- You are here:
- Home
- › Foreign Secretary comments on UK's presence in Afghanistan
Foreign Secretary comments on UK's presence in Afghanistan
14 July 2009
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has commented on why the UK's presence in Afghanistan is vitally important to regional and worldwide security during several interviews on TV and radio.Foreign Secretary David Miliband has commented on why the UK's presence in Afghanistan is vitally important to regional and worldwide security during several interviews on TV and radio.
He reiterated that the UK is part of a coalition in the region and that the strategy in Afghanistan is for the Afghans to govern themselves, 'while ensuring that the country can not again become an incubator for international terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on the UK.'
During an interview with Channel 4 News on Monday 13 July he said:
'The strategy remains very clear; al Qaeda has been driven out Afghanistan and it mustn’t be allowed to come back. To stop it coming back Afghans needs to provide security, they need to provide governance and there needs to be an alternative for Taliban fighters to fighting and that’s why the so called reconciliation or reintegration agenda for those Taliban who are not affiliated to al Qaeda is so important.
The issues at stake are fundamental issues to our security. It’s a new type of security threat that we face many thousands of miles away, it involves deep issues not just about Afghanistan but about Pakistan where I was last week on my fifth visit because stability in Afghanistan and stability in Pakistan are related to each other.
I think in respect of the military push we take our force protection responsibilities very, very seriously indeed, that is the first priority when it comes to deciding on equipment. But we also have to make sure that we never lose sight of the fact that....we are part of a coalition that wants to stand up Afghan security capacity, Afghan development capacity and an Afghan political system and that is a mission that does require us to always be clear that we are there to enable Afghan governance not to replace it.'
Foreign Secretary David Miliband also spoke to the BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on 11 July 2009.
David Miliband explained that our strategy in Afghanistan is to 'build up Afghan capacity to look after themselves' while ensuring that the country can not again become an incubator for international terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on the UK.
He said our strategy is deliver is 'first to build up the Afghan Security Forces so that they’re able to defend their own country rather than being rolled over by the Taliban. Second, to build up Afghan governance which is a critical element to that. That is the way in which we will ensure that Afghanistan is not used as the launching pad'.
He continued: 'And while the professionalism and bravery of those we send to Afghanistan is absolutely second to none and does deserve thanks and admiration, we know that they’re engaged in a very, very difficult mission and we have a responsibility to engage the country in understanding that mission and supporting it.'
Read the full transcript
The Foreign Secretary additionally spoke on GMTV on 13 July and stressed his admiration 'for the bravery and professionalism of the troops' serving in Afghanistan.
He said:
'This is a mission that has been developed with a very clear strategy, above all to make us safer here, because we know that these areas of Afghanistan and its neighbour Pakistan are used to launch terrorism around the world. So the mission for us is clear. The operational decisions are made by commanders on the ground in very close cooperation with their international partners, above all the United States, but other European countries as well.
I think it’s very important that we take this opportunity, not just to express our admiration for the bravery and professionalism of the troops, as the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary and I have continually done, but also to explain to people that this is vital to our own national security'.
Further information
Read more about why we are in Afghanistan
Read the Prime Minister's parliamentary statement on Afghanistan
UKinAfghanistan.fco.gov.uk Embassy website