Britain agreed on Thursday to send troops to dangerous areas near Baghdad, a politically perilous step for Prime Minister Tony Blair who could face a sharp backlash if casualty rates start rising. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said about 850 personnel would move north for a period of weeks not months to allow U.S. troops to tackle insurgents elsewhere in Iraq, amid suggestions that an onslaught on rebel-dominated Falluja is not far off. "This deployment is a vital part of the process of creating the right conditions for the Iraqi elections to take place in January," he told parliament. U.S. military chiefs asked UK forces to move to volatile areas near Baghdad to free up American troops to tackle hotspots like Falluja before the planned elections. "We share ... a common goal of creating a secure and stable Iraq where men, women and children in towns like Falluja can feel safe from foreign terrorists," Hoon said. Politicians, many in Blair's Labour party, are aghast at the prospect of British troops being moved to higher-risk areas. --More 0047 Local Time 2147 GMT
