More troops may go to Afghanistan

THE UK will be asked to consider sending more troops to Afghanistan to strengthen efforts against the Taliban, reports suggest.

Nato leaders have been told to think about their military levels in the country, an official said, as the US looks to increase its presence by sending at least 3,000 extra troops.

The BBC said this could include deploying additional British troops to boost the 13,000-strong Nato force.

A Nato official told the Press Association: “The US authorities have written to the Nato secretary-general, 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.”

NATO’s request for the UK to send more troops to Afghanistan is a reminder of just how far this country remains away from peace and stability.

Children who were born at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks are now 15 years old and have grown up watching news reports of the latest outbursts of fighting in this troubled land.

There are families across Wales and the rest of the UK who mourn loved ones who died fighting in the military campaign. Veterans daily show bravery as they cope with the physical and mental scars of battle.

Between October 2001 and October 2015 there were 456 UK military deaths in Afghanistan.

Around 500 British troops remain in Afghanistan. They provide training and security at Kabul’s Afghan Officer Academy.

Of the 13,000 Nato troops in the country the majority – 8,400 – are American.

Britain will never forget the intensity of the combat, and the Helmand campaign in particular placed our soldiers in fierce battles with a determined enemy.

Our combat troops officially left in October 2014 after 13 years of fighting. But the Taliban have not given up hopes of military victory.

In April they announced a “spring offensive” and they killed 135 soldiers in an attack on a military compound.

There is no prospect of the UK sending thousands of servicemen and women to try to stamp out the Taliban.

The BBC understands the total contribution could be between 10% and 20% of the number who are serving there.

Nevertheless, the possibility of deeper engagement in this volatile country will trigger questions during the UK election campaign.

Military commanders will be wary of letting extremists seize more territory. The speed with which the so-called Islamic State was able to take control of stretches of Iraq demonstrates what can happen if a country’s security forces are unable to defend its people.

The world needs no reminder of how Osama bin Laden was able to set up his base in Afghanistan prior to the 2001 atrocities. There is a direct security risk to the UK if Afghanistan ever becomes a rogue state.

However, it is also clear that military action alone cannot tackle the root causes of instability in Afghanistan. The rampant poverty, lack of education, religious fanaticism, flagrant corruption and culture of violence make Western ideas of normality a distant dream.

The UK has invested great blood and treasure in Afghanistan and some may conclude that we can hope for little more than the status quo. But is it tenable to keep hundreds of troops stationed here in the decades ahead?

We cannot give up the slow work of helping Afghans build a better country where women enjoy more rights, and war and poverty do not make daily life a battle for survival.

If we want to bring our troops home for good and ensure a new generation of soldiers do not have to battle extremists, we must not abandon this country to militants who celebrate barbarism.