Cameron warned over too early withdrawal from Afghanistan

The Commons Defence Committee said that pulling out any more than a few hundred support troops could undermine the international coalition’s strategy while dangerously weakening the remaining forces.

The warning came as it was confirmed that a British soldier had been shot dead in southern Afghanistan.

The serviceman from 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) was killed while conducting a routine patrol with members of the Afghan National Army on Saturday, officials said. Next of kin have been informed.

The MoD said an investigation was under way into reports that the soldier was shot by a member of the Afghan National Army.

Following his visit earlier this month to Afghanistan, the Prime Minister announced the drawdown of a further 500 troops, cutting total force numbers to 9,000 by September 2012.

It coincides with the formal start this week of the process of transition to Afghan control, due to be completed by the end of 2014.

However the committee stressed that the Government’s scope for any more troop reductions was “necessarily limited” in the short term.

“A more significant drawdown, however, would have to involve a complete battle group. Weakening any battle group to withdraw numbers would be a dangerous move,” it said.

“It is important that the Government’s clear determination to withdraw combat forces should not undermine the military strategy by causing the Afghan population to fear that the international coalition might abandon them or by allowing the Taliban and others to think that all they have to do is bide their time until Isaf (International Security Assistance Force) forces withdraw.”

Mr Cameron has repeatedly declared his commitment to end Britain’s involvement in major combat operations and to bring home the majority of UK forces by the time of the next General Election in 2015.

However the committee said the Afghan army and police had “many challenges” before they were ready to take on full responsibility for security.

It was also scathing about the failure of senior military commanders to warn Ministers of the dangers facing British troops when they were first deployed into Helmand province in 2006 under Tony Blair’s government.

It said that for three years they lacked the necessary numbers and equipment after senior commanders in the UK wrongly told the then Defence Secretary, John (now Lord) Reid, that the commanders on the ground had the resources they required.

The MPs said it appeared “unlikely” commanders had sought Ministerial authorisation for a change of tactics in 2006 which saw British troops move into northern Helmand where they were left “fighting for their lives... in a series of Alamos”.

Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: “As military commanders have said previously, it is clear that mistakes were made in the lead-up to and during the initial deployment to Helmand in 2006. This was particularly true with regard to the troop numbers and equipment made available for the tasks expected of the UK forces deployed over that period.

“Since 2009 we have seen increases of force levels in Helmand from across the Alliance and through the growth of the Afghan forces that have halted the momentum of the insurgency.

“While there is much still to do, we are on track to achieve our target of ending UK combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015. We will not abandon Afghanistan and as the Prime Minister has made clear the UK will work to further develop the ability of Afghans to look after their own affairs by leading the Afghan National Army Officer Academy amongst other things.

International military forces in Afghanistan yesterday handed over control of a peaceful province in the centre of the country to Afghan police, taking another step in a transition that will allow foreign troops to withdraw in full by the end of 2014.