British military is to pull 500 troops out of Kosovo by DecemberIAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent October 09 2008
Comment | Read Comments (1)The UK is to end its military commitment to Kosovo at the end of the year, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.
The move, the first major announcement by newly appointed Defence Secretary John Hutton, will free up a battalion's-worth of scarce troops for possible deployment to Afghanistan.
Britain has had to maintain a 500-man infantry battalion on standby as part of the shared Nato-EU Balkans operational reserve force (Orf) to act as quick-reaction reinforcements in case of fighting between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.
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The MoD has now decided that since Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February has passed without major clashes or civil unrest, a much-needed drawdown in the UK's overseas commitments is possible.
Mr Hutton said: "Following a review of the security situation in Kosovo and our wider military commitments, the Foreign Secretary and I have agreed that the UK contribution to the Orf will cease on December 31.
"The major milestones in Kosovo's independence have passed without incident and the security situation in Kosovo is stable, if fragile.
"Against this backdrop, and with over 15,000 other allied personnel currently in theatre, Nato remains well placed to deal with any potential security incidents.
"The UK will continue to make a significant contribution to Kosovo's security through the provision of key intelligence capabilities and wider security sector reform and capacity building.
"Moreover, the UK will also continue to assist with mobilising international support for Kosovo on key political, governance and economic issues."
The MoD said yesterday: "In terms of UK armed forces' readiness, this was an example where we had been holding a force element at a high state of readiness as a contingency, despite the ongoing high state of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It demonstrates the resilience of our people and our planning systems."
A spokesman declined to comment on the impact the ending of the commitment would have on either overstretch or reinforcement for the garrison fighting in Helmand.
The army currently has 8000 soldiers in Afghanistan and 4100 in Iraq.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly yesterday approved Serbia's request to ask a UN court if Kosovo's secession was legal, a move many Western states fear will slow down Kosovo's integration into the world community.
It is expected that the International Court of Justice in The Hague will take one to two years to issue its opinion.
Belgrade says seeking neutral judicial advice will help ease tensions in the region, but Kosovo's supporters say it will slow down Pristina's integration into the world community.
There were 77 votes in favour, six votes against and 74 abstentions.
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