November 26, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 10, 1422

LONDON, Nov 25: Allied commanders are finalising plans for British paratroopers to fight alongside American troops in Afghanistan, a Sunday newspaper said in a report which was played down by the defence ministry in London.

US chiefs of staff believe a joint force of more than 25,000 is needed to defeat Taliban fighters in the southern city of Kandahar, the last major stronghold of the hardline Islamic militia, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

They want the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment, known as 2 Para, to encircle the movement’s spiritual home along with elite US troops from the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, the paper reported.

About 6,000 British soldiers are on standby, ready to deploy into Afghanistan at 48 hours’ notice to supplement an advance guard of 100 elite Royal Marine commandos already deployed at Bagram air base north of Kabul.

But no mass deployment by Britain has so far taken place, and there are signs of mounting frustration at senior government level in London at reports that the United States is effectively blocking such a move.

A senior officer told the Sunday Telegraph that the British paratroopers could “easily work with US forces”.

“I know 2 Para are itching to go and this would make perfect sense,” he added. “It just depends on the political will.”

The paratroopers could “easily work with US forces”, he said.

“They were on exercise with them last year and many Parachute Regiment soldiers have jumped from US planes.”

But a defence ministry spokeswoman said: “There are no definite plans. We are looking at the situation day to day.”

A Downing Street spokesman added: “We have troops on standby. No decisions have been taken on their deployment.”

Tension between Britain and the US was highlighted this week when International Development Secretary Clare Short warned that failure to put in troops to protect aid agency relief convoys risked causing a humanitarian disaster.

Meanwhile, The Sunday Times reported that British military chiefs had warned Prime Minister Tony Blair that he had to either reinforce the 100 commandos at Bagram air base or pull them out by the end of next week.

Defence bosses have said that the small force cannot be left “in limbo”, the paper reported.

Blair was said to be “utterly frustrated” that Washington cannot see the need for more coalition troops on the ground to assist an aid effort, The Sunday Times reported.

Blair “pushed it very hard to the point where the Americans are getting quite uppity”, a military source told the paper.—AFP