Trump demand for more troops in Afghanistan
THE UK is facing pressure from Donald Trump to send more troops back to Afghanistan to help turn the tide against a resurgent Taliban.
The US military and State Department are recommending Mr Trump sends another 3,000 American troops to Afghanistan where the Taliban has just launched its spring offensive.
The US is expected to ask Nato to send another 3,000 to 5,000 troops, with Britain likely to have to increase its presence of 500 personnel by about another 100.
Britain has lost 456 personnel in Afghanistan since intervening in 2001 but withdrew from combat operations in 2014. Since then the Taliban has already reclaimed control of Sangin province, the scene of some of the heaviest fighting.
Nato’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg is expected to raise the request when he travels to Downing Street for talks with Theresa May today.
A Nato official said: “The US authorities have written to the Nato secretarygeneral, Nato allies and partners about the future of our presence in Afghanistan. Allied leaders will consider future contributions at our meeting in Brussels later this month and the issue will be examined in further detail by defence ministers in June. It is important that Nato continues to provide the right level of support to the Afghan security forces as they stabilise their country.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday suggested that if in power he would refuse to send more personnel.
He said he would study any request from Nato if he is PM after the June 8 General Election but highlighted the suffering of UK troops in Afghanistan.
Advise
“At the end of the day wars are not solved by the presence of foreign troops, they are solved by a political solution and that’s what I’ll be working for,” he said.
The UK still has 500 military personnel on the ground to train and advise, including teaching at the National Afghanistan Army Officers Academy, dubbed the “Sandhurst in the Sand”.
They are part of a 13,000-strong Nato mission in Afghanistan including 8,400 American troops.
There are also thought to be Special Forces advising and assisting the Afghans.