British spokesman says British forces expected to start arriving next week

Saturday, March 23rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(BAGRAM, Afghanistan) - Some 1,700 British troops on their way to Bagram Air Base will begin arriving at the end of next week, a spokesman for an advanced party of Royal Marines said Saturday.

Sgt. Steven Melbourne of the 3 Commander Brigade Headquarters said tents and other accommodations are being prepared at Bagram for the British Royal Marines.

The battle group constitutes Britain's largest military deployment for combat operations since the Gulf war. They will be combat-ready by mid-April, Melbourne said.

``We will be coming to work alongside the Americans against the al-Qaida terrorists,'' Melbourne said. ``We bring a very potent force.''

Melbourne would not speculate on what operations the Royal Marines may be involved in, but he said they are specially trained in cold weather warfare. Many of the troops spend months training above the Arctic Circle in Norway.

A few dozen British troops were at the base already to lay out plans for the main arrival. He said the first of the 1,700 Royal Marines from the 45 Commando Group would begin arriving at the base, just north of Kabul, in five to seven days.

The troops will be led by Royal Marines Brig. Roger Lane, but the British battle group _ codenamed Operation Jacana _ will operate as part of an American-led brigade under the overall command of the supreme U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Tommy Franks.

British troops already make up the bulk of peacekeeping forces, and Special Forces units have been operating in Afghanistan since the early days of the war. British forces have also participated in reconnaissance and air-to-air refueling flights.