| "Brown Makes Surprise Visit To Afghanistan" |
Posted on 6th March 2010 @ 13:09:05 |
George Ashcroft
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Gordon Brown has visited UK troops in Afghanistan just hours after ex-military chiefs branded him "disingenuous" in the evidence he gave to the Iraq Inquiry.
The Prime Minister flew into Camp Bastion to thank some of the 4,000 British forces involved in Operation Mosthtarak - last month's assault on Taliban strongholds in Helmand Province.
Mr Brown said: "My visit is an opportunity to say thank you to the thousands of British, Afghan and international troops involved and to the dozens of civilian experts working on stabilisation.
"Their bravery, sacrifice and professionalism are an example of how the international community can and should intervene to make us all safer.
"The Afghan Army is already rapidly expanding. Around 7,000 Afghan troops are being trained each month. But we also need a strong Afghan police force to create enduring security. That is a key challenge for the next phase."
During his visit, Mr Brown announced 150 extra British Police trainers and £18m for metal detectors to counter IED (improvised explosive device) attacks.
He also said there will be an announcement in the Commons of a £100m programme to replace the much-criticised Snatch Land Rovers.
The lightly-defended vehicles have been blamed for more than 30 troop deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The new British-built vehicles, which Downing Street sources say offer world-leading armour, should arrive in Afghanistan by late 2011.
Sky's senior correspondent Michelle Clifford said it is likely to be Mr Brown's last trip to Afghanistan before the General Election.
Mr Brown's aides dismissed suggestions it was a publicity stunt, insisting the PM regularly visits troops at this time of the year.
Asked whether the trip amounted to electioneering, Mr Brown said: "I am here because I want to thank the British troops for their bravery, their dedication and their professionalism."
His visit came after Lord Boyce - who was the head of the military at the time of the Iraq invasion - attacked Mr Brown and said the Ministry of Defence was starved of funds.
"He's dissembling, he's being disingenuous," Admiral Boyce told The Times newspaper.
"It's just not the case that the Ministry of Defence was given everything it needed. There may have been a 1.5% increase in the defence budget but the MoD was starved of funds."
Skynews.com
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