Brown faces grilling over Afghanistan concerns
Gordon Brown will come under renewed pressure today over resources for British troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The issue is expected to be one of the main subjects when the British PM makes his latest twice-yearly appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, made up of select committee chairman.
Later in the day, there will be a full-scale Commons debate which will give MPs a fresh chance to air their misgivings in the face of the latest casualties, with 15 British soldiers killed since the start of the month.
The Commons Defence Committee is rush-releasing what is expected to be a highly critical report on one of the most contentious issues – the supply and availability of helicopters – ahead of the debate.
Tory leader David Cameron – who has denounced the shortage of helicopters as a “scandal” – returned to the subject yesterday at Prime Minister’s Questions, accusing Mr Brown of slashing the helicopter budget when he was Chancellor.
The prime minister insisted that additional helicopters would not have saved the lives of any of the soldiers killed in recent days.
However, his government is increasingly facing wider questions over whether it has ever committed sufficient resources to the campaign in Helmand province or whether it can succeed in its aim of restoring stability to the country.
Mr Brown argues that the British mission has been bolstered by the arrival of thousands of US troops in Helmand, as well as the promise of additional forces from the Afghan National Army by President Hamid Karzai.
Nevertheless, ministers remain acutely aware that a lengthening casualty list - with no apparent breakthrough on the ground against the Taliban – could see an ebbing away of public support for the campaign.
Mr Brown is expected to reiterate the message of recent days, that it is essential to deny al-Qaida a renewed foothold in the country from which they can launch fresh terror attacks against the West.
