London: British Prime Minister David Cameron is will signal the end of his country’s involvement in the Afghan War by announcing a major reduction in the number of combat troops.
Cameron is expected to reveal that at least 4,500 troops, over half of the British force, will be withdrawn from the country by the end of next year’s “fighting season”.
He will, however, avoid offering a precise timetable for withdrawal, amid tensions between politicians and defence chiefs over how rapid the scaling down should be, the Telegraph reports.
According to the paper, around 500 troops will leave by the end of this year as Britain and its NATO partners begin discussing the number and type of troops that should remain in Afghanistan when foreign soldiers depart at the end of 2014.
The paper pointed out that senior commanders believe that drawing down troop numbers too quickly could endanger the lives of those British forces remaining in Helmand.
They also warn that the move could derail the entire exit strategy, the paper said.
ANI
First Published: Monday, December 17, 2012, 11:17