300 more UK troops head to Afghanistan
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Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Britain is to boost troop levels in Afghanistan by 300, Gordon Brown confirmed today.
The Prime Minister said he was following the advice of commanders on the ground by authorising the increase until August.
The move will lift the total UK presence in the country from just over 8,000 to 8,300, Mr Brown told MPs.
But he insisted other countries also needed to play their part in the Nato-led campaign.
"Forty-one countries are involved in the Nato mission but the burden is not always shared equally," he said.
"It is vital that all members of the coalition contribute fairly."
Mr Brown's statement to the Commons came after he visited Afghanistan over the weekend, holding talks with president Hamid Karzai and meeting British troops.
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