Britain agreed Thursday to a U.S. request for troops to be moved into central Iraq, a proposal that faced strong opposition within the governing Labour Party.
The redeployment of troops from the south aims at freeing up American forces to intensify attacks on other Iraqi cities ahead of Iraq elections in January.
"After careful evaluation, the chiefs of staff have advised me that U.K. forces are able to undertake the proposed operation, that there is a compelling military operational justification for doing so, and that it entails a militarily acceptable level of risk for U.K. forces," Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told the House of Commons.
Hoon said there were no plans to raise British troop numbers within Iraq.
Meanwhile, gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying female employees of Iraqi Airways to the Baghdad airport Thursday, killing one and injuring 14, an airline official said. All the victims were Iraqi women, The AP reported.
The attack on the airline workers occurred on the main road linking the airport with central Baghdad.
Elsewhere, hospital officials said Thursday that a pair of car blasts in Samarra a day earlier were suicide attacks that killed 10 Iraqi civilians and injured 14 others. (albawaba.com)
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