When did British troops join military operations?
British forces were at the heart of the military offensive against Afghanistan when it began on 7 October 2001. Today, there are 1,800 soldiers in the vanguard of the International Security Assisitance Force in Kabul. On 18 March this year, the government announced that it woud be sending ground troops to combat operations as part of the US’s Operation Enduring Freedom. Why have British troops joined the ground offensive? Early this year, US forces launched a mission to crush al-Qaeda fighters in eastern Afghanistan. However, despite reports from Washington that the bombing and ground operation had killed large numbers of al-Qaeda fighters, other reports suggested that some had slipped the net. The US then asked the UK to provide specialist mountain warfare troops, prompting speculation that it had indeed exaggerated the successes. The UK agreed and sent a 1,700-strong battle group led by 45 Commando, Royal Marines, to Afghanistan. What are they expected to do? In theory, the mission i
