UK ponders troop deployment

UK troops can be deployed at short notice

Defence secretary Geoff Hoon says a decision will be made "shortly" on whether UK troops will be used in an Afghan ground war.

At a news conference at the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday, Mr Hoon went as far as indicating that forces currently on an exercise in Oman might eventually play a part in the military campaign.

He said that a third of the objectives of the military campaign had already been achieved creating the right conditions for future operations in Afghanistan.

We are determined to assist the United States as effectively as we can but we have made no decisions about how we might adjust our contribution

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon

A senior defence source has told the BBC that more than 1,000 British troops are being prepared for deployment in any potential ground war in Afghanistan.

But Mr Hoon said: "We are determined to assist the United States as effectively as we can but we have made no decisions about how we might adjust our contribution.

"We will do so shortly and will announce them when we do so."

However with regards the troops in Oman, he said: "We are in the process of looking at the equipment and people who are engaged on Exercise Saif Sareea (in Oman) with a view to deciding which of those we will need to retain in or around the theatre to support future operations.

"But no decision has yet been taken about which those will be."

Military successes

He said the air-attacks in Afghanistan had resulted in the destruction of all nine training camps of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and nine airfields had mostly been put out of action.

Geoff Hoon: A third of objectives of campaign achieved

Mr Hoon said 24 military garrisons have been hit hard, and the Taleban's air force was "effectively no more".

And he said he treated with "suspicion" Taleban claims about numbers of civilian casualties.

About 600 Royal Marine Commandos and several hundred special forces currently on the pre-planned exercise in Oman will not return to the UK at the end of the training next week.

At least four Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships will also stay behind.

The size of the force involved suggests British troops will play a much bigger role in any offensive.

20,000 servicemen have been involved in the military exercise in Oman - the largest in 15 years.

It is thought that most of the marines will move from Oman and live aboard the ships until any operations begin.

Britain has always said it would respond positively to US requests for assistance, which so far have included launching cruise missiles from nuclear submarines and help in refuelling and reconnaissance work.

The Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce told Tuesday's press conference: "We have already supported a very large number of sorties from the American air force and US navy air force and we will continue to do so with our reconnaissance assets and our air-to-air refuelling assets."

He said that the military campaign was a "developing situation" and if forces in Oman were deployed account would need to be paid to the need for some troops to come home for retraining and rest.

Winter coming

He accepted that the onset of winter from the end of November would make land operations inside Afghanistan more difficult.

But he said that the type of raid carried out by US Special Forces on Friday could continue throughout the season.

And he said that the US-led coalition would be able to maintain its air superiority over the winter.

Downing Street has already indicated that there have been "detailed discussions" with the United States over the use of UK forces in "overt" operations.

Mr Hoon has already said the UK has troops ready to go at very short notice.

But if and when British troops are called upon, the commander-in-chiefs have said they will be ready for the long haul.

Speaking from Oman, Naval officer Rear Admiral Alan West, Commander-in-Chief of fleet, said: "I have taken the prime minister at his word that it will go on for years, because I think it will.

"I have looked at how to maintain levels of commitment for years."