Britain Receives US Request for Military Campaign on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 21, 2002

Britain Receives US Request for Military Campaign on Iraq

Britain has received a request from Washington for troops to take part in a possible Iraqi military campaign, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said Wednesday.

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Britain has received a request from Washington for troops to take part in a possible Iraqi military campaign, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said Wednesday.

The Defense Secretary broke the news at a press conference here without elaborating, but he stressed that did not mean war againstIraqi President Saddam Hussein was inevitable.

Asked if the United States had asked for a contribution of forces to a possible invasion of Iraq, said: "We have had a request for forces from the US, but I can emphasize no decision has been taken on that."

He said full details would be given to parliament next Monday, when it holds a debate on Iraq.

Iraq has promised to give a complete account of its arms program under a new UN Security Council resolution. Both the United States and Britain have demanded Iraqi President Saddam Husseine shed his weapons of mass destruction or face being disarmed by force.

US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet at a NATO summit in Prague later on Wednesday.

Bush said on Wednesday he would call on NATO allies to help him disarm Saddam should the Iraqi leader refuse to give up the deadly arsenal Washington believes he has concealed.

Britain was the only country other than the United States to contribute a full armored division to the 1991 Gulf War.

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