Afghanistan could descend into civil war and corruption and drugs trading could continue once coalition forces withdraw from the country in less than two years’ time, a report from the Defence Select Committee has warned.
In its report the committee also said the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office ‘painted a very positive picture of the transition’ to the Afghan National Security Forces, but pointed out there were concerns over the capability of Afghan forces once coalition forces withdraw at the end of 2014.
According to the Independent, given there are less than two years before the end of 2014, the committee called on the government to set out how it sees its future role in Afghanistan.
Conservative MP James Arbuthnot, the committee chair, said that ‘the UK and its international partners must show the Afghan people that they will abide by their obligations to continue to support them in their efforts,’ the report said.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said that vision was of an Afghanistan that could ‘maintain its own security and never again be a safe haven for international terrorism’.
He said that the fact that Afghan security forces are now leading on more than 80 percent of all security operations across the country shows we are well on the way to achieving that aim.
He added that Britain had committed 70 million pounds to an international fund to sustain the Afghan security forces after 2014.
(ANI)