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07/07/2011
Complete Afghanistan Mission, Says McCrea
An NI Westminster MP has called on the Prime Minister to complete the Afghanistan 'mission' and not waste the sacrifice of hundreds of UK troops who have died in the conflict.
The DUP South Antrim representative, Dr William McCrea has urged David Cameron to ensure that the mission in Afghanistan is completed before any withdrawal of service personnel takes place.
Dr McCrea was speaking on Wednesday following a statement from the PM on the ongoing UK mission in Afghanistan.
Mr Cameron said in the House of Commons: "I have already said that we will withdraw 426 UK military personnel by February 2012.
"I can [now] announce the UK will be able to reduce its force levels by a further 500 - from 9,500 to 9,000 by the end of 2012.
"This decision has been agreed by the National Security Council on the advice of our military commanders.
"These reductions reflect the progress that is being made in building up the ANSF [local forces].
"This marks the start of a process which will ensure that by the end of 2014 there will not be anything like the number of British troops there as there are now - and they will not be serving in a combat role," said the PM.
"This decision is not only right for Britain, it is right for Afghanistan too.
"It has given the Afghans a clear deadline against which to plan and has injected a sense of urgency into their efforts," he said.
Commenting soon afterwards, Dr McCrea said: "The people of Northern Ireland are full of admiration for our troops who are risking so much to preserve our security and freedom.
"It is for the preservation of our security as a country that the DUP supported the intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We all want our brave troops home as early as possible, but it is essential that the mission of crushing the Al Qaeda presence in that country and creating a stable and democratic state is completed.
"To withdraw before that point would render as nought the sacrifice made by our brave service personnel up to this point," he said, underling to the Prime Minister "the importance of seeing this mission through to the end".
(BMcC/KMcA)
The DUP South Antrim representative, Dr William McCrea has urged David Cameron to ensure that the mission in Afghanistan is completed before any withdrawal of service personnel takes place.
Dr McCrea was speaking on Wednesday following a statement from the PM on the ongoing UK mission in Afghanistan.
Mr Cameron said in the House of Commons: "I have already said that we will withdraw 426 UK military personnel by February 2012.
"I can [now] announce the UK will be able to reduce its force levels by a further 500 - from 9,500 to 9,000 by the end of 2012.
"This decision has been agreed by the National Security Council on the advice of our military commanders.
"These reductions reflect the progress that is being made in building up the ANSF [local forces].
"This marks the start of a process which will ensure that by the end of 2014 there will not be anything like the number of British troops there as there are now - and they will not be serving in a combat role," said the PM.
"This decision is not only right for Britain, it is right for Afghanistan too.
"It has given the Afghans a clear deadline against which to plan and has injected a sense of urgency into their efforts," he said.
Commenting soon afterwards, Dr McCrea said: "The people of Northern Ireland are full of admiration for our troops who are risking so much to preserve our security and freedom.
"It is for the preservation of our security as a country that the DUP supported the intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We all want our brave troops home as early as possible, but it is essential that the mission of crushing the Al Qaeda presence in that country and creating a stable and democratic state is completed.
"To withdraw before that point would render as nought the sacrifice made by our brave service personnel up to this point," he said, underling to the Prime Minister "the importance of seeing this mission through to the end".
(BMcC/KMcA)
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