British to play smaller role as US troops fight ‘losing battle’

[G_j]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5721192.ece

February 13, 2009
British to play smaller role as US troops fight ‘losing battle’
Tom Baldwin in Washington and Tom Coghlan in Kabul

Britain's military is to be handed a significantly diminished role on the front line in southern Afghanistan when President Obama completes a strategic review of a war that US officials say is in danger of being lost.

Mr Obama is preparing to make his first key deployment as US Commander-in-Chief over the next few days, with reports suggesting that he may send between 3,500 and 7,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

The Americans are to build two huge new bases in the south. One will be one on the Helmand border with Kandahar at Maiwand - a place famous as the site of the destruction of a British army during the Second Afghan War of 1881. The other will be in Zabul, a province now largely controlled by the Taleban and criminal gangs.

Commanders have requested a surge of up to 30,000 soldiers, but the President is said to be carefully weighing up his options and the capacity of Nato allies before making a decision next month.

As The Times reported yesterday, although the US had hoped for at least 1,500 more British troops, the contribution could be limited to 300 on top of 8,300 already in Afghanistan.

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[YOY]

1. Sidenote: That DOP symbol looks awfully familiar...

Can't seem to think of just where though...