The government says it is in talks with coalition partners about possibly sending more troops to Iraq -- a high-risk move for Prime Minister Tony Blair who is already suffering in opinion polls.
With Spain planning to withdraw its 1,400 soldiers and violence escalating across Iraq, media reports suggested up to 2,000 more British troops could be sent to join around 7,500 already there.
"In light of recent events -- the security situation and the anticipated withdrawal of the Spanish troops -- we are in discussions with coalition partners," a Defence Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday
She said troop numbers was "one of the things we will be discussing", but a spokesman for Blair stressed no decisions had been taken.
Blair has seen his public trust ratings plunge since he became Washington's staunchest ally in the Iraq war launched last March to topple former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Britain has the second biggest military force in Iraq after the United States. Its soldiers are based mainly around the southern city of Basra.
If Blair does decide to deploy more forces, he could lose even more popularity at home and damage his reputation abroad.
IRAQ MORASS
With more coalition soldiers returning home in body bags, analysts say Blair may be seen as putting British lives at risk to help out U.S. President George W. Bush in a U.S. presidential election year. Bush is already unpopular with Blair's Labour party and with the public.
"The risk is that one gets sucked into a morass in Iraq where there is no real way out, where considerable public expenditure is involved, and where British troops would suffer," said Wyn Grant, professor of politics at Warwick University.
"That could be a contributory factor to the perception that Blair had made the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons."
Monday's Times newspaper said an extra 1,500 to 2,000 troops may be deployed in Iraq, possibly in volatile cities such as Najaf, base of rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has launched an uprising against the U.S.-led occupation.
Defence sources confirmed the gap left by a Spanish withdrawal would be in the south central region which includes Najaf, about 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad.
Opposition Conservative defence spokesman Nicholas Soames urged Defence Minister Geoff Hoon to tell parliament about any additional deployment.
About 200 U.S. troops entered Najaf on Monday to take over a compound previously occupied by Spanish troops, who had been guarding the headquarters of the city's U.S.-led authority.
April has been the bloodiest month for U.S.-led forces since Saddam was toppled a year ago and U.S. officials said on Sunday a potentially explosive situation was brewing in Najaf
With Spain planning to withdraw its 1,400 soldiers and violence escalating across Iraq, media reports suggested up to 2,000 more British troops could be sent to join around 7,500 already there.
"In light of recent events -- the security situation and the anticipated withdrawal of the Spanish troops -- we are in discussions with coalition partners," a Defence Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday
She said troop numbers was "one of the things we will be discussing", but a spokesman for Blair stressed no decisions had been taken.
Blair has seen his public trust ratings plunge since he became Washington's staunchest ally in the Iraq war launched last March to topple former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Britain has the second biggest military force in Iraq after the United States. Its soldiers are based mainly around the southern city of Basra.
If Blair does decide to deploy more forces, he could lose even more popularity at home and damage his reputation abroad.
IRAQ MORASS
With more coalition soldiers returning home in body bags, analysts say Blair may be seen as putting British lives at risk to help out U.S. President George W. Bush in a U.S. presidential election year. Bush is already unpopular with Blair's Labour party and with the public.
"The risk is that one gets sucked into a morass in Iraq where there is no real way out, where considerable public expenditure is involved, and where British troops would suffer," said Wyn Grant, professor of politics at Warwick University.
"That could be a contributory factor to the perception that Blair had made the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons."
Monday's Times newspaper said an extra 1,500 to 2,000 troops may be deployed in Iraq, possibly in volatile cities such as Najaf, base of rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has launched an uprising against the U.S.-led occupation.
Defence sources confirmed the gap left by a Spanish withdrawal would be in the south central region which includes Najaf, about 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad.
Opposition Conservative defence spokesman Nicholas Soames urged Defence Minister Geoff Hoon to tell parliament about any additional deployment.
About 200 U.S. troops entered Najaf on Monday to take over a compound previously occupied by Spanish troops, who had been guarding the headquarters of the city's U.S.-led authority.
April has been the bloodiest month for U.S.-led forces since Saddam was toppled a year ago and U.S. officials said on Sunday a potentially explosive situation was brewing in Najaf
