plans to do the same. |
| She said UK troops were successfully quelling violence in British-controlled Basra, and there was no intention "at the present time" to send more. | She said UK troops were successfully quelling violence in British-controlled Basra, and there was no intention "at the present time" to send more. |
| But she said reports that 3,000 troops would leave by May were "speculation". | But she said reports that 3,000 troops would leave by May were "speculation". |
| Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has warned the extra US troops might worsen the situation in the south. | Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has warned the extra US troops might worsen the situation in the south. |
| And he called for a phased withdrawal, referring to what he said was an old military saying that "you should not reinforce failure". | And he called for a phased withdrawal, referring to what he said was an old military saying that "you should not reinforce failure". |
| On Wednesday, US President George Bush announced extra US troops to fight alongside Iraqi unit to end violence in Baghdad, and Anbar province - where he said al-Qaeda terrorists were planning to take control. | On Wednesday, US President George Bush announced extra US troops to fight alongside Iraqi unit to end violence in Baghdad, and Anbar province - where he said al-Qaeda terrorists were planning to take control. |
| 'A difficult situation' | 'A difficult situation' |
| But he said the US commitment to Iraq was "not open-ended", and that he expected the government in Baghdad to fulfil its own promises. | But he said the US commitment to Iraq was "not open-ended", and that he expected the government in Baghdad to fulfil its own promises. |
| Asked for her reaction, Mrs Beckett said it showed both President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki were "determined to try to come to grips with what is unquestionably a difficult situation in, particularly in Baghdad. | Asked for her reaction, Mrs Beckett said it showed both President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki were "determined to try to come to grips with what is unquestionably a difficult situation in, particularly in Baghdad. |
| We are dealing with the security situation in Basra, it's not our intention at the present time to send more troops Margaret Beckett | We are dealing with the security situation in Basra, it's not our intention at the present time to send more troops Margaret Beckett |
| "We welcome that and we hope that the joint effort to resolve this very difficult security situation which is undermining efforts to put other things right in Iraq will indeed succeed." | "We welcome that and we hope that the joint effort to resolve this very difficult security situation which is undermining efforts to put other things right in Iraq will indeed succeed." |
| But she said UK forces were already engaged in a similar operation in the southern city of Basra. | But she said UK forces were already engaged in a similar operation in the southern city of Basra. |
| "We are dealing with the security situation in Basra, it's not our intention at the present time to send more troops," she said. | "We are dealing with the security situation in Basra, it's not our intention at the present time to send more troops," she said. |
| Hague sceptical | Hague sceptical |
| She said she was "not aware" of any suggestions British troops might be redeployed to help secure Baghdad. | She said she was "not aware" of any suggestions British troops might be redeployed to help secure Baghdad. |
| And she said a Daily Telegraph report that there were plans to send nearly 3,000 British troops home by the end of May was "speculation". | And she said a Daily Telegraph report that there were plans to send nearly 3,000 British troops home by the end of May was "speculation". |
| Mrs Beckett welcomed the announcement | Mrs Beckett welcomed the announcement |
| "We are under way with the process of handover as the security situation improves. We will make our judgements and our decisions depending on the progress of those events...The Telegraph may speculate about timing and so on, but it does depend on how things go in Basra." | "We are under way with the process of handover as the security situation improves. We will make our judgements and our decisions depending on the progress of those events...The Telegraph may speculate about timing and so on, but it does depend on how things go in Basra." |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said he was not convinced about the US plan, saying previous attempts to secure Baghdad that way had failed. | Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said he was not convinced about the US plan, saying previous attempts to secure Baghdad that way had failed. |
| He told the BBC the long-term presence of US troops in Iraq fuelled the insurgency, and he would have preferred more emphasis on training up and equipping Iraqi forces to take on more security. | He told the BBC the long-term presence of US troops in Iraq fuelled the insurgency, and he would have preferred more emphasis on training up and equipping Iraqi forces to take on more security. |
| Terrorist 'displacement' | Terrorist 'displacement' |
| "I hope, like Margaret Beckett, that this is successful. But I'm very sceptical about it and I would have liked to have seen from President Bush a package more closely modelled on the Baker/Hamilton report," he said. | "I hope, like Margaret Beckett, that this is successful. But I'm very sceptical about it and I would have liked to have seen from President Bush a package more closely modelled on the Baker/Hamilton report," he said. |
| For the Lib Dems Sir Menzies said the plans were a "last ditch...go-it-alone" effort, as President Bush had apparently rejected suggestions he should engage with Iran and Syria to help stabilise Iraq. | For the Lib Dems Sir Menzies said the plans were a "last ditch...go-it-alone" effort, as President Bush had apparently rejected suggestions he should engage with Iran and Syria to help stabilise Iraq. |
| Sir Menzies said strategy in Iraq had been a failure , and asked about the Telegraph report, said: "We will believe that when we see it. But if that's part of a phased withdrawal then that's obviously something that has to be welcomed." | Sir Menzies said strategy in Iraq had been a failure , and asked about the Telegraph report, said: "We will believe that when we see it. But if that's part of a phased withdrawal then that's obviously something that has to be welcomed." |
| On Wednesday he warned Mr Blair there could be "displacement of terrorist activity from Baghdad to Basra", when the extra US troops arrive. | On Wednesday he warned Mr Blair there could be "displacement of terrorist activity from Baghdad to Basra", when the extra US troops arrive. |
| From 1530 GMT on Thursday Mrs Beckett and Defence Secretary Des Browne will be grilled on Iraq by a special joint session of the Defence and Foreign Affairs committees. | |
| And Commons leader Jack Straw announced there would be a debate next Wednesday on Iraq and the Middle East. |