Britain Announces 3,300 New Troops For Afghanistan

(RFE/RL) 26 January 2006 -- Britain will send 3,300 new troops to southern Afghanistan to help rebuild the country in the next few months.

Britain is due to take over command of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in May.

British Secretary of Defense John Reid told parliament today his country is aiming for the deployment to be fully operational by July of this year. Britain currently has about 1,000 troops in the country.

(Reuters, AP)