UK Joint Defence Chief rules out quick end to Afghan conflict
October 11th, 2008 - 7:49 pm ICT by ANI
London, Oct.11 (ANI): Britain’’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, has said there is no “end point” to the ongoing international military mission in Afghanistan.
Sir Jock Stirrup’’s comments come a week after Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, Britain’’s top military commander in Afghanistan, said the public should not expect a “decisive military victory” in that country.
Stirrup told a British daily here that in both Iraq and Afghanistan, British troops were on a “journey that never finishes”.
Britain has 7,800 troops fighting Taliban insurgents and 4,100 troops in Iraq.
Afghanistan is a very backward country (militarily) it’’s going to be some years before we finish that project,” he said.
“We should avoid the use of words like ”win” and ”lose” in the context of Afghanistan. It’’s not that sort of enterprise,” Air Chief Marshal Stirrup said.
“These things are more complicated In both cases it’’s a journey. If you”re talking about the development of a country, it’’s a journey that never finishes. There’’s no end point,” he added. (ANI)
- British Chief of Defence Staff sees no end to Afghan fight - Oct 11, 2008
- UK chief of defence staff to step down in autumn - Jun 13, 2010
- UK's Defence chief gags Iraq criticism report - May 28, 2010
- UK bomb Disposal experts awarded George Cross - Mar 18, 2010
- British troops to leave Iraq ''by July'' - Dec 17, 2008
- 'Reputation of British Armed Forces at risk in Afghanistan' - Nov 07, 2009
- British military chief admits troops smug and complacent in Afghanistan - Jan 30, 2009
- Tonga to send more than two hundred troops to Afghanistan - Oct 08, 2010
- US may send about 45,000 more troops to Afghanistan - Oct 15, 2009
- British death toll in Afghanistan surpasses Falklands war tally - Feb 09, 2010
- UK confirms death of 300th soldier in Afghanistan - Jun 21, 2010
- Senior defence official says more UK troops could be sent to Afghanistan - Dec 02, 2008
- Britain to deploy 125 more troops in Afghanistan after heavy casualty - Jul 25, 2009
- British officials described Zardari as "highly corrupt", "numbskull": WikiLeaks - Feb 06, 2011
- British officials 'defeatist' about Taliban: Robert Gates - Oct 07, 2008
Tags: afghan conflict, afghanistan, air chief marshal, brigadier, british troops, carleton, defence staff, insurgents, journey, london, military commander, military mission, military victory, oct 11, sir jock stirrup, taliban, troops in iraq
