What is UK troops' role in Iraq?
US Marines from 15 MEU may be put under British command
Amid reports that some US troops will be put under British command in any Iraq action, BBC News Online looks at the chain of command between US and UK forces.
In the event of a full-scale attack on Iraq, up to 2,000 troops from the US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit will reportedly be assigned to a British command to take the southern city of Basra and surrounding oil fields.
The move has been hailed by excited newspapers as the first time this has happened on such a scale since Monty commanded American troops in World War II.
It has also been claimed the move is a "reward" for Prime Minister Tony Blair's support for military action.
But military analyst Patrick Tyrrell told BBC News Online the move was "nothing to get excited about" and part of "normal military planning".
"It's not as unusual as you might expect to put some US troops under the operational command of a British, German, or any other commander. In Nato, for example, it has been happening for years," he said.
US Marines from 15 MEU may be put under British command
Amid reports that some US troops will be put under British command in any Iraq action, BBC News Online looks at the chain of command between US and UK forces.
In the event of a full-scale attack on Iraq, up to 2,000 troops from the US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit will reportedly be assigned to a British command to take the southern city of Basra and surrounding oil fields.
The move has been hailed by excited newspapers as the first time this has happened on such a scale since Monty commanded American troops in World War II.
It has also been claimed the move is a "reward" for Prime Minister Tony Blair's support for military action.
But military analyst Patrick Tyrrell told BBC News Online the move was "nothing to get excited about" and part of "normal military planning".
"It's not as unusual as you might expect to put some US troops under the operational command of a British, German, or any other commander. In Nato, for example, it has been happening for years," he said.
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