600 more reserves called up for Iraq--Guardian

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1513384,00.html

600 more reserves called up for Iraq

Richard Norton-Taylor
Friday June 24, 2005
The Guardian

A further 600 reservists are to be called up to support British military operations for Iraq, the government announced yesterday.

The call-up means that more than 10,000 part-time service personnel will have been deployed in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003.

Adam Ingram, the armed forces minister, said the soldiers would be replacing existing reservists on activities including medical support. Forces in Iraq have also had to rely on reserves for communications and intelligence specialists, and engineers.

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Mr Ingram said deployment would begin in October and most of those called out could expect a 10-month period of mobilisation. He added in a written statement to MPs that not all of those called up would necessarily serve in Iraq and said the move was "routine management" of troops.

However, the Liberal Democrats said it was further evidence of strains in the armed forces. Michael Moore, their defence spokesman, said: "This further highlights the degree of overstretch in the British armed forces."

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