Britain puts despatch of forces on hold

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, NOV. 19. Continuing confusion over the deployment of foreign troops in Afghanistan has delayed the despatch of additional British forces which were to have gone today, even as fresh doubts arose over the role of the 100 commandos of the Special Boat Service whose arrival at Bagram airbase last Thursday had provoked an angry reaction from the Northern Alliance.

The Defence Secretary, Mr. Geoff Hoon, was hopeful that the issue would be sorted out but he admitted that more discussions would be needed before sending in 6,000 troops who are on standby as part of a humanitarian and ``stabilisation'' force. ``This is an international coalition operation and we need to make absolutely sure everyone is agreed on the next stage forward,'' he said even as he claimed that the discussions so far had been ``encouraging''.

Observers said the confusion seemed to have arisen because there was no unified Alliance authority in Afghanistan and competing warlords were making decisions on the hoof. The ``authorities'' with whom the British Government was in discussion did not always have control over local chieftains in other areas with the result that while some were more amenable to persuasion, others were not. One newspaper said there were fears that Afghanistan was in danger of ``slipping into diplomatic and military chaos''. It quoted Mr. Hoon as saying that the situation on the ground was ``pretty grim''. He made it clear, in an interview to The Observer, that there was no question of putting the safety of British troops at risk suggesting that they might be pulled out if there was danger to their lives.

Reports indicated sharp divisions in the Northern Alliance over the induction of foreign troops with pro-Western elements such as the acting Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdullah Abdullah, inclined to be more accommodating than others. Many of the commanders, suspicious of British and U.S. motives, were opposed to foreign ``interference'', The Times said. The Foreign Office Minister, Mr. Ben Bradshaw, agreed that the Alliance leaders did always speak in one voice. The British media was full of conflicting statements from Alliance representatives - some categorically rejecting foreign troops, some grudgingly accepting them but only for humanitarian tasks, and a few saying they had no objection.

The most uncompromising reaction came from Mr. Younis Qanouni, the acting Interior Minister of the Alliance, who said he saw ``no need'' for foreign troops and made clear that ``we do not expect any more'' of them. The 100 commandos, now at the Bagram airbase, would be restricted to humanitarian work and helping with security for the British embassy, expected to reopen soon, The Daily Telegraph said.

Meanwhile, several thousand people took part in an anti-war rally in central London on Sunday - the biggest since the military action in Afghanistan started six weeks ago. The rally, organised by a loose coalition of civil rights groups, trade unions, politicians, Muslim representatives and public figures, demanded an end to the bombing.

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Section  : International
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