Blair tells troops they are securing world ... and they ask: What about a rise, then?

THE global battle against Islamic terrorism will be decided in the harsh desert of southern Afghanistan, Tony Blair yesterday told British troops as he made a flying visit to the country.

The Prime Minister flew into Helmand province in the south, where 3,500 British troops are engaged in a "stability mission" that has seen them facing daily clashes with Taleban fighters - combat of an intensity commanders say the British Army has not experienced since the Second World War.

Despite lingering doubts about the purpose of the mission, its strategy, and the equipment and support available to the British forces, Mr Blair insisted the soldiers were doing vital work connected to Britain's national security.

"Here in this extraordinary piece of desert is where the future of the world's security in the early 21st century will be played out," he said, standing on a raised platform surrounded by soldiers in the desolate landscape. "We know that the only way to secure peace sometimes is to be prepared to fight for it."

Mr Blair told the troops that anyone would feel "very humble and very proud" in the face of their courage and dedication. "People back home are very proud of what you do, regardless of what they think of the politicians," he said.

Then he briefly toured Camp Bastion, speaking to soldiers and hearing at least one complaint about their treatment by the government.

Lance Corporal Kieran Ryan, 25, of the Royal Marines 45 Commando based at Arbroath, tackled Mr Blair over pay, asking why firemen and police officers are paid more than combat troops.

The Prime Minister told him: "I cannot give guarantees about that. I think there is a desire to recognise the work that is being done."

The answer did little to convince the commando, who replied: "Cheers, I'll watch out for my wage rise."

Mr Blair then flew to the Afghan capital for talks with Hamid Karzai, the democratically elected president, whose government is struggling to assert authority over Afghanistan, one of the poorest and least stable countries.

For all Afghanistan's problems, the two leaders insisted that there was no alternative to western military intervention. "What is the alternative? We came to Afghanistan because the sickness and evil that was in Afghanistan came to us," Mr Blair said, standing alongside Mr Karzai as he referred to the former Taleban regime's support for the al-Qaeda terror network.

Mr Karzai also struck a determinedly positive note, pointing to the improvements in the economy and healthcare since the fall of the Taleban government five years ago.

"The international community will surely stay with us until Afghanistan is firmly on its feet. Once Afghanistan is firmly on its feet, no evil force can return to Afghanistan," he said.

Mr Blair later met General David Richards, the British officer commanding the 31,500-strong NATO international security and assistance force.

Despite the fierce fighting of the summer - particularly in Helmand - Gen Richards insisted the international forces were gaining ground against the Taleban. He said: "There has been a huge reduction in the number of incidents. There is a different atmosphere. I genuinely believe this is winnable."

TALEBAN REAPS HUMAN HARVEST OF DROUGHT

DROUGHT and failed harvests in western Afghanistan are causing hunger and poverty on such a scale that non-militants are being forced to join the Taleban to survive, a charity warned yesterday.

The lack of rain has destroyed the wheat crop in the predominantly agricultural area.

With no food, and children on the verge of starvation, the lucrative offer of as much as 100 a month to join the fighting gives local Afghans little choice, according to Christian Aid, which is working in Sya Kamarak, a village of 1,200 people near the border with Turkmenistan.

The last drought in Afghanistan, from 1998 until 2003, devastated the harvest and brought misery. Aid workers are dismayed that the arid conditions have returned so soon.

Anjali Kwatra, a Christian Aid worker in Sya Kamarak, said the drought was forcing villagers to accept the Taleban's offer.

"This is not a Taleban stronghold, people are not particularly sympathetic to the Taleban," Ms Kwatra said. "If it is the only way they can survive, then some people are going to do it."

Christian Aid teams in western Afghanistan are working on a water supply, laying pipes and taps as well as digging for water sources. They are also working on ways for villagers to store rainwater to irrigate crops.

Christian Aid called for more money to be given to the UN's 40 million appeal for food and aid for those affected by the drought.

Last week the UN's World Food Programme warned it would be unable to feed the two million people affected because it had received only a third of the funds it needed.