The Torch: 300 more UK troops for Afstan (temporarily)

Every little bit...but see the second link below:

BRITAIN is to boost the number of troops serving in Afghanistan by around 300, the Prime Minister confirmed today.

Mr Brown told the Commons that to reinforce "progress" already made, reserves were being called forward for deployment on a "temporary basis".

Until August, including the period of preparation for elections in Afghanistan, the number of British troops will rise from just over 8,000 to around 8,300.

Mr Brown said 41 countries were involved in Afghanistan "but the burden is not always shared equally".

It was "vital that all members of the coalition contribute fairly" and this would be looked at by Nato at a meeting next April.

He said there was a "chain of terror" that linked the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan, which must be "broken" [emphasis added--imagine that from prime minister Harper or MND MacKay]...

Tory leader David Cameron said there were "real causes for concern" on the ground in Afghanistan...

He said Britain's armed forces were doing a "great job" but called on them to be given a "realistic mission".

"Shouldn't it focus on predominantly on security and rooting out terrorist training, not an unrealistic objective of completely transforming a society thousands of miles away," Mr Cameron asked [imagine that from a Canadian politician, especially the prime minister or MND]...

An earlier story (but note the UK prime minister is only "considering rejecting an expected request from Barack Obama"):

Gordon Brown ready to defy Barack Obama over Afghanistan troop surge

Gordon Brown is considering rejecting an expected request from Barack Obama, the US President-elect, to send 2,000 more British troops to Afghanistan to join the surge of US forces confronting the Taleban.

Britain is expected to come under considerable pressure from Mr Obama when he becomes President in January to send another battle group of 1,500-2,000. Turning down such a request would open a rift between Britain and the US. British military chiefs have also been clamouring for reinforcements for the beleaguered troops in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

Senior military officers have begun drawing up plans for boosting the British presence in southern Afghanistan to more than 10,000. Secret planning has been under way for some time to deploy another 2,000 troops, although the Ministry of Defence has previously denied reports that reinforcements were likely to be sent next year.

British officials fear that if Britain fails to send more troops, the US will take military control of Helmand and sideline the British. Under US surge plans to send 20,000 more soldiers next year, the Pentagon is planning to deploy 5,000 into Helmand to join the British effort, and a further 5,000 into neighbouring southern provinces [emphasis added--more here].

The British military, however, has made it clear that it is overstretched...

Despite Mr Brown's apparent doubts about sending another 2,000 troops to Afghanistan, it has emerged that, without any announcement by the MoD, two companies of up to 300 troops were deployed in October [emphasis added] to help to consolidate gains made against the Taleban in central Helmand.

The Prime Minister will confirm to the House of Commons today that approval had been given to send the two companies from the 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, which is stationed in Cyprus and acts as a theatre reserve battle group. They were sent soon after the Taleban launched an attack in October on Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand. The attack failed [some Canadian involvement] but an urgent call was made for more troops, raising the total British military presence to about 8,400.

Mr Brown revealed during the Queen's Speech that Britain was conducting its own review of strategy in Afghanistan...