Written question asked by Lord Kennet (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 February 1997. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 February 1997.

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Howe, Earl

Question

What have been the costs so far to the British taxpayer of the Operation which is known in the west as Provide Comfort and to the Turks as Poised Hammer; if the RAF is alone in patrolling the 'northern no-fly zone; of Iraq, as implied by Mr Soames on 6 February 1997, c1163, and if not what other air forces share the task; if, as has been stated by Mr Temal Karamolloaglu (SWB EE/2804B/5 30 December 1996), a senior Turkish parliamentarian on the govt side, (a) Tornadoes patrolling the no-fly zone of Iraq are 'equipped with weapons and bombs for these flights; and (b) if the US pulled approximately 10,000 of its agents out of the region' and if any of the 10,000 were taken to Guan in US plans fuelled from Diego Garcia; why it is necessary to use Tornadoes and VC10 tankers to patrol the northern no-fly zone of Iraq; and if personnel from the base countries, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are always present on flights to patrol the northern no-fly zone of Iraq. - Includes figure.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

578 c66-7WA

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Armed forces Costs Deployment Iraq Peacekeeping operations Military aircraft Turkey Kurds

Contains statistics

Yes