UK to announce troop deployment to Gulf

Mr Hoon will brief MPs on moves to mobilise troops, including the call-up of thousands of reservists. He is expected to stress the UK’s broader policy objectives – centred on Iraqi disarmament – rather than adopting a gung-ho stance on deployment. Another stage in the steady military build-up came on Monday as the Ministry of Defence confirmed that a naval taskforce, headed by the carrier HMS Ark Royal, would sail at the weekend. The long planned deployment would take the taskforce into the Gulf region in the coming weeks. The increased military activity will be portrayed by Mr Hoon as essential to maintaining a credible threat to persuade Saddam Hussein to disarm, rather than a precursor to an inevitable war. The cautious tone reflects government insiders’ belief that the timetable for military action appears to be slipping. Officials now describe January 27 – when Hans Blix, United Nations chief weapons inspector, is due to report on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction – as "part of the [diplomatic] process", rather than a deadline for going to war. The perceived need to get Turkish agreement is a significant brake on the speed of military plans, according to British officials. The logistics of launching a land invasion of Iraq would become significantly more difficult were Turkey to refuse to allow thousands of allied troops on to its territory.
Mr Hoon’s talks this week with his Turkish counterpart are scheduled to cover the country’s role in both Nato and European defence. But officials admit the issue of Iraq will inevitably loom large on the agenda. Ministers may insist war with Iraq is not inevitable. But companies are being urged by some trade bodies to prepare for the worst. The Freight Transport Association on Monday warned businesses to stock up on diesel fuel in preparation for a likely rise in oil prices because of the threat of war.