Fears over decision to send 600 UK troops to Kosovo

Published on Tuesday 29 April 2008 22:52

SIX hundred British troops are to be deployed in Kosovo, prompting accusations that UK armed forces are becoming badly overstretched.

Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, accepted a request from the United Nations to deploy a peace-keeping force to the Balkan country, which is "tense" with sporadic violence between ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs since independence was declared in February.

Troops from the 2nd battalion, The Rifles, will arrive in May for one month – the first Northern Ireland-based soldiers deployed to another troublespot since military operations ended in the province.

UK forces had been on six-month standby since January on behalf of the UN. But the deployment raises concerns with 4,000 troops in Iraq and 2,000 in Afghanistan.

Nick Harvey, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said: "Preserving stability in Kosovo is of course vital, but it is hard to see how further deployments of our already hard-pressed troops can be maintained even in the short term.

"The Government must ensure our European allies in NATO are aware of the burden that is being borne by the UK because of our operations in Afghanistan."

Liam Fox, the Tory shadow defence secretary, said: "We have questions to ask about how much this will cost, who will pay and how we will find the strategic airlift capability to make this deployment possible without undermining our air bridge to Iraq and Afghanistan."