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Warning on public Afghan support UK 'not convinced' by Afghan goal
(about 7 hours later)
Public backing is "crucial" to military success in Afghanistan, a top British commander has warned as a poll suggests support for the mission is ebbing away. The public are not convinced that the UK's Afghanistan mission is "doable," the head of the armed forces has said.
The survey for the BBC's Politics Show found 64% of Britons believe the war is "unwinnable", up from 58% in July. Sir Jock Stirrup told BBC One's Andrew Marr show it was "incredibly important that we do better at explaining the successes we are having".
And 42% said they did not understand the mission's purpose, according to the ComRes poll of 1,009 adults. It comes as a BBC poll found 64% of Britons believe the war is "unwinnable", up from 58% in July.
The senior UK commander in Afghanistan, Lt Gen Jim Dutton, said the public "have to believe that we can win". But Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said the UK's presence there could not be determined by public opinion.
Serious reminder Sir Jock acknowledged that progress was "painful, slow and halting", but he said that the troops doing the fighting believed that they were gaining ground.
In response to the poll, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said a chain of terror linked Afghanistan with the streets of Britain. 'Worth fighting for'
But the study's findings are likely to make uncomfortable reading for the government. He said the government and army had not done nearly enough to "demonstrate that over the long term that this is doable. "
POLITICS SHOW/COMRES SURVEY I feel I have a good understanding of the purpose of Britain's mission in AfghanistanAgree 54%, disagree 42%, don't know 4%All British forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan as quickly as possibleAgree 63%, disagree 31%, don't know 6%The war in Afghanistan is unwinnableAgree 64%, disagree 27%, don't know 10%The levels of corruption involved in the recent Presidential election show the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting forAgree 52%, disagree 36%, don't know 12% Sample: 1,009 adults polled by phone on 4 and 5 November POLITICS SHOW/COMRES SURVEY I feel I have a good understanding of the purpose of Britain's mission in AfghanistanAgree 54%, disagree 42%, don't know 4%All British forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan as quickly as possibleAgree 63%, disagree 31%, don't know 6%The war in Afghanistan is unwinnableAgree 64%, disagree 27%, don't know 10%The levels of corruption involved in the recent Presidential election show the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting forAgree 52%, disagree 36%, don't know 12% Sample: 1,009 adults polled by phone on 4 and 5 November class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8348950.stm">Paper calls for UK's Afghan exit
He added: "What we see is the downside and it is a very, very painful downside, tragic losses bereaved families back home that are having to cope with that loss, people who are injured and having to deal with a complete change in their life.
"But, out there on the ground, talk to the people who are doing it on the ground and they will tell you that they are making real progress. We have got to do much better at describing their progress."
According to the survey, for the BBC's Politics Show, 42% said they did not understand the mission's purpose, according to the ComRes poll of 1,009 adults.
It found that 63% of those surveyed felt UK troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible, and 52% agreed that levels of corruption in Afghanistan's government meant the war was "not worth fighting for".It found that 63% of those surveyed felt UK troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible, and 52% agreed that levels of corruption in Afghanistan's government meant the war was "not worth fighting for".
Researchers said that two-thirds of people categorised as working class believed the war could not be won. Bob Ainsworth acknowledged public opinion had been "dented" by recent losses but added: "We cannot run a campaign like this off the back of an opinion poll."
Andrew Hawkins, ComRes's chief executive, said this suggested that Labour's "core supporters" were most strongly opposed to the conflict and that this would have an impact on support for the party. He told Sky News: "We have to persevere, we have to show some resolution.
He added: "Overall, there is the sense that Afghanistan is becoming for Gordon Brown what Iraq became for Tony Blair." "This campaign is directly connected to our safety back here in the United Kingdom and people need to recognise that. Failure will be a disaster for us."
BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said that on Remembrance Sunday, the survey would serve as a serious reminder to the prime minister of how difficult it would be to keep public opinion on board for this difficult and dangerous mission. The senior UK commander in Afghanistan, Lt Gen Jim Dutton, echoed Sir Jock's comments, saying the public "have to believe that we can win".
I think collectively we have not explained it as well as we should Lt Gen Jim DuttonComRes But the study's findings are likely to make uncomfortable reading for the government.
In an interview for the Politics Show, Lt Gen Dutton - the deputy commander of the international forces in Afghanistan - said the UK public needed to understand that British troops were not being sacrificed simply for the sake of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government.In an interview for the Politics Show, Lt Gen Dutton - the deputy commander of the international forces in Afghanistan - said the UK public needed to understand that British troops were not being sacrificed simply for the sake of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government.
He said: "There is much more to the provision of stability in this area of the world, which is a project for which I have to say, yes, it is worth some soldiers having to die for because the consequences of it going wrong are far greater.He said: "There is much more to the provision of stability in this area of the world, which is a project for which I have to say, yes, it is worth some soldiers having to die for because the consequences of it going wrong are far greater.
"I think I can say without any doubt that support back home is crucially important but I don't sense any lack of support for soldiers back home.""I think I can say without any doubt that support back home is crucially important but I don't sense any lack of support for soldiers back home."
Lt Gen Dutton acknowledged that "collectively we have not been as good at explaining" the mission, but said the public would support it if they believed it was justified and that the UK could win. 'Time to leave'
He said: "I think we could explain it better. Have I failed in doing that? Well, I'm not sure.
"I wouldn't want to point the finger of blame specifically at myself or anybody else, but I think collectively we have not explained it as well as we should."
'Unwinnable and counter-productive'
The government's strategy on Afghanistan has come under heavy scrutiny in a week in which five British soldiers were killed in an attack by an Afghan police officer and a soldier from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles died in a blast in Helmand province.The government's strategy on Afghanistan has come under heavy scrutiny in a week in which five British soldiers were killed in an attack by an Afghan police officer and a soldier from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles died in a blast in Helmand province.
So far, 93 UK service personnel have been killed in 2009 - the highest toll in a single year since the Falklands campaign 27 years ago. So far, 94 UK service personnel have been killed in 2009 - the highest toll in a single year since the Falklands campaign 27 years ago.
The Independent on Sunday has become the first British newspaper to call for British troops to leave Afghanistan.The Independent on Sunday has become the first British newspaper to call for British troops to leave Afghanistan.
Its front page carries the headline "Time to Leave".Its front page carries the headline "Time to Leave".
In an editorial, the paper says: "It is time to say that this war is ill-conceived, unwinnable and counter-productive".
The Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, has insisted it had "no plans" to abandon the Afghan town of Musa Qala, which was recaptured from the Taliban amid heavy fighting in 2007.The Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, has insisted it had "no plans" to abandon the Afghan town of Musa Qala, which was recaptured from the Taliban amid heavy fighting in 2007.
A report in the Sunday Times had claimed that the Army was considering pulling out of the town as part of a plan to withdraw from outlying bases in Helmand province and focus on major centres of population.A report in the Sunday Times had claimed that the Army was considering pulling out of the town as part of a plan to withdraw from outlying bases in Helmand province and focus on major centres of population.
The number of British military personnel killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 stands at 230. The number of British military personnel killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 stands at 231.
The Politics Show is screened on BBC One at 1215 GMT on Sunday.The Politics Show is screened on BBC One at 1215 GMT on Sunday.