UK plans rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan ('We are not a global policeman')

[kpete]

Source: Raw Story/Agence France-Presse

UK plans rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan

By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010 -- 10:32 pm

British defense secretary: 'We are not a global policeman'

Senior British officials, including new Foreign Secretary William Hague, arrived in Afghanistan Saturday with a warning that Britain wants to withdraw its troops as soon as possible.

Hague, Defense Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell are set to meet President Hamid Karzai in their first visit to the country since a new coalition government took power in London this month.

Hague described Afghanistan -- where around 10,000 British troops are helping fight a Taliban-led insurgency well into its ninth year -- as "our most urgent priority" in comments released from London as the party touched down.



Read more: http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0523/we-global-policeman-br... /

[tekisui]

1. knr.

[DURHAM D]

2. Interesting timing.

Seems like a warning to Obama to back-off British Petroleum.

[indepat]

3. And I was thinking the Brits had been global policemen since at least the mid-eighteenth

century: silly me. :P

[DrDan]

4. Bravo UK!

[and-justice-for-all]

5. I amglad some one answered their clue phone...nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Sadly, this is a rather inaccurate headline

that reads too much into what Fox said on Saturday. By Sunday, Hague, the Foreign Secretary (and senior to Fox) was saying:

Afghanistan withdrawal deadline 'helps no-one'

It would be "unwise" and "unhelpful" to set a firm date for withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

Mr Hague said they should stay until Afghans can manage their own security, and being made to "jump through hoops" to meet a date would not help.
...
The three ministers have also been determined to show there is "not a cigarette paper" between how each sees the purpose and strategy for Britain's involvement in Afghanistan, after it appeared there were divisions between the approaches of Dr Fox and Mr Mitchell.

Dr Fox said on Saturday troops were there for UK security not for "the education policy in a broken 13th-century country"; while Mr Mitchell emphasised the importance of creating a stable society in Afghanistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699345.stm

The new British coalition government planned no significant changes to its strategy in Afghanistan, the country's foreign secretary, William Hague, said during his visit to the impoverished state.

Hague, along with British Defence Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, visited the country for talks with Afghan leadership, including president Hamid Karzai.
"I think there is a strong measure of agreement between the governments about the way forward, and so Afghanistan will find in the new government in Britain a steady friend in helping to tackle the problems that we have suffered in this area of the world for too long," he said.

Hague said that "some important changes" have already been made to the strategy recently, namely due to U.S. President Barack Obama's efforts and the London Conference chaired by Gordon Brown.
"We want to give that strategy the time and support to succeed," Hague said.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/23-May-2010/UK-policy-on-Afghanistan-to-remain-unchanged-foreign-secretary

[arbusto_baboso]

7. When someone named "Hague" (or Haig) makes decisions with British troops, be afraid.

Sorry if looking back to WWI makes me look like a history geek. I simply couldn't resist making the comparison and shivering a little bit.

[LeftishBrit]

8. To be honest, I'll believe that when I see it

A lot of it is political waffle, I suspect. 'As soon as possible' could mean in 10 years.

ETA: see Muriel's post for some of the reasons why I think this.