British Prime Minister David Cameron, who visited Afghanistan last week, told the House of Commons in his first statement on the war-torn country that 2010 was the vital year and we “must redouble our efforts to drive progress.”
Mr Cameron, whose government announced easing out of chief of the defence staff and defence ministry’s top bureaucrat by autumn, told MPs that British troops will not remain for “a day longer than is necessary” in Afghanistan. “I want to bring them home the moment it is safe to do so,” he said. Britain has been in Afghanistan since 2001 and has lost 294 soldiers in almost decade-long campaign in Afghanistan.
Defence secretary Liam Fox in an interview on Sunday announced that Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup and permanent undersecretary Sir Bill Jeffrey would be stepping down soon to pave way for the coalition government’s candidates. The British Prime Minister stressed on close relationship between Britain and Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Even after our troops have left Afghanistan, the relationship between Britain and Afghanistan must continue as a strong and close one. Likewise, we want to continue to build on our relationship with Pakistan,” Mr Cameron said.
He added that the threat from Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan had reduced substantially. “I am advised that the Qaeda threat from Afghanistan and Pakistan has reduced. But I am also advised that if it were not for current presence of UK and international coalition forces, Al Qaeda would return to Afghanistan and the threat to the UK would rise,” he said.
Al Qaeda has to be kept out of Afghanistan for Britain’s “national security,” Mr Cameron said. He also stressed the UK’s total support for the Afghan strategy developed by the International Security Assistance Force commander General Stanley A. McChrystal.