We won’t abandon Afghanistan after our troops have pulled out, PM warns the Taliban
DAVID Cameron has admitted the Taliban are ‘waiting it out’ until Nato troops have left Afghanistan before stepping up their murderous insurgency.
But in a clear message to the terrorists, he pledged that British troops would continue to support Afghan forces against the enemy, even after they are pulled out of combat in 2014.
‘This sends a very clear message to the Taliban: You cannot wait this out until foreign forces leave in 2014 because we will be firm friends and supporters long beyond that,’ he said. Mr Cameron spoke during a press conference with Afghan president Hamid Karzai at the leader’s palace in Kabul.
He added: ‘ While we will no longer be fighting alongside the Afghan forces, we will continue to support them.’ He and Mr Karzai also signed an agreement to set up an academy in Kabul – labelled ‘Sandhurst in the Sand’ – where British officers will train senior Afghan military chiefs and pass on high- level skills to the country’s army.
Mr Cameron said that even after Britain’s 9,500 troops are pulled out of Afghanistan, they would continue to train, fund and equip the Afghan National Army.
He also called for insurgents to renounce violence.
Talks with Taliban dissidents have stalled in recent months – a situation partly blamed on Mr Karzai’s reluctance to engage them.
Mr Cameron said: ‘The security challenges in Afghanistan will not end in 2014, they will continue.’
Mr Karzai said he ‘salutes the sacrifice’ of British forces and thanked Mr Cameron for the new training academy.
He also revealed he was likely to accept an invitation from the Prime Minister to come to London for the Olympics ‘if there is room’.
Earlier in the day, the pair held talks with the new Pakistani prime
‘Very clear message’
minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who was recently installed after his predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was disqualified from office.
The rare and groundbreaking meeting between the leaders was set up by Mr Cameron as a signal of the importance Britain places on the ‘Af-Pak’ strategy.
The strategy, coined by US President Barack Obama, focuses on persuading the leaders of the two volatile neighbouring nations to face up to the insurgent threat on their borders.
Britain wants greater co- operation between the two countries to tackle the violence fuelled by the Pakistani- based insurgent Haqqani network, which is linked to the Taliban.
Mr Cameron pointed out that Afghanistan and Pakistan were being attacked by the same terrorists and called for the countries to work together to stop them.
It was the final day of the Prime Minister’s surprise two-day visit to the country, an occasion which he also used to try to boost the morale of troops who have been hit by cuts to the military. Officers returning from the region have had their holidays cancelled as they have been ordered to step in as security guards at the Olympics.
During a visit to Camp Bastion military base, he posed with British soldiers who had made a mock-up of the front door of his residence 10 Downing Street.
Despite all sides delivering an upbeat message on the prowess of the Afghan National Army, privately, military chiefs have grave misgivings about its readiness.
Senior sources argued the UK should maintain a ‘strong presence’ to ensure Afghanistan did not descend into chaos.
American military commanders also claimed that senior chiefs were glossing over problems with the local armed forces and police.