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Our boys home for (next) Christmas
Gordon Brown announces 12-Month Afghanistan exit strategy
SMILES - PM announced a new exit strategy
GORDON Brown last night set out detailed plans to start bringing British troops home from Afghanistan by Christmas NEXT YEAR.
His 12-month exit strategy, in the wake of a big Nato push for victory, could see the first soldiers pull out next year - even from parts of deadly Helmand province.
The Prime Minister also signalled he will this week announce he is sending a further 500 British troops to the war zone, taking our total to almost 10,000.
His move comes ahead of President Obama's announcement on Tuesday that up to 40,000 more US troops are to be deployed, plus another 5,000 from other Nato countries.
Speaking after talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the Commonwealth leaders' meeting in Trinidad, the PM said Obama's bid to crush the Taliban will pave the way for Our Boys to come home.
Mr Brown expects Afghan forces to be put in charge of security in several areas next year. That would mean British troops could start pulling back from the front line and fly out.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Ki-moon and other world leaders will visit London on January 28 for a crunch summit on the country's future. They will be joined by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign secretaries from countries with troops in Afghanistan.
Mr Brown said: "I believe we will be able to set a clear timetable for 2010 and beyond." Under the PM's plans:
Within THREE months of the conference the Afghan government should have identified additional troops to send to Helmand for training. That's part of a plan to recruit an extra 50,000 to the Afghan army next year.
Within SIX months there will be a clear plan for police training with a massive crackdown on corruption among local cops.
Within NINE months President Karzai should have appointed almost 400 district governors.
Within 12 months 5,000 extra Afghan troops will be trained up to fight in Helmand, with thousands more in other areas, taking their army from 90,000 to 134,000.
Mr Brown said: "I want the London conference to set the conditions needed for district handovers.
"I believe this can begin next year in a number of districts, including one or two in Helmand. I think we need to transfer at least five provinces to lead Afghan control by the end of 2010."
He added: "My duty to the British people, which is to ensure their security against terrorism, is best discharged by making sure that Afghanistan is increasingly able to run its own affairs - so that it will never again provide space for al-Qaeda."
jamie.lyons@notw.co.uk
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This article has 7 comments
Do not believe a word of it, Brown has an election coming up, so he is "buttering" up the public into thnking the troops will start to be withdrawn by next xmas? His only problem is that he hasnt consulted the Taliban!!, After listening to this self elected charlatan, I conclude that no one could possibly take anything he says as anything other than a pack of lies.
By frank.. Posted November 29 2009 at 1:06 PM.
What a liar, just get out Brown you are not wanted or needed.
By Donna.. Posted November 29 2009 at 12:59 PM.
Two weeks ago it was vital that we stay for as long as it took to finish the job now someone has reminded Brown that he has to call an election he starts to pretend to listen to public opinion and think sthe job is done didn't anybody tell him and Blair that nobody has ever won in afganistan
By dave.. Posted November 29 2009 at 12:32 PM.
I personally think this is perhaps too moptimistic but I do think there is some truth in this article,I have felt for the last 6 months thta GORDON BROWN does want a quicker end to this operation in AFGHANISTAN and I do believe he is trying to get that firmly on the agenda.
This is something I think the whole country would welcome and I THINK THAT GORDON BROWN is the only person who will grab the first face saving way out of AFGHANISTAN that he ses the chance for, maybe next Christmas is too optimistic but I think with GORDON BROWN there is a chance that most could be home then unless of course he loses the election and we hand over to CAMERON who will only want to appease the USA as a new PM and who seems to have already earmarked the troops now in GERMANY to be deployed elsewhere, where will that be, may I guess at AFGHANISTAN.
By Joseph.. Posted November 29 2009 at 10:36 AM.
This is interseting as my regiment have been told we deploy for 6 months NEXT october! We have already started our training, so if we complete our training then dont depoly-what a waste of money!!
By sam collins.. Posted November 29 2009 at 7:56 AM.
Yeah right.
Everytime they say they are coming home, they fail to say that many are going out to replace them.
Plus many are coming home in a box. So far, my man isn't one of them.
By Gillian.. Posted November 29 2009 at 7:52 AM.
Obviously there is an election on the way. Brown would never have made this announcement if the election were several years away.
What he fails to understand is that nobody takes any notice any more of anything he says and after the non referendum, who is going to believe anything he puts in a manifesto.
By james.. Posted November 29 2009 at 12:53 AM.