The UK is hiding itself while anti-Americanism grows among Eastern societies because the US is perceived as solely responsible for the occupation and civil war in Iraq. Even the end of the political career of the British prime minister has been presented as a transition problem within the British democratic system, without any connection to the Iraqi war. These days the UK is calling some of its troops back. In Bosnia, the number of troops within the EU peacekeeping mission EUFOR will be reduced to 2,500 from 6,000 and 600 of its soldiers will leave Banja before the end of the year. The second redeployment region is Iraq. The UK has announced the withdrawal of its 1,600 soldiers there. Secretary of State for Defense Des Browne declared in the House of Commons that the presence of British troops in Afghanistan is more crucial than its presence elsewhere. The number of British troops in Afghanistan exceeds 5,000. The extra contingent is composed of 1,000 soldier. That means 1,000 more soldiers will end the emergency situation.
In February the UK sent 800 more soldiers to Afghanistan and will transfer 500 of its men to the southern regions. Additionally, Denmark has called 430 of its soldiers back from Iraq and has decided to deploy them to Afghanistan.
NATO wants to increase the global number of troops present in Afghanistan. It shouldn’t be forgotten that 35,000 soldiers from 37 countries are involved in the mission in this country. In order to assure its stability, the US and the UK have proposed an Arab unification force by Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which proves that the increase in the number of troops is not the only solution.
The withdrawal of British troops from Bosnia and Iraq doesn’t mean that the UK wants to reduce its role in the system, as the deployment of more troops in Afghanistan demonstrates. This merely shows that the UK has changed its priorities. Maybe there are new situations in Afghanistan inciting NATO to send more troops, and this is not related to the situation in Afghanistan. While the US is fighting in Iraq, it also stops Iran and the power influencing Iran to go to the “South.” But if the Northern Power has decided to advance toward the South, Iraq is not the only way and Afghanistan has appeared as a gateway so the UK has decided to reinforce its presence in Afghanistan. This also will save the UK from getting drowned in Iraq along with the US. Moreover, as the US faces major problems in Iraq while NATO succeeds in Afghanistan, a connection will be possible to establish between Iraq and Afghanistan through NATO.
History shows that southern regions of the northern hemisphere have always attracted the UK and Russia’s interests, as it is today, and France has always tried to fill the UK’s policy gaps in this region. But in the end, the UK has succeeded to be present in every region every time, and France failed to do the same. The emergence of Afghanistan as the new center of attention for British diplomacy doesn’t mean that there is a gap elsewhere - like the UK’s Cyprus policy -- that can be filled by another country, say France.
