Uproar as Hoon sends more troops to Iraq

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon today announced 400 extra British troops will be sent to southern Iraq to boost security ahead of elections in the country scheduled for January 30.

His comments in the Commons brought uproar, with opposition MPs insisting he should have made a full statement, rather than releasing the details in answer to routine questions from MPs.

Mr Hoon said the 400 troops, members of the 1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers, would be moved from their base in Cyprus to back up Multinational Defence Force South East in the run-up to the poll.

He said the move had been made on the recommendation of the General Officer Commanding troops in Iraq.

Mr Hoon told MPs that the force of 400 extra troops that would be deployed to Iraq for a "limited period for election security" had been held in readiness in Cyprus for just such an emergency.

'Serious issue'

Tory defence spokesman Keith Simpson said Mr Hoon should have made a full-blown Commons statement, adding "this is a serious issue, which is obviously a further deployment".

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch said Mr Hoon's method of announcing the deployment was "outrageous".

He added: "It comes at a time when newspaper reports in the US are talking about their forces becoming 'hit squads' and it comes at a time when our own Prime Minister has said he is in discussion with (US) President Bush about the future role of our armed forces."

Mr Hoon said he simply did not understand why opposition MPs were troubled by his announcement.

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