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UK continues to call up reservists for Iraq

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Jan 7, IRNA -- The British government has renewed its call-out order for reservists to support operations in Iraq and the Persian Gulf for another year even though the main body of the UK’s armed forces were withdrawn from Iraq last June.

Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said the new call-up was being made because “a number of operational tasks remain” despite the ending of combat operations.

These, Rammell said, included the navy training team, naval patrols to protect offshore oil platforms and shipping lanes, staff and liaison posts and Nato’s NATO training mission for Iraqi army officers.

“Reservists may be called out to support any of these tasks although we envisage that the majority will be from the Royal Naval Reserve to support the maritime operations,” he said in a statement to parliament, published Thursday.

British naval personnel were only allowed to return to Iraq last month to help train local forces following months of delay in ratifying a new agreement.

The new agreement reportedly allows less than 100 British navy trainers to return to the country, around half the number that had been forced to withdraw to Kuwait following the expiry of the previous arrangement in June.

On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth told parliament that “to the nearest 50, there are 200 UK armed forces personnel involved in the protection of Iraq’s off-shore oil platforms.”

“The precise number of personnel in theatre fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors,” Ainsworth said.

Britain has relied heavily on the contribution made by reservists, particularly while being involved in two simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that overstretched the country’s armed forces.

According to the Ministry of Defence, more than 17,000 reservists have served on operations around the world since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They currently make up around nine per cent of British forces in Afghanistan.

Reservists fall into two main categories, the regular reserve forces and those that volunteer directly from the civilian community and often have specialist skills.

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End News / IRNA / News Code 883809