David Cameron makes surprise visit to

Kabul, pledges British support

Britains Prime Minister David Cameron left and Afghanistans President
Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, hold a press onferene, in Kabul, Afghanistan,
!rida", #t$ %, &'()$ Cameron on !rida" pledged support for Afghanistans
ne*l" s*orn+in president and the ountr"s ne* unit" government, sa"ing
during a surprise visit to Kabul that Britain is ommitted to helping Afghans
build a more seure and prosperous future$ ,Dan Kit*ood, Pool-Assoiated
Press.
B" Assoiated Press #tober % at /0%) AM
KABUL, Afghanistan Britains Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday pledged
spport for Afghanistans ne!ly s!orn"in president and the #ontrys ne! nity
government, saying dring a srprise visit to Ka$l that Britain is #ommitted to
helping Afghans $ild a more se#re and prosperos ftre%
Cameron !as the first of !orld leaders to meet Ashraf &hani Ahmad'ai sin#e his
inagration on Monday% (he t!o had a meeting in Ka$l on Friday morning and later
held a )oint press #onferen#e%
Britain has paid a heavy pri#e for helping to $ring sta$ility to this #ontry,* Cameron
said, paying tri$te to the +,- British servi#emen and !omen !ho died !hile serving
in Afghanistan%
An Afghanistan free from al".aida is in or national interest as !ell as
Afghanistans,* he said% /And no!, 0- long years later, Afghanistan #an and mst
deliver its o!n se#rity%*
Bt, /!e are not leaving this #ontry alone,* he added% /1n Britain yo !ill al!ays have
a strong partner and a friend%*
Cameron arrived a day after visiting British pilots in Cyprs !ho are ta2ing part in
airstri2es on 1slami# 3tate grop targets in 1ra4% British !arplanes have $een
#ond#ting #om$at missions over 1ra4 sin#e 3atrday, after Britain )oined the U%3%"led
#oalition of nations that are lan#hing airstri2es against the militants%
(he !or2 of defeating 1slamist e5tremist terror goes on else!here in the !orld,*
Cameron said in Ka$l% /And $e#ase this threatens s at home, !e mst #ontine to
play or part%*
&hani Ahmad'ai than2ed the British for their sa#rifi#es in Afghanistan, espe#ially the
families !ho lost loved ones in the !ar% /(hey stood sholder to sholder !ith s and
!e !ill remem$er,* he said%
&hani Ahmad'ais inagration this !ee2 mar2ed the start of a ne! era for his
#ontry, !ith a national nity government poised to #onfront a resilient (ali$an
insrgen#y%
A day after he !as s!orn in, his administration signed a se#rity agreement allo!ing
the United 3tates to 2eep a$ot 6,788 troops in the #ontry to train and assist Afghan
national se#rity for#es% A separate agreement !as signed !ith 9A(:, otlining
parameters for +,888 to ,,888 additional international troops mostly from Britain,
&ermany, 1taly and (r2ey to stay in a non#om$at role after 9A(:s #om$at
mission ends on De#% -0%
Former President ;amid Kar'ai had refsed to approve the deal, and the reslts of a
<ne presidential rnoff to repla#e Kar'ai too2 months to resolve, finally #oming to a
#on#lsion !ith &hani Ahmad'ais s!earing"in and the esta$lishment of a national
nity government%
&hani Ahmad'ais former rival for the presiden#y, A$dllah A$dllah, !as appointed
the #ontrys ne! #hief e5e#tive, a post a2in to prime minister%
Cameron laded $oth Afghan men, saying they pt national interests ahead of
/personal po!er* !hen they str#2 a po!er"sharing deal% /1 loo2 for!ard to !or2ing
!ith $oth of yo in the years ahead,* he said%
&hani Ahmad'ai also praised his former rival, saying the t!o of them /have managed a
first, !hi#h is really rare in the Mslim !orld a demo#rati# transfer of athority, not
po!er%*
Cameron also added a !arning to the insrgents% /1f the (ali$an !ant to se#re a role
in the ftre of Afghanistan, then they mst a##ept that they have to give p violen#e
and engage in the politi#al pro#ess,* he said%
Later Friday, Cameron met !ith British troops at Camp Bastion in sothern ;elmand
provin#e, !here he told soldiers !ho are to leave $y the end of the year that Britain
!as /in#redi$ly prod of yo, in#redi$ly gratefl for everything yove done%*
At the pea2 of the 0-"year deployment there !ere almost 08,888 British troops in
Afghanistan% A$ot -,888 remain, and all British #om$at for#es are de to !ithdra!
!ithin !ee2s%
Cameron lin2ed the $attle against the (ali$an and al".aida to the fight to stop
militants s#h as the 1slami# 3tate grop in 3yria and 1ra4 and Bo2o ;aram in 9igeria%
(his strggle against 1slamist e5tremist terrorism, this is the strggle of or
generation,* he said%
=arlier in Ka$l, he insisted there !as no prospe#t of Britain going $a#2 to fight in
Afghanistan%
>e are not going to send #om$at troops $a#2 to Afghanistan, $e#ase !e have trained
p an effe#tive Afghan army and Afghan poli#e for#e% 1t has $een hard, patient !or2,*
he said%
Bt more than a de#ade after U%3% for#es helped topple the (ali$an in the !a2e of the
3ept% 00 atta#2s, Afghanistan is still at !ar !ith the 1slami# militant grop, !hi#h
reglarly #arries ot atta#2s, mainly targeting se#rity for#es%
:nly this !ee2, (ali$an si#ide $om$ers staged atta#2s on Afghan for#es in Ka$l,
2illing at least 08 soldiers% =ven !ith residal foreign for#es in the #ontry, there
remain serios 4estions a$ot the a$ility of the Afghan troops to ta2e on the militants
on their o!n%
Britain is one of the largest finan#ial donors to the Afghan government and Cameron
said he and &hani Ahmad'ai !old )ointly host a #onferen#e on ftre aid to
Afghanistan in 9ovem$er in London%
1n addition, Cameron pledged 0?7 million ponds @AB7? millionC a year ntil B80? to
spport ed#ation, health and other p$li# servi#es in Afghanistan%
Asso#iated Press !riters Bo$ Barr and <ill La!less in London #ontri$ted to this
report%
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