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PM lays out plans for Afghanistan withdrawal
KATE DEVLIN UK POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
18 May 2011
HUNDREDS of British troops will leave Afghanistan in the next year as the first stage towards full withdrawal gets under way, David Cameron has announced.
The Prime Minister also publicly disagreed with the heads of the armed forces and issued a rebuke to his own Defence Secretary as he appeared before an influential Commons committee.
The removal of around 400 service personnel, “perhaps slightly more”, will still leave 9500 British troops in Afghanistan. But it marks the beginning of plans to pull out all combat troops by 2015, a controversial move that has led to warnings it could prolong the conflict.
Mr Cameron himself has pushed for an early end to the operation in Afghanistan, which has been going on since 2001.
The Coalition says that the 2015 deadline will help to focus efforts on building up the Afghan army to take over when other countries withdraw.
But it has led to warnings that it will bolster support for the Taliban and has offered an end in sight to insurgents.
Yesterday the Foreign Office warned that the Taliban was preparing a “spring offensive” in the coming weeks. It follows a month in which a UN compound in the country was attacked and about 500 prisoners escaped from a jail in Kandahar.
The death of Osama bin Laden also led to warnings of an increased risk of terrorist violence across the world.
Despite the withdrawal of troops, Britain will continue to play a significant role in the operation in Afghanistan, Mr Cameron told MPs on the House of Commons Liaison committee. He also denied reports that America was concerned at the plans, saying that he had always made his intentions clear.
Mr Cameron publicly disagreed with top defence staff by insisting that Britain still remains at “full spectrum defence capability”, despite large scale defence cuts.
His evidence contradicted that of the heads of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force.
The PM also overruled a plea by Defence Secretary Liam Fox against the commitment to increase the overseas aid budget, revealed in a leaked letter.
“It is the Government’s policy,” Mr Cameron told MPs, “it will happen”.
Dr Fox’s protest drew support from some within the Tory party last night. Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, said he understood why his colleague was unhappy.
“It is quite legitimate, I think, for the Defence Secretary to chafe at this constraint that is imposed upon him,” he said. “I don’t think the British people are hugely behind this expansion of the aid programme at the expense of other programmes that affect, for example, the numbers of armed servicemen.”
However, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said there must be no U-turn on the plans, saying: “There is now a shadow cast over an important manifesto commitment.”
KATE DEVLIN UK POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
18 May 2011
HUNDREDS of British troops will leave Afghanistan in the next year as the first stage towards full withdrawal gets under way, David Cameron has announced.
The Prime Minister also publicly disagreed with the heads of the armed forces and issued a rebuke to his own Defence Secretary as he appeared before an influential Commons committee.
The removal of around 400 service personnel, “perhaps slightly more”, will still leave 9500 British troops in Afghanistan. But it marks the beginning of plans to pull out all combat troops by 2015, a controversial move that has led to warnings it could prolong the conflict.
Mr Cameron himself has pushed for an early end to the operation in Afghanistan, which has been going on since 2001.
The Coalition says that the 2015 deadline will help to focus efforts on building up the Afghan army to take over when other countries withdraw.
But it has led to warnings that it will bolster support for the Taliban and has offered an end in sight to insurgents.
Yesterday the Foreign Office warned that the Taliban was preparing a “spring offensive” in the coming weeks. It follows a month in which a UN compound in the country was attacked and about 500 prisoners escaped from a jail in Kandahar.
The death of Osama bin Laden also led to warnings of an increased risk of terrorist violence across the world.
Despite the withdrawal of troops, Britain will continue to play a significant role in the operation in Afghanistan, Mr Cameron told MPs on the House of Commons Liaison committee. He also denied reports that America was concerned at the plans, saying that he had always made his intentions clear.
Mr Cameron publicly disagreed with top defence staff by insisting that Britain still remains at “full spectrum defence capability”, despite large scale defence cuts.
His evidence contradicted that of the heads of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force.
The PM also overruled a plea by Defence Secretary Liam Fox against the commitment to increase the overseas aid budget, revealed in a leaked letter.
“It is the Government’s policy,” Mr Cameron told MPs, “it will happen”.
Dr Fox’s protest drew support from some within the Tory party last night. Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, said he understood why his colleague was unhappy.
“It is quite legitimate, I think, for the Defence Secretary to chafe at this constraint that is imposed upon him,” he said. “I don’t think the British people are hugely behind this expansion of the aid programme at the expense of other programmes that affect, for example, the numbers of armed servicemen.”
However, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said there must be no U-turn on the plans, saying: “There is now a shadow cast over an important manifesto commitment.”