British army can 'just' cope with workload, new defence chief warns
LONDON (AP) - Britain's soldiers are only just able to cope with the burden of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the new head of the country's army said.
Gen. Richard Dannatt, appointed Britain's Chief of General Staff last week, said the belief that troop numbers in Iraq could be halved next year was a "hope," rather than a certainty.
Dannatt, who reports to the head of Britain's armed forces, said in a newspaper interview published Monday that his troops were at the limit of their capacity.
"We are running hot, certainly running hot. Can we cope? I pause. I say, 'Just,' " Dannatt told Britain's The Guardian newspaper.
His comments echo warnings from other senior defence officials, who said earlier this year that the twin commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq had left Britain's forces badly stretched.
Read the rest at Canada.Com
Gen. Richard Dannatt, appointed Britain's Chief of General Staff last week, said the belief that troop numbers in Iraq could be halved next year was a "hope," rather than a certainty.
Dannatt, who reports to the head of Britain's armed forces, said in a newspaper interview published Monday that his troops were at the limit of their capacity.
"We are running hot, certainly running hot. Can we cope? I pause. I say, 'Just,' " Dannatt told Britain's The Guardian newspaper.
His comments echo warnings from other senior defence officials, who said earlier this year that the twin commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq had left Britain's forces badly stretched.
Read the rest at Canada.Com
posted by iraqnam at 3:00 PM
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