Bush in London

Brown announces more troops for Afghanistan

Article published on the 2008-06-16 Latest update 2008-06-16 13:59 TU

Bush and Brown at 10 Downing Street
(Photo: Reuters)

British Prime Minister Gordon promised to send more troops to Afghanistan after meeting US President George Bush, who is on a visit to London as part of his farewell tour of Europe. Asked if he stood by his decision to invade Iraq, Bush conceded that "people could say that we could have done things better here and there" but added "the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the right decision".

Following last week's Paris conference on aid to Afghanistan, Brown declared that 43 countries were backing military efforts there and that 80 countries back economic and social reconstruction.

After French President Nicolas Sarkozy's promise to send an extra batallion to the war-ravaged country, Brown said that Britain would also dispatch more troops.  

"The reason is that we want to help the Afghans to train up their own army and their own police forces," said Brown.

The troop pledges come after US complaints that Nato allies are not taking a sufficient share of combat duty in the south and east where Taliban insurgents are active.

Both leaders claimed that there was progress in Afghanistan and Iraq, with those countries taking more responsibility for their security but would not commit themselves to a calendar for pulling troops out.

"The plan is bring them home based on success," said Bush.

After Pakistan's angry reaction Monday to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's threat to launch cross-border attacks against Taliban sheltering in the Pakistani tribal belt, Bush called for better co-operation between the two neighbours.

"It is in no-one's interest that there be a safe haven from which to operate," he said.

Brown said that Britain will seek further European sanctons against Iran, while Bush said that "all options are open" if it does not accept US/EU proposals to curtail its nuclear programme.

Thousands of people demonstrated against the Bush visit in London yesterday. Ten police officers were injured and 25 demonstrators arrested, police said.

Stop the War coalition spokesperson David Wilson dismissed claims that the international forces' "surge" is working.

"What’s working?" he asked. "What is working is more people are dying every day, they’re bombing people from 35,000 feet, infancy deaths have gone up in the last two years since the surge. Everything is getting worse and worse in Iaq. What are they talking about?"

The president goes on to Northern Ireland before returning to Washington.