Afstan: UK sees forces there beyond 2009/Civilian casualties

Facing up to reality:

UK forces will remain [not exactly what is said later - MC] in Afghanistan beyond 2009, Defence Secretary Des Browne has told a committee of MPs.

He said February's announcement of a troops boost, with forces committed to 2009, was "for planning purposes only".

"My own view is that we will have to...stay with the Afghans for beyond 2009 but exactly how long and in what way it is too early to tell," he said.

Mr Browne told the defence committee it could "take decades" for Afghanistan "to stand on their own two feet".

British troop numbers are due to increase by 1,400 to 7,700, with most of the new contingent being deployed this summer to the volatile province of Helmand, where UK forces have been fighting the Taleban.

'Decades' of support

Mr Browne said the timeframe for British troop involvement was uncertain, but reminded the committee that in 2006 the international community had agreed with the Afghan government to a further five years of support.

The British government also made a bilateral agreement with Afghanistan for 10 years of support.

"I realise that that doesn't mean that we...committed to a military presence for either of those two periods," Mr Browne said on Tuesday.

"I believe that this country (Afghanistan), having been 30 years in conflict or more, will take decades to get to the stage where they will be able to stand on their own two feet and that the international community will have to support them for a considerable period of time."..

Some not very good news:

Official: 21 Afghan Civilians Killed

69 Afghans' Families Get a U.S. Apology
Marines Killed 19 Civilians in March