UK troops 'given too many tasks'

The military mission in Afghanistan has failed to deliver what it promised - as troops are being given too many tasks, a report from MPs says.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee says "mission creep" had brought too many responsibilities, including fighting the drugs trade.

That made it more difficult for the government to explain the mission's purpose to the public, the MPs said.
They said that British troops should focus solely on ensuring security.
British forces experienced their bloodiest month in Afghanistan during July, with 22 troops killed during a major offensive against insurgents in Helmand.
'Knee jerk'

The report warns the security situation, particularly in the south, could be expected to remain "precarious for some time to come".

The committee suggests the continued instability is due in part to the failures of the international community and criticised some of Nato's allies for delivering "much less" than had been promised.

"We recognise that although Afghanistan's current situation is not solely the legacy of the West's failures since 2001, avoidable mistakes - including knee-jerk responses, policy fragmentation and overlap - now make the task of stabilising the country considerably more difficult than might otherwise have been the case," it said.
The government needs to do a better job explaining to the public why we are in Afghanistan
William HagueShadow foreign secretary
Findings of MPs' Afghanistan report
The committee said government claims that the Afghan drugs trade was a justification for the continued presence of British troops in Helmand were "debatable."

"We recommend that in the immediate future the government should refocus its efforts to concentrate its limited resources on one priority, namely security."
It also said Afghanistan was a "most critical and seminal moment" for the future of the Nato alliance as it was the first deployment outside its "area".
The report continued: "There is a real possibility that without a more equitable distribution of responsibility and risk, Nato's effort will be further inhibited and its reputation as a military alliance, capable of undertaking out-of-area operations, seriously damaged."

Labour MP Mike Gapes, the chairman of the committee, said the UK had taken on a "poisoned chalice" by assuming a lead role in counter-narcotics in partnership with the Afghan government.
Mr Gapes said the task had been "an impossible job for one country to do" and said it should be handed over to the International Security Assistance Force and the United Nations.

He added: "This issue of counter-narcotics, the heroin poppies, is a serious problem but it is not the main issue that we face in Afghanistan.
"The main issue is the security and the threat coming from, once again, becoming a terrorist base."

'Wake-up call'
A Foreign Office spokesman welcomed the report, adding: "We will carefully consider the report's detailed conclusions and recommendations and will submit our response to Parliament in the coming months.

"The Foreign Office looks forward to further discussions on Afghanistan and Pakistan with Parliament and all interested parties. These issues deserve the widest possible engagement."
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said the report should be "a wake-up call to the government".

"It confirms what we have been saying for months: Britain's objectives in Afghanistan should be realistic, tightly-defined and subject to regular formal assessment," he said.
"The government needs to do a better job explaining to the public why we are in Afghanistan, and to reassure them that a realistic strategy is in place to achieve this.

"We need to know that the right strategy is in place, that Whitehall is working properly to deliver it, and that British troops have all they need to do their part."

-Nathan133