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Afghan insurgents are 'weakened' Afghan insurgents are 'weakened'
(about 1 hour later)
Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell has said insurgents in Afghanistan have had their "command and control" weakened by Operation Panther's Claw.Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell has said insurgents in Afghanistan have had their "command and control" weakened by Operation Panther's Claw.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London Mr Rammell said insurgents had suffered "heavy losses" and had been split up.Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London Mr Rammell said insurgents had suffered "heavy losses" and had been split up.
His speech comes a day after a report by MPs criticised elements of the operation in Afghanistan. He also said the armed forces face "deep and wide-ranging changes" to meet the demands of irregular warfare.
It said UK troops had been given too many tasks to perform. An MPs' report on Sunday said UK troops had too many tasks in Afghanistan.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said the military mission had failed to deliver on its promises as a result of the pressures placed on the troops deployed there. Poor government planning and a lack of realistic strategy and clear direction undermined the mission, the MPs said.
Mr Rammell said: "We will need to rebalance our investment in technology, equipment and people to meet the challenge of irregular warfare over the next decade while still retaining our ability to respond to emerging state-led threats and other military challenges."
We are fighting the insurgents now in Afghanistan because the return of the hard core irreconcilable Taliban would give al-Qaeda greater freedom to operate Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell
And the minister stated that British troops were fighting in Afghanistan to deny al-Qaeda a safe haven in land borders with Pakistan.
"For Britain to be secure Afghanistan needs to be secure, Pakistan needs to be secure," he said.
"We are fighting the insurgents now in Afghanistan because the return of the hard core irreconcilable Taliban would give al-Qaeda greater freedom to operate - freedom to plan, to direct and to provide support for more terrorist attacks."
However, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said the military mission had failed to deliver on its promises because of pressures placed on deployed troops.
The committee of MPs said that "mission creep" had brought too many responsibilities, including fighting the drugs trade.The committee of MPs said that "mission creep" had brought too many responsibilities, including fighting the drugs trade.
It said the UK's deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand province was "undermined by unrealistic planning at senior levels, poor co-ordination between Whitehall departments and crucially a failure to provide the military with clear direction".It said the UK's deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand province was "undermined by unrealistic planning at senior levels, poor co-ordination between Whitehall departments and crucially a failure to provide the military with clear direction".
MPs also said UK troops should abandon their attempts to tackle the drugs trade and focus instead solely on security.MPs also said UK troops should abandon their attempts to tackle the drugs trade and focus instead solely on security.
Drugs battleDrugs battle
The report warns the security situation, particularly in the south, could be expected to remain "precarious for some time to come".The report warns the security situation, particularly in the south, could be expected to remain "precarious for some time to come".
The committee said government claims the Afghan drugs trade was a justification for the continued presence of British troops in Helmand were "debatable".The committee said government claims the Afghan drugs trade was a justification for the continued presence of British troops in Helmand were "debatable".
Its chairman, Labour MP Mike Gapes, said: "This issue of counter-narcotics, the heroin poppies, is a serious problem but it is not the main issue that we face in Afghanistan.Its chairman, Labour MP Mike Gapes, said: "This issue of counter-narcotics, the heroin poppies, is a serious problem but it is not the main issue that we face in Afghanistan.
"The main issue is the security and the threat coming from, once again, becoming a terrorist base.""The main issue is the security and the threat coming from, once again, becoming a terrorist base."
Conservative leader David Cameron has said there is a "very strong case" for sending more UK soldiers to Afghanistan.Conservative leader David Cameron has said there is a "very strong case" for sending more UK soldiers to Afghanistan.
He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour that if military chiefs made a request for extra manpower, there would be good reasons to make that happen.He told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour that if military chiefs made a request for extra manpower, there would be good reasons to make that happen.
And the new head of Nato, Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said its priority must be the war in Afghanistan, including negotiations with moderate members of the Taliban.And the new head of Nato, Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said its priority must be the war in Afghanistan, including negotiations with moderate members of the Taliban.