UK’s Cameron in surprise visit to Afghan leader
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BRITAIN’S Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday pledged support for Afghanistan’s newly sworn-in president and the country’s new unity government, saying during a surprise visit to Kabul that Britain is committed to helping Afghans build a more secure and prosperous future.
Cameron was the first of world leaders to meet Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai since his inauguration on Monday. The two had a meeting in Kabul on yesterday morning and later held a joint press conference.
“Britain has paid a heavy price for helping to bring stability to this country,” Cameron said, paying tribute to the 453 British servicemen and women who died while serving in Afghanistan.
“An Afghanistan free from al-Qaida is in our national interest — as well as Afghanistan’s,” he said. “And now, 13 long years later, Afghanistan can — and must — deliver its own security.”
But, “we are not leaving this country alone,” he added. “In Britain you will always have a strong partner and a friend.”
Cameron arrived a day after visiting British pilots in Cyprus who are taking part in airstrikes on Islamic State group targets in Iraq, after Britain joined the US-led coalition of nations that are launching airstrikes against the militants.
“The work of defeating Islamist extremist terror goes on elsewhere in the world,” Cameron said in Kabul. “And because this threatens us at home, we must continue to play our part.”
Ghani Ahmadzai thanked the British for their sacrifices in Afghanistan, especially the families who lost loved ones in the war.
“They stood shoulder to shoulder with us and we will remember,” he said.
Ghani Ahmadzai’s inauguration this week marked the start of a new era for his country, with a national unity government poised to confront a resilient Taliban insurgency.
A day after he was sworn in, his administration signed a security agreement allowing the United States to keep about 9,800 troops in the country to train and assist Afghan national security forces.
A separate agreement was signed with NATO, outlining parameters for 4,000 to 5,000 additional international troops — mostly from Britain, Germany, Italy and Turkey — to stay in a noncombat role after NATO’s combat mission ends on December 31.
National interests
Former President Hamid Karzai had refused to approve the deal, and the results of a June presidential runoff to replace Karzai took months to resolve, finally coming to a conclusion with Ghani Ahmadzai’s swearing-in and the establishment of a national unity government.
Ghani Ahmadzai’s former rival for the presidency, Abdullah Abdullah, was appointed the country’s new chief executive, a post akin to prime minister.
Cameron lauded both Afghan men, saying they put national interests ahead of “personal power” when they struck a power-sharing deal. “I look forward to working with both of you in the years ahead,” he said.
At the peak of the 13-year deployment there were almost 10,000 British troops in Afghanistan. About 3,000 remain, and all British combat forces are due to withdraw within weeks.
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