Afghanistan strategy 'right', says Brown

LONDON - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Saturday said his troops in Afghanistan are fighting for
the 'future of Britain.
David Miliband spoke out following a surge in British casualties, which saw eight soldiers killed in just 24 hours.
This brings the death toll since combat began in 2001 to184, overtaking the 179 troops killed in Iraq.
The British Foreign Secretary defended Britains continuing presence in Afghanistan, saying that the country had
to be secured to safeguard against future terror attacks on home soil.
We must ensure that Afghanistan cannot again become an incubator for terrorism and a launching-pad for
attacks on us, he said and added, This is about the future of Britain because we know that the borderlands of
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been used to launch terrible attacks, not just on the US but on Britain as well.
Responding to mounting criticism that the government may be endangering soldiers by not providing adequate
equipment and resources the Foreign Secretary said, Protection of people there is the highest priority.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the lack of helicopters for troops serving in Helmand was a 'scandal.
However, Miliband told BBC 4s Today programme that 10b pounds had been spent on equipping troops in the
last five years, including 1,200 new vehicles.
AFP adds: Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted Saturday that Britain had the right strategy in Afghanistan
after British military deaths surpassed the number of dead in the Iraq war.
Brown said the last few days had been extraordinarily difficult as British fatalities had risen to 184 after the
announcement Friday that eight men had been killed in a 24-hour period.
But he said British troops were winning the battle against Taliban in their heartlands of Helmand in southern
Afghanistan. While I know there are some who have questioned our strategy, I continue to believe our strategy is
the right one, Brown wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
I can report the assessment of commanders on the ground: that the current operations are succeeding in their
objectives.
They are having a marked impact on the Taliban in central Helmand, will improve security for the population in
the run-up to the elections, and will allow longer-term work on governance and development to begin.
The head of the military, Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, insisted the Taliban were losing the fight.
Its tough going because the Taliban have rightly identified Helmand as their vital ground, Stirrup said on
Friday.
If they lose there then they lose everywhere and they are throwing everything they have into it. But they are losing
and our commanders on the ground are very clear of that, he said.