Ten years on, UK yearns for Afghan exit
By Alex Stevenson Follow @alex__stevenson
Britain can "look forward" to withdrawing troops from a combat role by 2015, the UK's ambassador to Afghanistan has said.
Sir William Patey insisted a "viable state" with a security force capable of dealing with insurgents was a "reasonable objective" by 2015, in an interview with the BBC marking the tenth anniversary of military operations in the country against the Taliban.
But former US general Stanley McChrystal warned that Nato and the US were just "50% of the way" towards achieving their goals in the country.
"We didn't know enough and we still don't know enough," the retired commander told a Council on Foreign Relations audience.
"Most of us, me included, had a very superficial understanding of the situation and history, and we had a frighteningly simplistic view of recent history, the last 50 years."
Three hundred and eighty two UK service personnel have died in Afghanistan in the last decade.
A series of high-profile attacks in the capital, Kabul, have underlined the serious security concerns still faced by the Afghan population.
"I would concede we haven't made as much progress in ten years [compared to] some of our wilder aspirations that were around in 2001," Sir William said.
"Part of the problem is we took our eye off the ball. It was clear Iraq was getting much of the attention. Had we been devoting the same amount of resources and attention as we had for Iraq to Afghanistan in the last two years, I think we'd be a lot further down the track than we currently are."
He pointed out that eight million children had been enrolled in school, three million of which were girls, and that services including health clinics were being "restored in most places".
Prime minister David Cameron made clear Britain intended to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 after entering Downing Street last year. His move triggered a broader agreement among Nato allies for a general exit.
"This is not about abandoning Afghanistan, although British troops will be taken out of a combat role," the UK's current senior officer in the country, Lieutenant-General James Bucknall told the Mirror.
"Our security posture will change to training and advisory, and we will reduce numbers – but we will not go away."
