Gordon Brown sets date for Afghanistan pull-out summit

Prime minister Gordon Brown has set a date for a summit which will see leaders thrash out an exit strategy to withdraw British troops from Afghanistan.

Mr Brown revealed yesterday that soldiers could be withdrawn from the country within a year, saying that Helmand province and others under British control could be handed to Afghan forces.

The prime minister made the announcement with UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon at the Commonwealth Summit in Trinidad, adding that British troops will be used to train around 50,000 Afghan soldiers.

"I want the conference to set conditions needed for a district-by-district handover. I believe this can begin in 2010 in a number of districts, including one or two in Helmand itself," Mr Brown stated.

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth has confirmed that an additional 500 soldiers are to be sent to Afghanistan, taking the number of British troops in the country to more than 9,500.