David Miliband: US troop surge will boost Afghan security

US president Barack Obama’s plan to deploy more than 34,000 troops to Afghanistan will bolster efforts by British soldiers to help bring calm to the country, the foreign secretary has said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, David Miliband stated that Mr Obama’s strategy is similar to the one laid out by prime minister Gordon Brown and the joint offensive will build security in the nation.

Mr Brown announced yesterday that the UK will send a further 500 soldiers into Afghanistan and Mr Miliband believes that the expansion of the armed forces presence will strengthen the bid to transfer power to the Afghans.

"President Obama set out his strategy in March this year. It’s very consistent with the strategy the prime minister has set out. It’s about building Afghan forces so they can defend their own country," he told the station.

Mr Brown recently announced at the Commonwealth Summit in Trinidad that he hopes an exit strategy to withdraw British troops from Afghanistan can be drawn up next year.

Posted by Daniel Ohio