Reports: British troops may be moved to Baghdad

LONDON (AP) -- British troops could be moved to Baghdad to provide cover for American troops as they carry out offensive operations against insurgents in Fallujah and elsewhere in the country, media reports said Saturday.
The move would be the first time that British troops have been deployed outside southern Iraq.
The Ministry of Defense has confirmed it was discussing coalition troop deployments in Iraq with the country's interim government and U.S. officials but said no decisions had been made.
The Times newspaper said officers from Britain's Black Watch regiment who are currently serving in Basra, a relatively peaceful city in southern Iraq, notified their troops about a possible move to Baghdad.
BBC TV said that around 650 troops from the regiment would be sent to the Sunni Triangle around Baghdad, where the majority of attacks against international forces have occurred. It said the British troops would be under U.S. command and rules of engagement.
U.S. commanders have been saying they may launch an offensive to uproot insurgents who have taken control of Fallujah and other cities in the Sunni Triangle. Militants have strengthened their hold on Fallujah since U.S. Marines pulled back from a bloody three-week siege in April. The media reports said British troops would be deployed to fill in for U.S. forces moved to take part in any new assault.
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