Eurasia Press & News
KABUL (AFP) – British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday applauded the deployment of 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan, but said his country had no plans to follow suit.
Britain’s commitment to Afghanistan remained strong, despite the cost in cash and soldiers’ lives, the visiting Miliband told a news conference held with his Afghan counterpart, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta.
“I think there is a universal recognition that these extra American troops can play and will play an important and positive role,” he said in response to President Barack Obama‘s announcement of US reinforcements.
Miliband also extended a “warm welcome” for Obama’s strategy review in the struggle against Islamist militants, more than seven years after the 2001 US-led invasion removed the hardline Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
After the United States, Britain is the second biggest troop contributor to a multinational NATO-led force helping Kabul fight Taliban-led insurgents and establish its authority.
There are nearly 9,000 British soldiers in Afghanistan, according to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, just over half of them in the southern province of Helmand where the insurgents are running a rampant drugs trade.
“We represent about 12 percent of the troops in Afghanistan,” the foreign secretary said. “At the moment we have had no request to increase the number of our troops. Of course we always keep the number under review.”
Britain was committed to its part in the “war on terror“, Miliband said.
“This commitment is very costly to Britain in terms of money and more importantly in terms of human lives,” he added.
“The high level of British casualties is something which brings trauma to Britain but we know that it is very strongly in our national interests that … (Afghanistan) doesn’t become an incubator again for terrorists.”
Around 144 British soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan since 2001.
Spanta, the Afghan minister, praised Britain’s support for Kabul, saying it had pledged 10.6 million pounds (15 million dollars) for presidential and provincial council elections due in August.
Miliband was due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai later Wednesday.
He met troops and Afghan officials in Helmand province on Tuesday with his schedule kept secret for security concerns.
