British forces to make Sangin withdrawal

Wednesday, 7 July 2010 5:02 PM

By politics.co.uk staff

British forces are to withdraw from the Sangin area of Afghanistan, defence secretary Liam Fox has told the Commons.

The British-controlled area of the country, where fighting with the Taliban has seen 99 deaths since 2001, is dominated by heavy opium production and complex rivalries between different tribes.

For much of the last few years British service personnel have found themselves repeatedly sent out on patrol to temporarily clear the area of the Taliban.

Their inability to prevent insurgents returning has resulted in some of the most sustained fighting by British forces since the Second World War.

Dr Fox told MPs that, after similar transfers of responsibility in Musa Qala and Kijaki, the same would take place in Sangin, currently the home of 40 Commando Royal Marines, so that central Helmand could be reinforced.

"The result will be a coherent and equitable division" of responsibilities with other coalition allies, he added.

"In Sangin, UK forces have made good progress in the face of great adversity. The district centre has been transformed... we have the right strategy and we are determined to succeed."

Shadow defence secretary Bob Ainsworth welcomed the strategic approach but sought clarification as to whether the ongoing presence in Afghanistan was conditions-based or on a deadline.

There are fears the Taliban will seek to paint the withdrawal as a retreat, however.

"The perception of this is all-important," Patrick Mercer warned on BBC2's Newsnight programme yesterday.

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