alistic strategy, British lawmakers say.
In a report, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said that without a clear strategy, stabilizing Afghanistan had become 'considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case'.
Lawmakers criticized US policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan and warned that the 'considerable cultural insensitivity' of some coalition troops had caused serious damage to the Afghans' perceptions and that would be 'difficult to undo'.
"We conclude that the international effort in Afghanistan since 2001 has delivered much less than it promised and that its impact has been significantly diluted by the absence of a unified vision and strategy grounded in the realities of Afghanistan's history, culture and politics," the report said.
As for Britain's roughly 9,000 troops in Afghanistan -- who in July suffered their worst month since the 2001 invasion with 22 deaths -- the members of parliament (MPs) said their role has seen 'significant mission creep'.
They were initially sent to counter international terrorism and are now working on areas like fighting the drugs trade and counter-insurgency, it said, adding the military had not been given a 'clear direction'.
"We conclude that the UK's mission in Afghanistan has taken on a significantly different and considerably expanded character since the first British troops were deployed there in 2001," the report said.
The report also warned that the reputation of NATO -- in command of international troops in Afghanistan since 2003 -- could be 'seriously damaged' without fairer burden-sharing between member states to ease the strain.
Responding to the report, Britain's Foreign Office said that it would study its conclusions and submit an official response in the coming months.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
DTN News: Afghan Mission Falls Short Of Expectations ~ Lawmakers
DTN News: Afghan Mission Falls Short Of Expectations ~ Lawmakers
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - August 2, 2009: The international military mission in Afghanistan has delivered much less than it promised due to the lack of a re
alistic strategy, British lawmakers say.
In a report, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said that without a clear strategy, stabilizing Afghanistan had become 'considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case'.
Lawmakers criticized US policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan and warned that the 'considerable cultural insensitivity' of some coalition troops had caused serious damage to the Afghans' perceptions and that would be 'difficult to undo'.
"We conclude that the international effort in Afghanistan since 2001 has delivered much less than it promised and that its impact has been significantly diluted by the absence of a unified vision and strategy grounded in the realities of Afghanistan's history, culture and politics," the report said.
As for Britain's roughly 9,000 troops in Afghanistan -- who in July suffered their worst month since the 2001 invasion with 22 deaths -- the members of parliament (MPs) said their role has seen 'significant mission creep'.
They were initially sent to counter international terrorism and are now working on areas like fighting the drugs trade and counter-insurgency, it said, adding the military had not been given a 'clear direction'.
"We conclude that the UK's mission in Afghanistan has taken on a significantly different and considerably expanded character since the first British troops were deployed there in 2001," the report said.
The report also warned that the reputation of NATO -- in command of international troops in Afghanistan since 2003 -- could be 'seriously damaged' without fairer burden-sharing between member states to ease the strain.
Responding to the report, Britain's Foreign Office said that it would study its conclusions and submit an official response in the coming months.
alistic strategy, British lawmakers say.
In a report, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said that without a clear strategy, stabilizing Afghanistan had become 'considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case'.
Lawmakers criticized US policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan and warned that the 'considerable cultural insensitivity' of some coalition troops had caused serious damage to the Afghans' perceptions and that would be 'difficult to undo'.
"We conclude that the international effort in Afghanistan since 2001 has delivered much less than it promised and that its impact has been significantly diluted by the absence of a unified vision and strategy grounded in the realities of Afghanistan's history, culture and politics," the report said.
As for Britain's roughly 9,000 troops in Afghanistan -- who in July suffered their worst month since the 2001 invasion with 22 deaths -- the members of parliament (MPs) said their role has seen 'significant mission creep'.
They were initially sent to counter international terrorism and are now working on areas like fighting the drugs trade and counter-insurgency, it said, adding the military had not been given a 'clear direction'.
"We conclude that the UK's mission in Afghanistan has taken on a significantly different and considerably expanded character since the first British troops were deployed there in 2001," the report said.
The report also warned that the reputation of NATO -- in command of international troops in Afghanistan since 2003 -- could be 'seriously damaged' without fairer burden-sharing between member states to ease the strain.
Responding to the report, Britain's Foreign Office said that it would study its conclusions and submit an official response in the coming months.
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