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Afghanistan 'not war without end' Afghanistan 'not war without end'
(40 minutes later)
The military commitment in Afghanistan is "not a war without end", UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said. Afghanistan is "not a war without end" but Nato cannot leave a vacuum for the Taliban to fill, says David Miliband.
In a speech to the Nato parliamentary assembly, he said military and civilian resources had to be aligned behind a "clear political strategy". The foreign secretary also said in a Nato speech the UK was "ready, in the right conditions" to send more troops "on the basis of an agreed strategy".
But while he wanted troops brought home, Nato could not risk leaving a "vacuum" for the Taliban, he said. He said military and civilian resources had to be aligned behind a "clear political strategy".
Gordon Brown said on Monday he hoped Afghan districts could start being handed over to local control next year. Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen has urged governments to send more troops to bolster efforts.
In his speech Mr Miliband recognised it had been the "bloodiest year" for the UK since the Falklands War. Mr Miliband's speech followed one by Gordon Brown on Monday night, in which he said he hoped Afghan districts could start being handed over to local control next year - although Downing Street played down any talk of an "exit strategy".
In his speech to the Nato parliamentary assembly, Mr Miliband recognised it had been the "bloodiest year" for the UK since the Falklands War.
Fear of retributionFear 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." He said: "I, as much as anyone else, wants 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.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."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.
If we were to walk away and turn our backs on Afghanistan, al Qaeda would be back in a flash Anders Fogh Rasmussen Brown plans Afghan handover talks If we were to walk away and turn our backs on Afghanistan, al Qaeda would be back in a flash Anders Fogh Rasmussen Brown plans Afghan handover talks class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8358134.stm">Brown hopeful over Afghan boost
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. Key elements of the strategy would be to reassure ordinary Afghans and encourage them to resist the Taliban while also seeking to persuade members of the current insurgency to pursue their goals "peacefully within the constitutional framework".
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.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 - recently re-elected in a poll marred by fraud allegations - would use his speech on Thursday to set out a "positive new agenda".He said President Karzai - recently re-elected in a poll marred by fraud allegations - would use his speech on Thursday to set out a "positive new agenda".
This must offer a "new contract" with the Afghan people - including addressing corruption, Mr Miliband said.This must offer a "new contract" with the Afghan people - including addressing corruption, Mr Miliband said.
'Strategy of strength''Strategy of strength'
Mr Miliband gave his speech after Nato's secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that "if we were to walk away and turn our backs on Afghanistan, al-Qaeda would be back in a flash".Mr Miliband gave his speech after Nato's secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that "if we were to walk away and turn our backs on Afghanistan, al-Qaeda would be back in a flash".
"There's absolutely no reason to think otherwise and anyone who does so is not living in the real world," he said, urging other Nato countries to send more troops to bolster military efforts."There's absolutely no reason to think otherwise and anyone who does so is not living in the real world," he said, urging other Nato countries to send more troops to bolster military efforts.
Mr Miliband said it was important and he endorsed the arguments for "burden sharing" but wanted in his speech to concentrate on the need for a "political strategy of strength". Mr Miliband said he endorsed the arguments for "burden sharing" and a "serious counter-insurgency effort in Afghanistan".
Even in the most optimistic scenario no-one is suggesting that British troops facing the fiercest fight in the toughest area of Helmand are going to withdraw next year Nick RobinsonBBC political editor class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2009/11/afghanistan_ifs.html">Read Nick's thoughts in full He added: "And we are ready, in the right conditions, to raise our already high contribution on the basis of an agreed strategy."
The foreign secretary said military pressure must be combined with support for insurgents "to flip sides rather than fight or run away". There may need to be ... a different approach to the insurgency in rural areas - where sympathy for the Taliban is much stronger David MilibandForeign Secretary
And he said there must be more support for local leaders - specifically the "shuras" - bodies of local elders - to help govern and provide security. US President Barack Obama is to announce soon whether he will send additional US troops to Afghanistan.
In the areas worst affected by the insurgency "sub-national governance is the only form of governance they know", he said. The top US military commander there, General Stanley McChrystal, has asked for a further 40,000 troops.
The UK has 9,000 troops in Afghanistan and is willing to send another 500. But this is conditional on other countries in the alliance - excluding the US - providing a further 5,000 troops.
The foreign secretary also said military pressure must be combined with support for insurgents "to flip sides rather than fight or run away".
'Different approach'
And he said there must be more support for local leaders, specifically the "shuras" - bodies of local elders, to help govern and provide security.
Provincial and district governors should be trained, empowered and equipped to create "truly representative" shuras which could guide funds, create jobs and build schools, he said - as well as "provide the re-entry mechanisms for insurgents seeking reintegration".Provincial and district governors should be trained, empowered and equipped to create "truly representative" shuras which could guide funds, create jobs and build schools, he said - as well as "provide the re-entry mechanisms for insurgents seeking reintegration".
It's only if we get theses things right that we can have these kinds of withdrawals and handovers to Afghan security forces William HagueConservatives
There may need to be "a different approach to the insurgency in rural areas - where sympathy for the Taliban is much stronger and where security and governance have never been delivered by conventional military or police forces - to that in urban areas".There may need to be "a different approach to the insurgency in rural areas - where sympathy for the Taliban is much stronger and where security and governance have never been delivered by conventional military or police forces - to that in urban areas".
In his annual speech at the Lord Mayor's banquet on Monday night, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he hoped to host a Nato meeting in January to "set a timetable" for control of some Afghan districts to be handed over. Mr Miliband also called for closer work with Afghanistan's neighbours - specifically to help "squeeze the life out of the terrorist threat from both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border".
It raises the eventual prospect of withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan but Downing Street stressed it would not be an "exit" summit - just an opportunity to discuss future strategy. For the Conservatives, William Hague told the BBC the important question was how Britain could get to the point where control could be handed over to the Afghan security forces.
"That is where the world is waiting on President Obama in the next couple of weeks and that of course needs to be a strategy involving true counter-insurgency operations.. winning over the local population and the proper co-ordination of the civilian and economic effort behind the troops," he said.
"It's only if we get theses things right that we can have these kinds of withdrawals and handovers to Afghan security forces."