Britain beefs up Gulf force for war on Iraq

BRITAIN dramatically beefed up its military force last night as 30,000 troops prepared to travel to the Gulf for war against Iraq.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said deployment to the Gulf would take place by air and sea "over the days and weeks ahead".

The massive land force, which will join more than 100,000 US troops in the Gulf, piles pressure on Saddam Hussein to comply with United Nations' demands to eliminate any weapons of mass destruction. The call-up, for nearly a quarter of Britain's army, far exceeded expectations.