Nato chief: Afghanistan timetable puts British troops at risk

Prime Minister David Cameron greets NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen at 10 Downing Street


Nato chief: Afghanistan timetable puts British troops at risk
By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Published: 6:30AM BST 13 Jul 2010

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary-general, delivered the blunt message after the Prime Minister said he wanted most British troops to leave Afghanistan by 2015.

He also warned that cuts in defence spending could harm the Transatlantic relationship with the US and leave countries like Britain lacking the cutting-edge military technology needed to work with American forces.

Mr Rasmussen met Mr Cameron and other senior ministers yesterday in London for the first time since the Coalition government took office.

Amid a mounting British death toll, polls say most voters want an end to the nine-year-old war, and Mr Cameron and his allies have been talking up the prospect of a British withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Warning that the Taliban follow political debates in Nato countries “closely”, Mr Rasmussen insisted that Western nations must keep troops in Afghanistan “as long as necessary” and not set clear timelines for withdrawal.



unhappycamper comment: Why the fuck would we ever listen to the British when it comes to Afghanistan? They invaded Afghanistan twice, tried to occupy it twice, and had their asses booted out twice.

If you're so gung ho for try number three, you really don't need the United States to do the heavy lifting. We cannot afford another Forever War, regardless of what the milkman (John Bolton) sez.

Go for it.