Downing Street Says » Afghanistan

» Thursday, January 28, 2010

Afghanistan

Asked if the Prime Minister’s comments on turning the tide in Afghanistan suggested the tide was against the UK at the moment, the PMS said that this was not the case and it should not be interpreted that way. The PMS added that the Prime Minister had always made it clear that there was a process of Afghanisation that needed to accompany military action to ensure a future handover.

Asked if it taxpayers money could be handed over to members of the Taliban in an effort to reconcile with the enemy, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had been very clear that there was no reconciliation with those who had not renounced violence.

Asked why a deadline of mid 2011 had been set for the Afghanistion process, the PMS said that the intention had always been to start the process of handing over control province-by-province during the coming year and that there had been different phases in the military action in Afghanistan. It was important to ensure NATO and Alliance troops were complemented by Afghanistan’s own military and police forces.

Asked about President Karzai’s comments that Alliance troops could be in Afghanistan for fifteen years, the PMS said that any process like the one in Afghanistan was long-term and that troops needed to remain to ensure the transition would be properly supported. The PMS added that some troops would withdraw from areas in the near future as the Afghanistan forces took over control of certain provinces.

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