British Troops Deploy To Kosovo

Against a background of a huge military commitment to Iraq and also to Afghanistan, the Defence Secretary has announced that hundreds more British troops will now be deployed to another location, Kosovo.

Des Browne told parliament today that soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, will deploy to Kosovo as part of the UK commitment to the NATO/EU shared pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force (ORF).

Mr Browne said: "This deployment will demonstrate our commitment to the security of the region, and will provide NATO with extra flexibility in maintaining peace and stability for all communities within Kosovo."

It has been the UK's turn to provide the highest readiness Battalion for a period of six months to the ORF.

The Defence Secretary added: "The House will also wish to be aware that our commitment to the NATO/EU pan-Balkans ORF continues until the end of this year at a lower readiness.

"I would like to stress that the deployment of the UK ORF Battalion confirms yet again the professionalism of our Armed Forces and their ability to provide essential military support at short notice. I shall make a further statement on this deployment in due course, if required."

The presence of 2 Rifles will help to reassure all communities within Kosovo that the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) maintains its commitment to preserving peace and stability. There are currently just 150 British troops in Kosovo.

However, the army is going to be hard-stretched to make the move. It has been reported that the armed forces are already 3,500 under-strength and that the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt said in a leaked memo to fellow defence leaders that "we have almost no capability to reach to the unexpected".

The Government of Kosovo declared independence on 17 January 2008.

(DS)