No extra troops planned for Iraq

There are no plans to bolster the number of troops in Iraq, a British defence minister has said.

Despite the stiffer than expected resistance being put up by Iraqi forces, Lewis Moonie said the coalition's strategy remained largely intact.

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Moonie was asked whether the number of coalition troops on the ground would have to be boosted.

He said: "If that were necessary then clearly it would have to be done.

"There is no thought at present that it is necessary. The role of our forces always was to smash forward towards Baghdad as quickly as possible.

"We want to remove this regime with the minimum disruption to the country and the people of Iraq.

"So you roll the spearhead forward as fast as you can and then you come along behind and you take them (bypassed cities) at your leisure."

He added: "There is also the possibility, of course, that resistance may collapse if you wait long enough. It is a very fine military balance, not one for a politician to take, but one for our soldiers to take on the ground."

Mr Moonie said he still expected the campaign to be concluded within weeks, despite the Iraqi resistance.

"I don't expect it to drag on indefinitely. Obviously the taking of Baghdad is the big imponderable in this whole campaign ... but I still don't expect it to drag on indefinitely."

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