Afghanistan debate 'puts troops at risk'

Monday, 17 August 2009 12:00 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Speculation about how long British forces will be in Afghanistan is undermining the government's ability to protect those troops, the defence secretary has claimed.

Bob Ainsworth was responding to suggestions that a disparity existed between his claim that troops could be withdrawn within a year and the incoming head of the Army's claim that Britain could be in Afghanistan for 40 years.

Mr Ainsworth, who has been defence secretary since the spring reshuffle, accused the media of "repeated misrepresentation of the facts".

And he warned: "As people continually prevent us from having a sensible conversation about what's achievable and in what timescale in Afghanistan that's going to affect our ability to protect our forces in the theatre."

He did not offer any explanation about how operational requirements would be affected by political debate back home.

He told the BBC: "We are making progress. I know that it's hard to get that message across to the British public.

"The troops know we've made progress in the last few months and I still firmly believe that Afghanistan is winnable."

The weekend's news agenda was dominated by a steadily increasing number of fresh fatalities among British forces.

Private Richard Hunt of the Second Battalion the Royal Welsh died of his injuries in Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital on Saturday, becoming the 200th death since British forces entered Afghanistan in 2001.

Sergeant Simon Valentine of the Second Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers succumbed to his injuries after being hit by an explosion on the same day.

On Sunday news came that three soldiers from the same battalion had been killed in another explosion.

Gordon Brown issued a statement following the grim milestone of the 200th death.

"We are hugely indebted to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and today my thoughts are with the families and friends of all those soldiers who have died in Afghanistan serving our country," the prime minister said.

"We owe it to you all never to forget those who have died. But my commitment is clear: we must and will make Britain safer by making Afghanistan more stable.

"We will honour and support those who have been killed or wounded in the field of battle. And we will give those who fight on all the support that they need to succeed in this vital mission."

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• defence
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• foreign policy