Liberal Democrats oppose troop redeployment
October 26, 2004 10:00 PM
All 55 Liberal Democrat MPs have tabled a parliamentary motion opposing the Government's decision to send British troops into the American zone of Iraq, and calling for a vote in Parliament on the decision. This comes as the Black Watch make final preparations for Operation Bracken, their redeployment from southern Iraq to an area some 20 miles south of Baghdad.
Tony Blair yesterday told journalists that the deployment of the Black Watch was a "limited operation for a limited period". However, military commanders have drawn up contingency plans to send troops to replace the Black Watch battalion, which, Blair has promised, will be home by Christmas. In other developments a UN letter saying almost 350 metric tons of high explosives went missing from an Iraqi base after the war has become a big election issue after President Bush was accused of incompetence by John Kerry.
The Motion reads "That this House… believes that all British forces should remain under British command in Multi-National Division (South East) and none should be deployed as requested by the United States; believes that the House should have the opportunity to express its view on a deployment which represents a significant change of strategy and policy through a vote; reiterates its commitment to the establishment of full democracy in Iraq as soon as possible and thereafter the phased withdrawal of British troops…"
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