More British troops head to Afghanistan
Browne to send more troops to Afghanistan
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Monday, 10, Jul 2006 07:53
The defence secretary has announced that 900 more British troops will be sent to Afghanistan to bolster the forces already there.
Des Browne was asked by British military commanders to send reinforcements to the unruly southern part of the troubled country, following the deaths of six British soldiers in the space of a month.
Mr Browne confirmed in parliament this afternoon that extra soldiers, engineers and helicopter support services will be sent to the volatile Helmand province.
Britain currently has 4,000 servicemen and women in Afghanistan but concern has increased recently that that is insufficient.
Drug trafficking and continued Taliban insurgency in the south of the country, particularly in the Sangin valley region, has made the British mission a dangerous one.
But Mr Browne insisted that the main focus of the British troops in the country will be reconstruction rather than fighting rebels.
"We always knew that there was a problem of violent resistance – that is why we sent soldiers to do this work. But this doesn't change their role of reconstruction," he told MPs.
He added: "We are challenging the power of the Taliban and they are reacting, but despite that we are spreading security."
"We are moving faster towards our ultimate objectives but we extended ourselves. This is a development we must respond to, but it was our actions that brought about this – not a failure to anticipate the violence response to our arrival."
The sixth British soldier to die since troops were sent to the south of the country was Private Damien Raymond Jackson, who was killed after a gunfight with Taliban loyalists on July 5th.
Corporal Peter Thorpe and Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi were killed on July 1st and Captain David Patten and Sergeant Paul Bartlett died on June 27th after coming under attack by insurgents.
Captain Jim Philippson was the first British soldier to die since the latest deployment. He was killed in a gunfight on June 11th.
The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both cautiously welcomed the new deployments.
"In January the mission was described by the former defence secretary as a small but significant step, yet the increasing violence proves otherwise," Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said.
"In the aftermath of the Iraq war the UK and US turned their backs on Afghanistan with obvious consequences. What is needed is a clear operational strategy with achievable objectives."