Afghans 'need progress to keep support' (David Cameron)

Source: The Independent (UK)

Afghans 'need progress to keep support'

By Gavin Cordon, Press Association, in Kabul

Thursday, 10 June 2010

David Cameron warned today that the international coalition in Afghanistan was facing a "vital year" as he made his first visit to the country since becoming Prime Minister.

Mr Cameron acknowledged that the public needed to see "real and noticeable and marked" progress in the coming months if they were to continue to support the mission.

Following talks with President Hamid Karzai in the capital, Kabul, he promised that his new Government would maintain a "relentless focus" on Britain's own national security interests.

He announced that he was providing an additional £67 million to counter the threat of deadly roadside bombs - improvised explosive devices (IEDs) - saying ensuring British forces were properly equipped was his "biggest duty" as Prime Minister.

But while he emphasised the need to ensure that al-Qa'ida could not make a return to Afghanistan, he said that he did not want to keep British troops there "a moment longer than is necessary".


Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghans-need-progress-to-keep-support-1996490.html

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And on a related story that shows how badly things are going for NATO in Afghanistan:

Cameron cancels Helmand visit amid attack fear

By Gavin Cordon, Press Association in Lashkar Gah

Thursday, 10 June 2010

David Cameron was today forced to abandon a visit to British troops in a frontline base amid fears that the Taliban were trying to bring down his helicopter.

The Prime Minister had been due to fly in to the patrol base at Shahzad in Helmand province to meet troops from the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
But at the last minute the RAF Chinook helicopter carrying Mr Cameron and his entourage was diverted to the main operating base in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.

A Government source said that mobile telephone "chatter" had been intercepted in the area referring to a possible attempt to bring down a helicopter

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/cameron-cancels-helmand-visit-amid-attack-fear-1997007.html