Brown warns Karzai to act on corruption
Updated on 06 November 2009
Gordon Brown declares the mission in Afghanistan must not fail, but warns that he is not prepared to put British lives at risk for an Afghan government that does not stand up to corruption. Jonathan Miller reports.
Gordon Brown insists military action is the "first line of defence" against potential terrorist acts back home, after a week in which seven British servicemen lost their lives in Afghanistan. But he said there is a condition, warning President Karzai that he would not put troops in harm's way to defend a regime he said had become "a byword for corruption".
In the second major speech in as many months to try to convince the public the war is right, the prime minister also told him a home-grown army must be built to take over responsibility for security in his country.
Mr Brown made clear that he was not threatening to pull Britain's 9,000-strong military force out of Afghanistan, insisting: "We cannot, must not, and will not walk away."
The Ministry of Defence named the last British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan as Serjeant Phillip Scott, of The 3rd Battalion The Rifles. He is one of seven British servicemen who lost their lives in Afghanistan this week.
Mr Brown warned that if the president fails to deliver on five key tests relating to governance, security, reconciliation, economic development and relations with neighbouring Pakistan, then it is thought international backing could be withdrawn.
Gordon Brown also told allies in the 43-nation Isaf coalition not to waver in their commitment:
"We must persist together. In our different ways we must all contribute. In the end, we will succeed or fail together - and we will succeed."
The prime minister's warning came in a speech to military top brass in London at the end of a bloody week for British troops, with seven dead including five servicemen murdered by a "rogue" Afghan policeman.
Muhammad Yasin Osmani interview
Krishnan Guru-Murthy spoke to President Karzai's leading anti-corruption official Muhammad Yasin Osmani. He said:
"Please tell the British people that of course there is no doubt that there is corruption in Afghanistan but it is not only the Afghan government and there are some foreign investors who are involved in this corruption so if you separate the government from foreign investors then the level of corruption will come down a lot.
"So far we have gotten rid of check points on highways where trucks were being stopped and asked for bribes, the traffic registration has been changed so that it's given within one day whereas before it was taking months.
"Just recently in Kabul we arrested people who had stolen five to six million dollars in customs revenues and they are being investigated. And after the prosecution we will give the people and the media all the details. Much has been done so far and many cases are being processed."
Interview with the parents of soldiers killed
Krishnan Guru-Murthy spoke to Graham Knight whose son Sergeant Ben Knight was killed when his faulty Nimrod aircraft crashed. He said:
"We fought the second world war for seven years and we've been fighting out in Afghanistan for eight years. At least in the second world war we had victories, we retook Africa, we retook Italy.
"Where are we with this war. There's more casualties this year than any other year. It's getting worse and worse
"What we're doing is fighting the Taliban. I thought we went over there to fight Al Qaeda. And yet we're fighting the Taliban. When was the last time we heard that any Al Qaeda had been killed? We're so busy fighting the Taliban when Al Qaeda are over in Pakistan. So why are we fighting the Taliban, they've never attacked anybody. It's Al Qaeda that have attacked people."
Christine Bonner, whose son Corporal Darren Bonner was killed in a landmine explosion said:
"I don't support war that's for sure. But the lads that are out there at the moment need the British public's support to keep the momentum up.
"There are times you have to do this sort of thing but it's the lads that I'm concerned about.
