Afghanistan withdrawal: 500 troops to leave next year, says David Cameron

Prime minister takes more cautious approach than White House, telling MPs that Britain needs to know there is an end point The UK will withdraw another 500 troops from Afghanistan next year, as armed forces begin to transfer combat duties to the Afghan security forces, the prime minister announced on Wednesday. The decision comes a fortnight after President Obama said he intended to withdraw 33,000 US troops from the country by the end of next autumn. This announcement was a controversial move that went against the advice of commanders on the ground. David Cameron had also been under pressure to consider a more radical drawdown from the areas in Helmand province where the British are currently stationed, but he has taken a more cautious approach than the White House. Following advice from the National Security Council and military officials, who have warned that the situation remains fragile, Downing Street has chosen to keep troop numbers high until the end of 2012. Explaining to MPs why 500 extra soldiers could be withdrawn next year, Cameron told MPs that Afghanistan was entering a “new phase” and that “the country needs to know that there is an end point … This is right for the UK and it’s right for Afghanistan too.” Cameron said there was evidence that al-Qaida’s strength had been diminished and there was tentative signs that the Taliban was weaker too. “Afghan forces now stand ready to take over security … there has been real progress over the last two years.” In his statement to the House of Commons, Cameron said he was committed to ending the UK’s combat role in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. “It has given the Afghans a clear deadline against which to plan and has injected a sense of urgency into their efforts,” he told MPs. It is thought only 2,000 UK troops will be in the country by 2014, meaning there will be a sharp acceleration of the withdrawal process in 2013. The UK currently has 9,500 troops in Afghanistan. Ministers have already announced 450 troops will come home this year – almost half of them have already left. Later this month, the UK will hand over responsibility for security in the districts where British troops are based to the Afghan army and police. Earlier this week during a trip to Afghanistan, Cameron indicated there would not be a significant reduction for the next two summers, which are traditionally the “fighting seasons” for the military. “You have the enduring number of 9,500. You’re not going to see a radical change for the fighting season of next year,” Cameron said. “That’s not what this is about. 2014 is a deadline – be in no doubt. This is a matter of judgment. It is my judgment that it is right. The British people and the British military deserve to have some certainty.” The prime minister’s visit coincided with the death of another British soldier, the 375th to have been killed in the country since 2001. Scott McLaren, 20, disappeared from the vehicle checkpoint where he was stationed, early on Monday. His body was found 4km away after an extensive search . He had gunshot wounds, including one to the back of the head. Reports from Afghanistan continued to suggest that McLaren, a rifleman from the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland had left his post, possibly to go for a swim. However, the MoD remains sceptical of the stories. It is understood that CCTV footage of the checkpoint, in the Nahr-e-Saraj district, shows McLaren leaving the base on his own. Military Afghanistan David Cameron House of Commons Nick Hopkins guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 6, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.