The presence of British forces in Afghanistan is providing oxygen for Al Qaeda, the head of United Nations' Al Qaeda Monitoring Unit has said.
According to the Observer, Richard Barrett, who reports directly to the UN Security Council, said the deployments of foreign troops in the country was acting as the 'glue' with which Al Qaeda network was bonding support in the region.
The Observer said the British government had sent its forces to Helmand province to prevent the region from becoming a safe haven for Al Qaeda. Barrett said the presence of NATO troops and coalition forces in Afghanistan was helping Al Qaeda consolidate its position on the Pak-afghan border by offering the terrorist group a target.
According to the Observer, the same case was in Iraq where military commanders had warned that British forces in Basra had fuelled support for the insurgency. |