Karzai meets Brown for Downing Street talks
Thursday, 13 Nov 2008 09:17
Gordon Brown and Hamid Karzai meet for talks
Afghan president Hamid Karzai is meeting Gordon Brown in Downing Street this morning for talks on his country's future.
According to the Independent newspaper Mr Karzai will update Mr Brown on coalition efforts to negotiate an end to fighting with the Taliban.
More certain will be discussions about US military raids across the border into
Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions. Islamabad strongly resents these violations of its sovereignty.
The prime minister is also expected to make a reaffirmation of Britain's military commitment to the country, which now numbers 8,100 troops.
Earlier this week defence secretary John Hutton used his first major speech in the job to explain that Britain's continuing involvement "was and remains in our national interest".
Over 8,000 British forces are stationed in the country as they seek to defeat insurgent Taliban fighters determined to undermine Mr Karzai's government in Kabul.
A BBC/ICM poll out today suggests that the government is struggling to take British opinion with it, however.
Over two-thirds of the 1,013 people polled said Britain should withdraw its troops within 12 months.