COMPENSATING FOR SOCIALIST WEASELS

The U.K. will send more than 2,000 additional troops to Iraq following the withdrawal of Spanish forces, the Times newspaper said, without saying where it got the information.

Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday said a possible increase in the number of British troops in Iraq was being discussed with the U.S. after Spain's decision to pull out.

The U.S. has 135,000 troops in Iraq and Britain has 7,500. Spain started withdrawing its contingent of 1,432 after Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero took office last month. Blair said no decision has been made on whether to send more troops.