"WE ARE RIGHT TO BE IN AFGHANISTAN" - BRUM MP

16-02-2008

British involvement in Afghanistan has been defended by a Birmingham MP – despite the fact that our European partners seem unwilling to commit more troops.

Earlier this week the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned that NATO allies don't seem to be taking the threat of extremism seriously enough.

Gates argued that it's not only the Taliban we have to worry about - he reckons that Al Qaeda-style extremism is starting to take a hold among the Afghans.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, he said, “I am concerned that many people on this continent may not comprehend the magnitude of the direct threat to European security" (http://tinyurl.com/yuw4uq)

Germany has been unwilling to station troops outside of the more secure northern regions of the country, while Canada – which has suffered 66 casualties – has warned it will withdraw 2,500 troops unless others pitch in.

British troops have been operating in the strife-torn Helmand region in the south, and their presence has been endorsed in a new report by the International Development Select Committee.

Northfield MP Burden who is a member of the Committee is delighted by his colleagues’ stance, saying: “Sadly, Afghanistan remains blighted by conflict in Helmand, where most of the UK’s 7,500 troops are deployed.

“Many families here in the UK have lost loved ones over there. With no end yet in sight it is understandable that some commentators are now suggesting that we should get out.

“Understandable maybe, but – in my view – wrong. I was in Afghanistan with the International Development Committee towards the end of 2007. Even the week-long snapshot I experienced convinced me that we should not abandon the Afghan people.

“Large parts of the country are much more stable than Helmand. International support has helped build the foundations of democracy and enable thousands of children to go to school. Withdrawal would put all of this at risk.

“Afghanistan also remains dreadfully poor; women still face appalling discrimination and most of the heroin that ends up on UK streets comes from Helmand poppy fields.

“So we have a national interest in helping the Afghan government to tackle these issues as well as a humanitarian responsibility to help the country build a sustainable future. Parts of the international operation must change but we need to stay.”

To see the full report click here

Are we right to be in Afghanistan?

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