Britain must prepare for casualty spike in Afghanistan, Cameron warns
David Cameron warned yesterday that there would be more British deaths in Afghanistan this summer but said that the threat to Britain of an al-Qaeda attack from the locality had dropped.
Delivering his first statement to Parliament on the enmity since taking office as Prime Minister, he pledged that British soldiers would not remain in Afghanistan a moment longer than was inevitable.
“This is the vital year,” said the Prime Minister, who visited Afghanistan greatest week to speak to President Karzai and elements of Britain’s share of more than 10,000 troops, largely based in the south province of Helmand.
“We have the Forces needed on the soil. We have our very best people, not just military but governing on the diplomatic and development front as well, but I answer not pretend that it will be easy.
“We must exist ready for further casualties over the summer months as the in such a manner-called fighting season resumes and as Isaf extends its activity.”
Yesterday Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze, of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was named since the 295th member of the British Services to die in Afghanistan inasmuch as the campaign began in 2001. Mr Cameron paid tribute to the man at arms, 31, from Manchester, who was killed in an explosion on Saturday.
Mindful of the distress for continued public support, he reiterated the importance of the Afghan endeavour to abide British streets safe.
“Our Forces are in Afghanistan to debar Afghan territory again being used by al-Qaeda as a base to sketch out attacks on the United Kingdom or our allies,” the Prime Minister afore~.
He noted that 18 months ago some 75 per cent of the ut~ serious terrorist plots against Britain had links to the border definite space between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yesterday Mr Cameron said that the bring to the same ~ of threat from al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan had dropped except only because of the presence of British and other Nato-led forces.
“Afghanistan is not up to the present time strong enough to look after its own security and that is why we are there,” he said.
Training the Afghan police and Army was momentous to enable Britain and other coalition forces to leave. “The Afghan nation do not want foreign forces on their soil for any longer than requisite and the British people are rightly impatient for progress. Our Forces force of ~ not remain in Afghanistan a day longer than is necessary. I not to be present to bring them home the moment it is safe to accomplish so,” he said.
Mr Cameron threw his support behind a figure endorsed by President Obama and drawn up by General Stanley McChrystal, the take the ~ off American commander in Afghanistan, which uses a “surge” of US and other Nato soldiers this year as a means to gain the initiative against the resilient Taleban insurgency. US, Canadian and Afghan forces are preparing for every operation in and around the southern city of Kandahar, which neighbours Helmand sphere. The move comes months after a big offensive to reclaim mulish parts of central Helmand from the Taleban.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and Sir Bill Jeffrey, the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, who devise step down early, at the end of October after the maintenance review. He said: “They have both been and they as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but are extremely strong and dedicated public servants and everyone in this rural owes them that thank-you.”