British troops will be able to fire in "self defence" only during their deployment in Bamako, the Malian capital, where they are being protected by the French, Mr Hammond said. He confirmed that no UK troops would provide "force protection" for European trainers in Mali. That means the UK is likely to rely on French forces to protect British trainers. British troops would not be sent to the country as part of the EU training mission until the government is satisfied that "adequate force protection measures are in place", Mr Hammond said. But John Baron, a Tory MP, warned Mr Hammond of mission creep: "One can be drawn in to ever deeper conflicts." Jim Murphy, the shadow defence secretary, warned that the public was "wary and weary of conflict" A former Labour Cabinet minister suggested that Mali could become Britain's "Vietnam". Frank Dobson, health secretary under Tony Blair, said: "The American catastrophe in Vietnam started off with American troops in a training capacity." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...li-mission-could-become-Britains-Vietnam.html