Downing Street Says » Afghanistan

» Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Afghanistan

Asked how concerned the Prime Minister was by the reluctance of the NATO allies to help out in Afghanistan, the PMOS replied that we had to recognise that this request had recently gone in from NATO. We supported the NATO Secretary General who said that if more troops were needed, then they should get them. Equally, what people should recognise was that the Secretary General had also said that he believed that NATO was winning. However, if there were more resources needed, then NATO countries should look at them.

Asked how we could be confident to pacify Afghanistan with 5000 troops when the Russians could not do so with 120,000 troops, the PMOS replied that the big difference was that we were fighting on behalf of a democratically elected government. As far as the PMOS was aware, there was not a democratically elected government represented by the people of Afghanistan at the time that the Russians were there. The Afghan government had its own security forces etc, so the circumstances were different. It was also not just a case of our troops, but rather, there were many other countries involved as well.

Asked if there was an option of sending more UK troops, the PMOS said that everybody recognised that we had made our contribution, and if people spoke to NATO, they recognised that as well.

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