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UK to send more Afghan troops despite declining morale

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Nov 30, IRNA – Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth confirmed Monday that 500 more British troops would be sent to Afghanistan despite reports that defeatist attitudes at home were demoralising soldiers on the front-line.

Speaking at a training facility in Norfolk, eastern England, Ainsworth said equipment requirements for the reinforcement that were set last month following criticism about shortages had been reached.

"We are checking, as we have been for several months, the first condition the prime minister imposed on uplifting our force numbers in Afghanistan – that is that we have sufficient equipment for the troops that we deploy," Ainsworth said.

Prime minister Gordon Brown set three conditions last month when pledging "in principle" to further boost Britain’s deployment to 9,500 soldiers.

In a statement later Monday, Brown was expected to announce all the conditions had been met, including a commitment by the Afghan government to train sufficient homegrown forces and other countries bearing a “fair share” of Nato’s deployment.

But fresh concern was raised that Britain is at serious risk of losing its way in Afghanistan because rising defeatism at home was having a demoralising effect on troops.

According to the Independent newspaper, high-ranking military officers, including a former commander of the elite SAS, have expressed deep concern that the country is in danger of "talking ourselves into a defeat back home."

There was said to be “surprise and disappointment" among members of the forces at the constant pessimism in the UK over the conflict, with opinion polls showing a majority of the public want troops withdrawn.

In an attempt to shore up support over the weekend, Brown said that the international conference on Afghanistan which he has ben seeking will be held in London on 28 January.

The conference is designed to prepare the way for an early withdrawal of troops by speeding up the gradual handover of provinces to Afghan control.
The prime minister said that no timetable was being set for scaling back the UK force, but that it will happen only when Afghans are able to provide their own security.

He has previously expressed confidence that Nato and allies other than the US would come up with 5,000 more troops for the Afghan war, even though President Barack Obama has yet to announce an decision on American reinforcements.

Ainsworth said he hoped Obama would announce a "significant increase" troop numbers. Last week, he blamed the US president of losing support for the war by delaying the decision for months.