By IRNA
London : British MPs have welcomed plans to further drawdown the number of UK troops in Iraq to 2,500 by next spring but question how the number was arrived at and whether it will be sustainable and troops will do any more than simply protecting themselves.
“Unless UK Forces have a meaningful role and are capable of doing more than just protecting themselves at their base at Basra Air Station, then the entire UK presence in Iraq will be open to question,” parliament’s Defence Select Committee said.
In a new report Monday, the all-party committee asked the government to do more to explain the future role of UK forces in Iraq and how the troops would be reinforced if the security situation deteriorates.
“It is not clear how the figure of 2,500 was arrived at and it is also not clear what those remaining in Iraq will actually be doing. We cannot ask our forces to remain in Iraq unless they have an effective and clearly-defined role,” committee chairman James Arbuthnot. said.
“A full withdrawal from Iraq will only be possible if the Iraqis are trained and equipped to handle their own security effectively.
This work is not yet complete,” Arbuthnot warned.
The report said that building up the capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces is fundamental to the long-term security of Iraq and to the eventual withdrawal of UK Forces, but warned that progress in training had been “painfully slow”.
It also said that the initial goal of UK Forces in southern Iraq was to establish the security necessary for the development of representative political institutions and for economic reconstruction, but again said “although progress has been made, this goal remains unfulfilled.”
The MPs welcomed that the US “surge” appeared to have a dramatic effect in reducing the number of attacks on coalition forces, but said there has been “no corresponding reduction in the number of attacks against the civilian population.”
“It remains to be seen whether the improvements in the security situation represent a lasting reduction in insurgent, militia and sectarian violence or whether the violence will once again increase after the US withdraws the surge element of its Forces,” they said.
The report also referred to the eventual delivery of much-needed equipment to protect UK forces in theater, particularly armored vehicles, but warned that the intensity of current operations is “reducing the planned lifespans of equipment and this needs to be budgeted for.”
It called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to set out how it plans to address any capability gaps arising from the intensive use, its estimate of the costs needed for repairing and refurbishing equipment returning from operational theaters, and how this will be funded.
The MoD was also asked how British forces will retain the capability to re-intervene in if the security situation deteriorates and where they will be able to draw upon reserve troops from outside Iraq.
The MPs further raised the question about the detention of Iraqis without trial, saying it was a matter of public concern and asked the government to respond about their treatment.