Britain will send more troops to Afghanistan
LONDON — President Bush, ending a weeklong trip through Europe on Monday, warmly welcomed Britain's pledge to tighten sanctions against Iran and to send more troops to increasingly violent Afghanistan.
The president and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown used a joint news conference to show solidarity on an array of vexing foreign policy matters — chiefly Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush dismissed reports he had differences with Brown on Iraq, where Britain has cut its troops.
"I have no problem with how Gordon Brown is dealing with Iraq," Bush said. "He's been a good partner."
The two leaders, both weakened by low public approval, traded compliments and emphasized common stands on such global problems such as Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Darfur and a stalled world trade pact.
Brown praised Bush for his "steadfastness and resoluteness." Said Bush of Brown, "He's tough on terror and I appreciate it."
The prime minister came ready with twin announcements that helped buoy Bush's position.
Brown said Britain will freeze assets of Iran's largest bank in a further move to discourage the country from developing nuclear weapons. And he announced that Britain was sending more troops to southern Afghanistan, upping London's commitment to the highest level ever.
Brown used almost the identical language that Bush has chosen in trying to build world pressure against Iran. The United States and other Western nations fear Iran is pursuing uranium enrichment as a means to develop nuclear weaponry, a charge the Tehran government denies.
"I will repeat that we will take any necessary action so that Iran is aware of the choice it has to make — to start to play its part as a full and respected member of the international community, or face further isolation," Brown said. He said Britain was starting a new phase of sanctions on oil and gas.
Britain's new deployment of about 230 engineers, logistical staff and military trainers to Afghanistan will boost the number of British forces in the country to more than 8,000, most based in Helmand province in the south.
Brown showed no distance from Bush on the strategy in Iraq. The prime minister said he would not order an arbitrary withdrawal of the 4,000 remaining British troops until the task is done.
"In Iraq there is a job to be done and we will continue to do the job and there will be no artificial timetable," Brown said.
The president, without getting specific, said the United States can help calm the "testy situation" between Afghanistan and Pakistan. But he refused to endorse Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's threat to send troops across the border as a means to target terrorists.
