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PM to back Iraq and Afghan roles UK 'faces big defence decision'
(about 8 hours later)
Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to defend the UK's missions in Iraq and Afghanistan in a speech in Plymouth. Britain must decide now whether it wants to be a major defence power in the future, Tony Blair will say later in a keynote foreign policy speech.
He is to say the UK must decide whether it wants to continue to have a major influence on world matters after he leaves office. The prime minister will defend his policy of intervention in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The prime minister is expected to defend the policy of intervention, a hallmark of his time in power. But he will also call for a debate on whether the UK should continue to send troops to trouble spots after he quits.
It comes a day after President George Bush announced the US was sending more than 20,000 extra troops to Iraq. The prime minister's speech comes a day after the US announced it was sending more than 20,000 extra troops to Iraq.
Britain has said it will withdraw "thousands" of troops from Iraq in the coming months, amid claims the armed services are being "overstretched" by fighting two campaigns, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
UK troop pulloutUK troop pullout
Mr Blair said in a TV interview with West Country ITV that if Britain wanted a leading presence on the world stage it would mean sending troops into dangerous places far away. Mr Blair is expected to defend his policy of military intervention in the latest of a series of speeches on Britain's future after he leaves office later this year.
This is a move which could be unpopular back at home, BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said. America is spending half a trillion dollars a year - 10 times what we spend Lord Garden href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6253985.stm" class="">Analysis: UK and US split? href="/1/hi/world/americas/6254301.stm" class="">Bush plan attacked
In an interview with local television in the West Country, where he is due to deliver the address, Mr Blair said if Britain wanted a leading presence on the world stage it would mean continuing to send troops into dangerous places far away.
"There is a global terrorism that we face," he told the programme.
"I think it's right for Britain, alongside our allies, to be in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it is a big decision to decide to be in that game still."
'High intensity'
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Garden, a former assistant chief of defence staff, told the BBC the UK would have to pay much more of its national income if it was to continue the current level of armed activities.
"If you want to be able to do everything, be a mini-America, so you can do high-intensity conflict, go everywhere where there are international problems, you really need to scale up by quite a large amount," he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I don't think that we can afford to. America is spending half a trillion dollars a year - 10 times what we spend. They spend more on research than we spend on defence."
'Additional strains'
He said the forces were "truly overstretched", which could not be fixed quickly: "We have got to start scaling down tasks."
In November, a National Audit Office report warned that the UK's armed forces were 5,170 under strength and had been operating at or above planned-for levels since 2001.
BLAIR'S ARMED INTERVENTIONS 1999: Kosovo2000: Sierra Leone2001: Afghanistan2003: Iraq
It said the strain of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan at the same time, was one reason for shortages.
The Ministry of Defence acknowledged "additional strains" on staff, but denied forces were overstretched.
Former Air Chief Marshall Sir Michael Graydon said a "modest increase" in the defence budget was not unjustified, but he said the security of its people was the number one task of government.
But he added: "We mustn't fall into the trap of becoming a peace-keeping militia.
"An ability to conduct full-scale military operations is the foundation for successful peace-making and peace-keeping."
Mr Blair is not expected to make any announcement about the withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq, but has said he hopes to make a statement in the coming months.Mr Blair is not expected to make any announcement about the withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq, but has said he hopes to make a statement in the coming months.
Most of the UK troops in Iraq are based around the southern city of Basra. The UK has said it wants to pull its soldiers out of the area once Iraqi security forces are strong enough.
Mr Blair denied the pull-out was at odds with US plans to boost troop numbers by more than 20,000 in the Baghdad area.
He has said the security situation in Baghdad was vastly different to that in Basra.