Commons committee criticises troops' support in Afghanistan
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A committee of MPs have claimed that the government's military strategy in Afghanistan is flawed and troops are not getting the level of support they need.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said the mission is failing because the military are being asked to perform too many functions.
In addition to combating terrorists and insurgents, the MPs claimed, troops are being asked to crack down on a burgeoning illegal drugs trade as well as provide security within the country.
Citing "mission creep" - the process of gradually adding responsibilities - the committee claimed UK forces are being undermined by "unrealistic planning at senior levels, poor co-ordination between Whitehall departments and a failure to provide the military with clear direction".
The committee warns that particularly in Helmand province, statistically the most dangerous and volatile area of Afghanistan, the situation could remain "precarious".
It was also claimed that the UK is providing a disproportionately large military presence in Afghanistan and that other Nato countries should help more than they are.
The report comes after British forces endured the bloodiest month in Afghanistan in July, when 22 soldiers died during a major offensive in Helmand.