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| Afghanistan |
| UK foreign, defense ministers visit Afghanistan |
| 2010-05-22 |
| LONDON (Reuters) – Ministers from Britain's new coalition government were in Afghanistan on Saturday for talks with President Hamid Karzai and to get a first-hand look at the situation there, the government said. Foreign Secretary William Hague, Defense Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will talk to Afghan ministers, meet British troops and visit a British-funded development project, the Foreign Office said. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government formed after Britain's May 6 election says its top foreign policy priority is the strategy for Afghanistan, where Britain has 9,500 troops battling Taliban insurgents. The aim of the visit is to "gain a better understanding of the situation in Afghanistan, of the options going forward, and of the further work we need to do," the Foreign Office statement said. "Our most urgent priority is to get to grips with the situation in Afghanistan. It will consume a lot of our time, energy and effort," Hague said in the statement. Fox said he wanted to see the military situation on the ground and meet senior military commanders and Afghan ministers. Mitchell said he would be looking at ways to improve the quality and impact of British aid to Afghanistan. "Building the capacity of the Afghan state to guarantee security and stability, deliver development and reduce poverty is central to defeating violent extremism and protecting British streets," he said. The center-right Conservatives, the senior party in the British coalition, say the U.S. counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan should be given time to succeed. The center-left Lib Dems, who opposed the Iraq war, say they are "critical supporters" of the mission in Afghanistan. Both parties accused the former Labour government of failing to give British troops in Afghanistan the equipment they needed, a charge Labour denied. Conservative leader David Cameron said during the election campaign he would not set an artificial deadline for withdrawing British troops from Afghanistan but said they should start coming home in the next five years. The Lib Dems said a successful strategy should allow British troops to come home in the next five years. |
| Posted by:Steve White |