Brown backs US general's Afghanistan strategy: report

British PM to speak in favour of 'McChrystalesque' military and political push, ahead of Commonwealth meeting Gordon Brown will embrace the central thrust of General Stanley McChrystal's report into the future of Afghanistan when he speaks today of the need to develop a military and political "push".
Days before Barack Obama spells out US strategy in Afghanistan, the British prime minister will outline what is being dubbed in London a "McChrystalesque" approach.
In his landmark report, McChrystal, commander of US and Nato forces, recommended a more sophisticated counter-insurgency strategy designed to reassure the Afghan people that Nato troops do not see themselves as occupying forces and that their primary task is to protect local people, and a surge of up to 40,000 US troops. Obama will respond to the report on Tuesday.
Speaking before the biennial Commonwealth heads of government meeting, which opens today in Trinidad and Tobago, Brown will talk of "the need to complement our military strategy with our political strategy … and the need therefore for a comprehensive approach to both Afghanistan and Pakistan as we move forward with a strategy to deal with the risk of al-Qaida and also to deal with the threat of the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan".
Brown said on Wednesday that he had received assurances from Nato countries outside the US that they were prepared to commit an extra 5,000 troops.
Britain does not expect Obama to sign up to every aspect of the McChrystal report and the president may decide on different troop levels, possibly around 30,000. The White House has made clear that the next stage of its strategy is designed to lead to an eventual withdrawal.
The opening Commonwealth session today will be dominated by climate change. While no formal agreements will be made before the Copenhagen summit in 10 days' time, Brown sees the meeting as a chance for developed and developing nations of the Commonwealth – seen as a microcosm of the countries that will meet in Copenhagen –to outline their thoughts.