USA to send more troops in Iraq

4.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 11th Jan 2007

President Bush is to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq to help secure Baghdad's streets as part of a new strategy to tackle the conflict. The troop announcement brought immediate criticism from Democrats. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett welcomed US plans, but said the UK has no plans to do the same. She said reports that 3,000 British troops would leave Iraq by May were "speculation".

Sir Menzies Campbell said "President Bush's determination to send 21,500 more American troops to Iraq goes against the conclusion of the Iraq Study Group and the views of the vast majority of the American public. This is a strategy that Tony Blair should not follow or endorse. The British strategy should be one based on phased withdrawal sooner rather than later."