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Afghanistan 'not war without end' Afghanistan 'not war without end'
(20 minutes later)
The military commitment in Afghanistan is "not a war without end", UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said.The military commitment in Afghanistan is "not a war without end", UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said.
In a speech to the Nato parliamentary assembly, he said decisions on the amount of troops had to be allied to plans for a "political surge". In a speech to the Nato parliamentary assembly, he said military and civilian resources had to be aligned behind a "clear political strategy".
He also said it had been the "bloodiest year" for the UK since the Falklands. While he wanted troops brought home, Nato could not risk leaving a "vacuum" for the Taliban.
It follows a speech by Gordon Brown in which he said he hoped some areas of Afghanistan could be handed over to local control starting in 2010. Gordon Brown said on Monday he hoped Afghan districts could start being handed over to local control next year.
In his speech Mr Miliband recognised it had been the "bloodiest year" for the UK since the Falklands War.
Fear of retribution
He said: "I, as much as anyone else, want to bring our troops back home to safety, but we cannot leave a vacuum which the Taliban will quickly fill."
When troops eventually leave, they have to do so "knowing we will not have to return", he said.
"This is not a war without end, but success must be based on aligning our military and civilian resources behind a clear political strategy," he said.
That strategy had to reassure ordinary Afghans and encourage them to resist the Taliban, it must divide the insurgency and build new relations between Afghanistan and its neighbours.
Mr Miliband said there was a fear among ordinary Afghans that the international community would tire of the war and the Taliban would return "inflicting brutal retribution on those who 'collaborated' with the government", he said.
He said President Karzai would use his speech on Thursday to set out a "positive new agenda" and must offer a "new contract" with the Afghan people - which must include addressing corruption.