UK troops 'face 10 more years in Afghanistan'

Published on Thursday 28 January 2010 21:34

GORDON Brown has set out a roadmap for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, claiming they would start to hand over control to local forces by the end of this year.

• British soldiers and Afghan police officers on patrol in Helmand. Picture: PA

But UK forces could be in the country for another ten years if Afghan president Hamid Karzai gets his way.

Mr Brown warned that "tough times" still lay ahead for Nato forces, but he said yesterday's London conference of world leaders marked a "decisive" moment in Afghanistan's history.

The leaders pledged $140 million (87m), which will be offered to Taleban fighters if they drop their weapons and work with the Afghan government. At the same time, the Nato-led mission will try to train no fewer than 300,000 Afghan police and soldiers over the next few years, in the hope of building a security structure.

Put together, government ministers said the moves would allow the handover of control of certain provinces in Afghanistan by the end of this year.

The conference communiqu said that by 2013 Afghan forces would be conducting the majority of operations, and by 2015 they would be in charge of all "physical security".

But there were early doubts over the ambitious claims, after Mr Karzai said that he would need allied troops to help train his forces for another decade.

There were also warnings that the $140m pot would effectively disappear into a black hole. Afghanistan is ranked as the second most corrupt nation on the planet.

And experts said that, even if troops were able to leave, there were still few signs Afghanistan would be able to stand on its own as an economically viable nation.

The communiqu said the international community would continue to improve the capabilities of Afghan security forces, boosting the army to 171,600 troops and the police to 134,000 personnel by October 2011.

It said a "High Office of Oversight" would investigate corrupt officials. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said only once certain conditions had been met would the amount of aid going through the Afghan government increase to 50 per cent of the total.

Mr Brown said: "It will take time, but I believe the conditions set out in the plan can be met sooner than many expect, and the process of handover, district by district, will begin later this year."

UK officials insisted that the summit was not about organising the withdrawal of troops, and Mr Brown said the offensive against extremists would continue.

"We will defeat you in any and every country in which you take refuge," he stated.

However, the conference heard of fresh plans, under which Nato and the Afghan government will offer cash, jobs and other incentives to Taleban fighters.

Mr Karzai announced plans for a loya jirga – an Afghan peace council – co-hosted by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

"We must reach out to all of our countrymen, especially our disenchanted brothers, who are not part of al-Qaeda or other terrorist networks, who accept the Afghan constitution," he said.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said: "You have to be willing to engage with your enemies".

But the US did not contribute to the $140m fund, saying it was already using similar methods through its military.

The talks were already in doubt last night, as Saudi Arabia said it would take part in peace efforts only if the Taleban denied sanctuary to the al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.

The Taleban also dismissed the proposed financial incentives as a "trick". It said: "The London conference is in fact aimed at extending the invasion of Afghanistan by occupying forces. (It] is just a waste of time."

The optimism in London about a quick handover from international forces to the Afghans was also dented by comments by Kai Eide, the head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, who warned the international coalition's military strategy continued to have "serious flaws".

He criticised in particular the US-led "surge", warning that it risked entrenching the military presence in Afghanistan.

Critics of the international mission have long warned it has relied far too heavily on military might. There are still fears not enough is being done to boost Afghanistan's rule of law and economic development. Critics are also highly suspicious of the Karzai government.

However, military commanders believe the plan to "woo" Taleban fighters may work. "Many are weary of fighting. It is a grim existence," one army source said.

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE

MORE than 70 nations and international bodies gathered in London. Here are some of the logistics key to such a massive event.

&#149 Venue

Lancaster House is a former royal residence and a one-time museum – it was commissioned by the "Grand Old" Duke of York in 1825.

&#149 Food

The official lunch menu – made entirely from UK produce and certified halal – kicked off with ballotine of English goats' cheese with a fennel and raisin toast, followed by pan-fried sea bass with a caper, shallot and herb dressing, creamed potato and seasonal vegetables. It was completed with a Bakewell tart with a plum compote and Cornish clotted cream. No alcohol was served.

&#149 Language barriers

A team of linguists were on hand to provide instant translations of the negotiations into Arabic, French, Russian, Pashtun/Pashto and Dari.

&#149 Media facilities

The 650 journalists from all corners of the globe were housed in a tented media centre in Green Park, featuring 300 work stations, TV edit suites and radio booths.

&#149 Security

Evidence of beefed-up security levels was visible for several days in the run-up to the conference. Scotland Yard had 700 officers on duty to deal with Wednesday's Yemen summit, yesterday's event and today's appearance of former prime minister Tony Blair at the Iraq Inquiry.

&#149 Online

Set-piece speeches and press conferences were streamed live on a special part of the Foreign Office website and there were updates posted on Twitter.

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