Britain to lead multinational peacekeepers in Afghanistan

LONDON -- Britain announced Wednesday that it would lead a multinational military force designed to help ease Afghanistan's path to peace. But defense analysts warned the mission was born of political compromise that could leave troops endangered, bogged down and overstretched.

"The situation is extremely unstable," said Christopher Langton, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "You can't keep the peace -- there's barely any peace to be kept."

Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told the House of Commons on Wednesday that Britain will supply 1,500 troops to the international force, which will number 3,000 to 5,000 under the leadership of Maj. Gen. John McColl.

Britain will lead the force for three months before handing over to another nation. More than a dozen countries have offered to send soldiers.

McColl and a vanguard of up to 200 British marines, who are already in the region, will be in Kabul on Saturday, when Afghanistan's new interim government assumes power.

But Hoon said the bulk of the force, whose exact composition is still being hammered out, would arrive in Afghanistan after Dec. 28. The deployment needs United Nations approval, which diplomats say could come Thursday.

It also awaits the signing of a military agreement with Afghanistan's new rulers, who have sent mixed signals about the force.

The country's new leader, Hamid Karzai, said Wednesday the peacekeepers would be welcome to stay "as long as it takes for Afghan stability."

But U.N. diplomats said Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Abdullah indicated last week the troops would be accepted only under provisions that don't explicitly authorize the use of military force.

On Tuesday, diplomats said the five permanent U.N. Security Council members had reached a tentative agreement on a six-month operation that would allow soldiers to use force to deal with threats to peace.

Even when details of the deployment are ironed out, analysts warn against expecting a quick mission. Afghanistan has an ability to swallow up foreign armies -- from the British, who fought three wars in Afghanistan in the 19th century, to the Soviet Union in the 20th.

The peacekeepers will not be the only foreign troops in Afghanistan. U.S. and British forces are already on the ground, aiding the battle against remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida forces.