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| Mission accomplished in Afghanistan, declares David Cameron | Mission accomplished in Afghanistan, declares David Cameron |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has declared mission accomplished in Afghanistan after 12 years of British involvement in the conflict, despite fears of a surge of violence from the Taliban around next year's elections. | David Cameron has declared mission accomplished in Afghanistan after 12 years of British involvement in the conflict, despite fears of a surge of violence from the Taliban around next year's elections. |
| The prime minister made the bold claim as he visited Camp Bastion, the British base in Helmand province, almost exactly a year before all UK fighting troops are due to be withdrawn from the country. | The prime minister made the bold claim as he visited Camp Bastion, the British base in Helmand province, almost exactly a year before all UK fighting troops are due to be withdrawn from the country. |
| Almost 6,000 men and women are still serving in Afghanistan in a war that has cost 646 British lives so far. | Almost 6,000 men and women are still serving in Afghanistan in a war that has cost 646 British lives so far. |
| Asked whether they were coming home with mission accomplished, Cameron said: "Yes I think they do. I think they can come home with their heads held high. You know, we will not leave behind a perfect country or a perfect democracy. | Asked whether they were coming home with mission accomplished, Cameron said: "Yes I think they do. I think they can come home with their heads held high. You know, we will not leave behind a perfect country or a perfect democracy. |
| "You have to remember that Afghanistan is an extremely poor country with a very, very troubled history but I think the purpose of our mission was always to build an Afghanistan and Afghan security forces that were capable of maintaining a basic level of security so this country never again became a haven for terrorist training camps. That has been the most important part of the mission … The absolute driving part of the mission is the basic level of security so that it doesn't become a haven for terror. | |
| "That is the mission, that was the mission and I think we will have accomplished that mission and so our troops can be very proud of what they have done." | "That is the mission, that was the mission and I think we will have accomplished that mission and so our troops can be very proud of what they have done." |
| Throughout the year, the UK military will gradually hand over to the 350,000-strong Afghan forces to keep the Taliban insurgents at bay, despite worries over whether the relatively new army and police forces have enough training and equipment to deal with the threat. | |
| It is understood there are particular worries about a surge in violence around the election on 5 April next year, when the long-term president, Hamid Karzai, will hand over to a new leader. The British military is braced for a heightened threat as the Taliban is likely to use this event to mount a campaign against politicians and election observers, with increased risk of assassinations and a slide backwards into violence. | |
| A senior British source said: "The insurgency will have a go. They will still be having goes next year at GiRoA [government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] officials and at electoral officials but against the very credible and capable Afghan national security force. At the moment the insurgency are just trying to regenerate and reorganise for the next phase." | |
| However, the source stressed that the "summary of where we're at in Helmand is overwhelmingly positive". "The campaign here is on track and the Afghans are in a good place in the short, medium and long term," he said. | However, the source stressed that the "summary of where we're at in Helmand is overwhelmingly positive". "The campaign here is on track and the Afghans are in a good place in the short, medium and long term," he said. |
| Cameron also emphasised that Afghan forces would have lead responsibility for peacekeeping during the elections and insisted Britain would stick to the deadline of bringing out all fighting troops by the end of the year whatever happens. | Cameron also emphasised that Afghan forces would have lead responsibility for peacekeeping during the elections and insisted Britain would stick to the deadline of bringing out all fighting troops by the end of the year whatever happens. |
| "We've been very clear that after the end of 2014 there won't be British troops in a combat role, and there won't be anything like the numbers there are now," he said. | "We've been very clear that after the end of 2014 there won't be British troops in a combat role, and there won't be anything like the numbers there are now," he said. |
| "That is what I said in 2010 and we are on that track and we are sticking to that track. What we have done in that time is train up a hugely capable Afghan national army and police force now numbering almost 350,000 and I think more than capable of providing the basic level of security that this country needs. I obviously want a successful Afghan election – it should be another mark along the route towards success for this country and we'll do everything we can to help." | "That is what I said in 2010 and we are on that track and we are sticking to that track. What we have done in that time is train up a hugely capable Afghan national army and police force now numbering almost 350,000 and I think more than capable of providing the basic level of security that this country needs. I obviously want a successful Afghan election – it should be another mark along the route towards success for this country and we'll do everything we can to help." |
| Cameron could visit the country again next year after the crucial elections. | Cameron could visit the country again next year after the crucial elections. |
| Over the last few months, the prospect of talks with Taliban leaders has been seriously raised for the first time, bringing hopes of a political breakthrough before the drawdown of most troops. | Over the last few months, the prospect of talks with Taliban leaders has been seriously raised for the first time, bringing hopes of a political breakthrough before the drawdown of most troops. |
| However, there have been tensions between the Afghan government and the US over how much of a military presence will remain in the country after this end of this year. | However, there have been tensions between the Afghan government and the US over how much of a military presence will remain in the country after this end of this year. |
| On Monday, Cameron said he was confident an agreement would be signed. | On Monday, Cameron said he was confident an agreement would be signed. |
| "It's in Afghanistan's interest to have a basic agreement so that American troops and others can help with basic security all the way up to the transition and provide some support in the future," he said. "That's clearly in Afghanistan's interest, that's in America and Nato's interest too and so I'm confident that after some discussions an agreement will be signed." | "It's in Afghanistan's interest to have a basic agreement so that American troops and others can help with basic security all the way up to the transition and provide some support in the future," he said. "That's clearly in Afghanistan's interest, that's in America and Nato's interest too and so I'm confident that after some discussions an agreement will be signed." |
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