UK to host talks on Afghanistan exit

29 Nov 2009, 10:14 am   -   Source: AAP
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Britain aims to set clear goals in Afghanistan at top-level talks next year to move towards bringing its troops home, Prime Minister Gordon Brown says.

Britain aims to set clear goals in Afghanistan at top-level talks next year to move towards bringing its troops home, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said amid public anger at the war.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and major contributors to the coalition fighting in Afghanistan, including the US, as well as regional neighbours, will be invited to the London conference on January 28.

Brown made it clear the international community expected Karzai, who has been slipping from global favour amid widespread allegations of corruption, to step up and assume his responsibilities.

Karzai has to realise "that there will be milestones by which he's going to be judged and he's got to accept that there will be benchmarks which the international community will set", Brown said.

The conference of foreign ministers, which has also been backed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, won swift support from the US, which has 68,000 troops in Afghanistan.

"The United States looks forward to contributing to the development of a substantive agenda that will advance our collective efforts in Afghanistan," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told AFP.

The London talks will be a chance "for the international community and the Afghan government to discuss security transition, governance and economic development" among other issues including reconciliation, he said.

US President Barack Obama is to unveil a new strategy on Afghanistan on Tuesday. He is expected to commit more than 30,000 fresh US troops to the conflict.

But the president, who has vowed to "finish the job" in Afghanistan, will also set out an exit strategy to withdraw from a war now in its ninth year.

Karzai, re-elected to a second term after fraud-tainted elections, is coming under growing pressure to prove his government is a reliable partner as the conflict bogs down and the US and NATO death toll mounts.

Ban, appearing with Brown, told reporters the London conference was "a timely initiative to allow for a high level dialogue in the post-electoral climate in Afghanistan".

Brown stressed Taliban insurgents would not be invited to the talks.

He said he hoped the talks would draw up clear benchmarks for a future military and political strategy in Afghanistan for 2010 and beyond.

He plans to build up Afghan forces to 50,000, and committed Britain to training 5000 in Helmand province alone by the end of next year.

The British leader also called for 5000 more troops from other countries outside of Britain and the US to be deployed with NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

The aim is to gradually hand over responsibility for security to Afghan forces, district by district and province by province, enabling Britain to withdraw its 25,000 troops.

"I want the conference in London to set the conditions needed for district by district handover to Afghan lead responsibility (for security)," Brown said.

He stressed that a timetable for withdrawing British forces from the increasingly unpopular war would only be drafted once the Afghan army and police show they can maintain security.

At least 483 foreign troops, about half of them Americans and 98 Britons, have been killed in Afghanistan this year, according to the icasualties.org website, making it one of the deadliest years for troops since the US-led invasion in 2001.

The hope is that one or two districts in restive Helmand province could be transferred to Afghan forces in 2010, and up to five Afghan provinces by the end of the year, Brown said.

"Within three months, our benchmark is that the Afghan government should have identified additional troops to send to Helmand province for training," Brown said.

"Within six months, we will want a clear plan for police training that means corruption is being dealt with and we have a police force that works with the local community rather than sometimes against it."

He also called on Karzai to complete the appointments of 400 governors within nine months.

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