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British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday ordered military commanders to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan this summer. The order parallels a move by the U.S. government to reduce its troops in Afghanistan following the death of Osama bin Laden last week.
However, British commanders are wary of an early exit because such a move could place in peril the counter-insurgency mission and allow the Taliban to regain ground and popular support. Instead of a withdrawal of 10,000 British soldiers from Afghanistan, defense chiefs proposed to Cameron the initial pullout of 450 soldiers, simultaneous with the American troop withdrawal as early as July.
Reports said that Gen. Sir David Richards, the chief of the defense staff, is against the prime minister’s call to cut the size of Britain’s current deployment.
A similar divide is being experienced in the U.S. over the planned pullout from Afghanistan of American soldiers. While the U.S. Congress wants significant cuts made because of the death of bin Laden, the Pentagon is in favor of only 2,000 out of 100,000 U.S. troops returning home by July.
U.S. President Barack Obama will announce in July the size of troop reductions in Afghanistan.
The British generals want the summer withdrawal to involve non-combatant staff such as cooks and administrative clerks assigned to support roles at Camp Bastion in Helmand. They also suggested including in the summer pullout the RAF Regiment, also based at the camp.
Despite the generals’ objections, Cameron insisted on an end to British military role in Afghanistan by 2014, which is the year of the next general election in the United Kingdom.
However, British commanders are wary of an early exit because such a move could place in peril the counter-insurgency mission and allow the Taliban to regain ground and popular support. Instead of a withdrawal of 10,000 British soldiers from Afghanistan, defense chiefs proposed to Cameron the initial pullout of 450 soldiers, simultaneous with the American troop withdrawal as early as July.Reports said that Gen. Sir David Richards, the chief of the defense staff, is against the prime minister’s call to cut the size of Britain’s current deployment.
A similar divide is being experienced in the U.S. over the planned pullout from Afghanistan of American soldiers. While the U.S. Congress wants significant cuts made because of the death of bin Laden, the Pentagon is in favor of only 2,000 out of 100,000 U.S. troops returning home by July.
U.S. President Barack Obama will announce in July the size of troop reductions in Afghanistan.
The British generals want the summer withdrawal to involve non-combatant staff such as cooks and administrative clerks assigned to support roles at Camp Bastion in Helmand. They also suggested including in the summer pullout the RAF Regiment, also based at the camp.
Despite the generals’ objections, Cameron insisted on an end to British military role in Afghanistan by 2014, which is the year of the next general election in the United Kingdom.
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