UK commits 42,000 troops for Iraq
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Britain has committed 42,000 troops for a possible war on Iraq, according to a statement from the British Embassy in Washington.
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The total "deployment on contingency arrangements in relation to Iraq" includes land, naval, and air forces, the statement said.
Friday's statement followed an announcement on Thursday by the British government that it is beefing up its Royal Air Force contingent in the region to more than 8,000, and is adding more aircraft and helicopters. (Full story)
"The UK military contingency preparations in relation to Iraq are being conducted under the name of Operation Telic," the statement said. "Telic" comes from Greek and means "directed or tending towards a goal or purpose."
Land forces total about 26,000, and the Royal Navy has deployed about 8,000 personnel, including Royal Marines, the embassy said. About 6,000 reservists are among those who have been deployed, the statement said.
"No decision to commit the troops to military action has been taken, nor is such a decision inevitable," it added.
The United States has 113,000 troops deployed in the Central Command Region, which includes Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and an area stretching from eastern Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, U.S. military officials said. More than 70,000 of the troops are in the Gulf.
The 101st Airborne Division, one of the U.S. Army's key fighting forces, was alerted on Thursday to expect deployment orders soon as part of the buildup for a possible war against Iraq, military officials said. Officials have indicated the division's entire force of 20,000 troops will be deployed.
