More troops to war, but Brown attaches strings

Published on Wednesday 14 October 2009 22:19

BRITISH troops in Afghanistan will not be reinforced until a series of tough conditions are met, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged.

He has agreed "in principle" to send 500 extra troops to Afghanistan, but gave no indication of when they would be sent to help overstretched British forces.

The conditions he has imposed included a requirement that all troops be fully equipped for the tasks they are being sent to undertake. Mr Brown said there also had to be an agreed approach across the international coalition, with all countries "bearing their fair share".

And with the outcome of the disputed presidential elections still to be decided, he said the next Afghan government would need to demonstrate its willingness to commit more troops to fight alongside the coalition.

The United States administration reacted warmly to the prospect of additional British troops. But former defence secretary John Hutton took an immediate swipe at the announcement, saying the soldiers should have been sent months ago. "I think it would have been much more helpful if we'd had these additional troops out there six months ago," he said.

"If this is a mission about national security, then you do everything that you need to do to secure it. No ifs and buts, because you've got to prosecute these campaigns absolutely clearly and with the force levels that you need to succeed.

"If you do an economy of force operation here, I think you could screw it up really badly."

The remarks by Mr Hutton, who resigned from the Cabinet in May, are particularly stinging after 37 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan over the summer.

Mr Brown read out the names of the fallen men at the start of a solemn session of Prime Minister's Questions, before giving a statement on the conflict.

The announcement that British troop levels would rise to 9,500 was made by Mr Brown after demands from both the US and Nato commanders on the ground. Welcoming the announcement, US defence department spokesman Geoff Morrell said: "We welcome that contribution, as we do all contributions from our alliance partners."

He refused to comment on the motivation behind the UK's decision. "I would hesitate to wade into whatever the political ramifications are for that decision in the UK," Mr Morrell said, adding: "I don't think it is my place to get into what did or did not motivate them to ultimately commit forces to the mission in Afghanistan."

While the government has pledged to make sure any new troops are properly equipped, the other two conditions are more difficult to meet, as other Nato countries have consistently resisted sending troops into the volatile south of Afghanistan. And the government in Kabul is in a state of crisis, after last month's elections were plagued by corruption and spoiled ballot papers.

But the Prime Minister insisted he had been given assurances from both the president, Hamid Karzai, and his main challenger, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, about the approach they would take in government.

Downing Street last night played down the uncertainty of the timeframe, saying a decision on the outcome of the Afghan elections could come within days.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox called for more clarity. "It's a bit unclear what the timing is going to be – fortunately, we have a debate on defence tomorrow," he said.

"We have to have a bit more clarity than we had today."

He added that there was "something of a contradiction" in the Prime Minister's announcement.

Publicly, defence chiefs welcomed Mr Brown's announcement, despite the lack of certainty over the timetable.

The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, and the head of the army, General Sir David Richards, issued statements confirming the proposed increase in force levels reflected their military advice.

Gen Richards said it was the "right decision". "We asked for 9,500, and that is what we have got," he said.

He also expressed confidence that the other coalition members would sustain their commitment to the mission. He said: "We cannot afford to fail, and increasing the UK's commitment is the right thing to do."

The former head of the armed forces, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said he had asked the Prime Minister for 2,000 extra troops earlier this year, but his request had been turned down.

In the Commons, Conservative leader David Cameron said it was the government's job to ensure troops were properly equipped and trained.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg questioned the strategy at a time when the discredited Karzai government was still at the helm. "There will be many people asking themselves why British soldiers are fighting and dying for a government in Kabul that is deeply corrupt," he said.

Nato defence chiefs are due to meet in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, next week, but No10 cautioned against hopes of a deal on extra troops. And yesterday, president Barack Obama convened a war council to discuss US strategy in Afghanistan.

He is coming under increasing pressure to respond to a report by General Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, which calls for a troop surge to try to turn around the coalition's fortunes in the flagging war.

Gen McChrystal is thought to be lobbying heavily for a surge of 40,000 soldiers.

The White House last night denied reports that Mr Obama will announce a substantial troop surge in Afghanistan, perhaps as early as next week.

PMQ's silence as Brown calls roll of latest British deaths in Afghanistan

THE Prime Minister fittingly wore black.

The normal cacophony of jeers, taunts and shouts that ushered in Prime Minister's Questions was gone. It was replaced with silence as the grim death toll was read out.

Over the last three months, the biggest danger most MPs had faced was from furious voters demanding answers over their allowance claims. Over the same period, nearly 40 young men had lost their lives in real battle on their orders.

The Prime Minister himself had spent a gloomy summer in Britain, some of it as a volunteer in Fife. But even he would admit this was service of a different magnitude.

The air of anticipation evaporated as Mr Brown read the names.

"I think it is right that we should pause to pay our full respects to the members of our armed forces who have given their lives on behalf of our country in Afghanistan," he said. "This is a solemn moment for this House and our country."

After reading out the names, Mr Brown said: "Nothing can erase the pain for their families. Nothing can be greater than the pride we take in their contribution to our country and our sadness at their loss."

Tory leader David Cameron reminded people the dead had left "parents, wives, partners, children, brothers and sisters – and these loved ones won't just feel the loss today or the day when their loved one fell. They'll feel it for the rest of their lives as they think about the lives that could have been lived."

There was one moment of levity. Tory Sir Michael Spicer finished the session with a brave question: "Will you fight on until the bitter end?" It was about the PM's own future, rather than the war in Afghanistan. The grin from the Grim Reaper seemed to suggest he would.