UK troops still 'ready' for Afghanistan

About 6,000 troops remain on standby

The UK will continue to play a significant military role in Afghanistan with troops "ready and willing" for deployment, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister's official spokesman said the situation in Afghanistan seemed to be "going in the right direction" both militarily and diplomatically.

And he dismissed reports of friction between British and US officials on how and when troops should be deployed.

"In terms of co-operation I think everyone involved in this period is of the view that British and American co-operation has never been better," he said.

He spoke as Commons Leader Robin Cook expressed scepticism that British troops could be used alongside US forces against Taleban fighters in their stronghold of Kandahar.

There are still 100 or so troops at Bagram airport

There has been much confusion in recent days over the possible role of UK troops in Afghanistan.

About 100 or so Special Boat Service troops are at Bagram airport in Afghanistan, and about 6,000 more troops have been on 48-hour standby in the UK for some time.

There have been reports of growing frustration among British officials that the US has been blocking a larger deployment of UK troops.

The spokesman said any decision to deploy UK troops would depend in the first place on whether US General Tommy Franks felt they were needed.

Mr Cook told BBC One's The War Report British troops were unlikely to be used in Kandahar.

Kandahar speculation

"If you look back over the past month there has been no situation in which we have put British troops into the ground civil war and I don't myself imagine that's going to change," he told

He said there may be no need for large numbers of troops to protect aid convoys because food was now getting through to the people of Afghanistan "in sufficient quantity", he said.

I think we should welcome the fact that their (UK troops') presence has not been needed in Afghanistan

Robin Cook

British troops remained on standby but the situation was "better than anybody could have hoped for".

He added: "We will continue obviously to keep the situation under review but frankly I think we should welcome the fact that their presence has not been needed in Afghanistan."

Mr Cook was speaking in response to Sunday newspaper reports that British paras could fight alongside American troops surrounding the Taleban in Kandahar.

US chiefs of staff believe a joint force of 25,000 is needed to defeat Taleban fighters there, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

They want the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment - known as 2 Para - to encircle the movement, along with elite US troops from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, the paper reported.

On Saturday Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence said no decision could be made until after Tuesday's meeting between Afghan leaders in Bonn, Germany, which would discuss the establishment of an interim government in the war-torn country.

The spokesman played down hopes of a major breakthrough at the talks - saying that to get the various sides there was in itself a major achievement.

"No-one's pretending they're going to make rapid progress," he said.