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BRITAIN
CONFIRMS IT HAS GROUND TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN, AS 8,500 U.S. TROOPS HEAD FOR
REGION
 WASHINGTON D.C., Nov. 11 (IslamOnline
& News Agencies) - Britain publicly admitted Sunday for the first time that
it has ground forces deployed in Afghanistan, but did not relay just how many
were there.
British Defense Secretary
Geoff Hoon said "a small number" of British soldiers were liaising
with the opposition Northern Alliance.
"I can certainly confirm
that there are members of Britain's armed forces on the ground in northern
Afghanistan liaising with the Northern Alliance, providing advice and
assistance," he told BBC radio. "All we can say is that there is a
small number acting in a liaison and advice capacity," he said.
British special forces had
been reported for several weeks to be operating inside Afghanistan, but Hoon's
statement was the first official confirmation that troops were on the ground.
The United States made public
the presence of its forces within Afghanistan several weeks ago, but until now
British ministers have always skirted around the subject.
The Pentagon confirmed Sunday
morning that an additional 8,500 American troops were scheduled to leave for
Afghanistan from San Diego, California within days.
Hoon did not say who the
British elements were, how many there were or how long they had been in the
country, but it is thought they are most likely to be members of the elite
Special Air Service (SAS).
Hoon had indicated the
presence of ground troops in an earlier interview Sunday on BBC television.
"They [the Northern
Alliance] have played their part, and they are continuing to play their part,
bombing is another part, the use of coalition forces on the ground is a further
part," he said.
Hoon said Britain wanted the
Northern Alliance to build on the seizure of Mazar-e-Sharif and make progress
towards the Afghan capital Kabul, although he stopped short of suggesting that
they should try to seize the city.
Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell also warned against the Northern Alliance entering Kabul.
"We want them to march towards Kabul,” said Powell, “to take ground, to
deny the Taliban regime and Osama bin Laden space in Afghanistan. That has
always been the strategy, to put pressure on the regime, on Osama bin Laden. The
Northern Alliance is an important part of that pressure.
"The momentum that they
have now, denying the Taliban regime the opportunity of defending, is enormously
important to the overall military strategy that we are engaged on."
Unconfirmed reports have
suggested that SAS units have been deployed in Afghanistan as a part of the
military campaign launched in response to the September 11 attacks.
The SAS is specialized in
undercover preparations, particularly those behind enemy lines.
The elite commando regiment
was in the past used to noticeable effect in the Falklands conflict, the Gulf
War and the Balkans. It also played a role in helping Afghan forces –
including bin Laden - against the Russian army between 1978 and 1989.
They are trained to blend in
with whatever environment they find themselves in, speaking the local language
and dressing in native clothing.
Until now, British
involvement in the U.S. bombing campaign in Afghanistan has been small.
Since the first U.S. military
strikes on October 7, British submarines in the Gulf have fired just six
Tomahawk missiles, according to informed sources.
Two weeks ago, London
promised it would deploy more than 200 Royal Marines in the Gulf for a ground
force operation in Afghanistan, backed up by assorted ships and aircraft
carriers.
It also placed 400 Marines on
maximum alert in Britain.
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