Blair defends troop deployment

The troop deployment came as "a surprise to Tories"

Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended the decision to send 1,700 commandos into battle in Afghanistan to "mop up" the remaining al-Qaeda and Taleban forces.

Under questioning from Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy Mr Blair insisted there was "no mismatch" between the roles of the existing British peacekeeping force and the combat troops.

You cannot undertake these [operations] without a degree of risk being involved

Brigadier Roger Lane

Mr Blair said UK forces had been engaged in "fighting in Afghanistan for a very long period of time".

Several hundred of the latest batch announced were already in Afghanistan and many more were "near the theatre of operation".

Their presence was needed to "mop up the remnants of al-Qaeda and Taleban forces".

Emergency debate

His comments at prime minister's questions came shortly before Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was quizzed over his surprise decision to deploy the troops.

Mr Hoon was asked if there were any estimates of the remaining numbers of Taleban and al-Qaeda forces.

He replied that it "could be in the hundreds, it could be in the thousands".

"Without putting forces on the ground it is going to be an extremely difficult military task to identify numbers."

He added: "This a series of smaller operations to work through the country to eliminate small pockets [of fighters]."

There has been unease about the mission among Labour backbenchers, with one former minister warning of parallels with the Vietnam War.

Shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin outlined some of his concerns on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Who are we actually fighting? How many do we think there are? How long is this mission going to be?

Mr Hoon answered the latter point by saying: "Our exit strategy is that we will leave when the task is completed."

'Absolutely unprecedented'

Defence experts have raised fears that troops sent to flush-out al-Qaeda and Taleban forces from their remote mountain strongholds could face strong resistance.

In the Commons Mr Jenkin said the Tories backed the government's decision to send troops but insisted it was right for MPs to be able to debate the issue.

"The prime minister will continue to have our support while he continues to do the right thing," he insisted.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Chicken, of 45 Commando, has said morale is good and the troops were in "confident" mood.

But he added: "The enemy are characteristically tough and well-defended.

	UK troops involved: 45 Royal Marine Commando 29 Commando Royal Artillery 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers and Royal Logistics Regiment Chinook helicopters from RAF 27 Squadron For more on their mission:  Click here

"As we have seen recently, they are prepared to fight. We don't underestimate them at all."

Major Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies, has claimed as many as 10,000 fighters could still be active in Afghanistan and across the border in tribal areas of Pakistan.

Mr Hoon rejected the idea that such a vast number of forces were assembled.

Such figures are likely to heighten concern among Labour MPs, who are also worried that Tony Blair, has hinted that Britain may support action against Iraq.

Ex-minister Peter Kilfoyle said on Tuesday: "It is a very murky, messy picture that we are putting our troops into.

"Of course, the precedent for the situation we find ourselves in is Vietnam and of course Harold Wilson, under great American pressure, kept us out."

The first marines are expected to begin arriving at Bagram airbase near Kabul over the next couple of days, with operations likely to start in the middle of April.

Casualties

On Tuesday Mr Hoon said fresh troops could be sent to replace the marines once their expected three-month deployment was over.

The force's commanding officer, Brigadier Roger Lane of 3 Commando Brigade, admitted there could be casualties.

He said: "You cannot undertake these [operations] without a degree of risk being involved - and that can be from non-combat injuries to being engaged by the opposition."

The decision to bring the total number of British forces involved in the war in Afghanistan to about 6,400 (there are 4,700 non-combat troops involved in security operations) was taken following negotiations with the US after Operation Anaconda ended.