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Afghan general urges new effort

The British general leading Nato forces in Afghanistan has called for a year-long concerted effort to secure victory against the Taliban.

General David Richards told the Guardian that "more military effort" needs to be put into the country.

He said success in frustrating the Taliban had been "against the odds" and the result of "exceptionally brave and skilled fighting" - but had been achieved with fewer troops than were required.

Gen Richards said he is concerned Nato countries might believe "they can get away with it" again - which would be a "dangerous assumption".

He added: "We should and can win in Afghanistan but we need to put more military effort into the country. We must apply ourselves more energetically for one more year in order to win."

The military is "hugely frustrated" by not being given the power and money to orchestrate the campaign while civilian colleagues engaged in reconstruction are not "geared up" to serve in the "energetic manner" needed.

He criticised the Department for International Development, although he said the situation has improved.

"I will not conceal our frustration with the speed of DfID's delivery on the ground and an occasional reluctance to join with us as necessary planning partners," he said.

The general also said it would take a long time to eradicate Afghanistan's opium poppies, the source of much of the heroin reaching Britain's streets.

"This effort will succeed - it must - but it will take many years and needs much more effort yet," he added.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/s...362223,00.html

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To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway