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Operation Telic: 'No Ordinary Measure'
Proportionally, this is a larger commitment of British troops than took part in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Moreover, if prolonged it will subject the U.K. armed forces to a severe risk of overstretch, with British troops fulfilling commitments as far a field as Afghanistan, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and some 19,000 military personnel currently providing emergency coverage for striking British firefighters. Even without such commitments, the deployment of such a large proportion of the U.K. armed forces to the Persian Gulf in anticipation of potential military action against Iraq is unlikely to be sustainable beyond three or four months, and may well necessitate a larger call up of British reservists than has hitherto been the case. Operation Telic, as the British Gulf build-up is codenamed (Telic meaning “expressing purpose”) will see the latest deployment of British troops join the 5,000 Royal Navy personnel already in the region or en route there, as well as the 4,000-strong amphibious force also on its way to the area. Together with the 3,000 Royal Air Force personnel engaged in policing Iraq's no-fly zones (a number expected to be doubled soon), this will see more than 40,000 members of the British military ready for any action against Saddam Hussein's regime. The latest deployment includes 120 Challenger 2 main battle tanks, 150 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, 32 AS90 Self-Propelled Guns, 18 105mm light guns, and assorted reconnaissance and other vehicles. The new force's relatively large size is partly due to the
fact that its main constituents are two independent brigades ‑ each
requiring their own logistical support. In
addition, each brigade enjoys different strengths and capabilities.
For instance, 7 Armoured Brigade has formidable firepower and is capable
of high-speed maneuver warfare. It
also possesses both armor and mechanized infantry, allowing it to seize and hold
ground. Meanwhile the other unit in
the latest British deployment ‑ 16 Air Assault Brigade ‑ comprises
attack aviation and air assault elements and can carry out aviation raids, air
maneuver, and infantry air assaults. Together
with the Royal Marine Commandos already on their way to the Persian Gulf and the
British Special Forces who will join them (some of which area rumored to already
be in the region) these formations will impart flexibility to the British
contribution to any war against Iraq. Because
of the disparate nature of these British forces they will work best when
combined with That the British contribution has gotten so large is a
reflection of the seriousness with which British Prime Minister Tony Blair views
the threat that Saddam poses. Thus
far, Blair has weathered criticism from within the ranks of his own Labour Party
over his stance on Iraq and his decision to deploy more troops there (the
opposition Conservative Party was quick to offer its unqualified support for the
move), as well as opinion polls which show that British public support for
military action against Saddam has fallen to a record low.
According to The Guardian newspaper, 30 percent of those
questioned backed such a move ‑ the lowest since such polls began in
August and down 6 percent since last month.
Such factors notwithstanding, Blair appears resolute in his desire to
keep pressure on Saddam's regime. Speaking
the day after the latest British troop deployment was announced (and just before
anti-war protestors lobbied the British parliament) Blair insisted that the The size and nature of the 7 Armoured Brigade and 16 Airmobile Brigade should be
totally in place, probably in Kuwait (although According to the British Ministry of Defense website, the
following units (or elements thereof) are involved in the latest British
deployment to the 1(
Previously scheduled to deploy route to the
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