Brits out of Afghanistan by 2015

David Cameron has made it clear he wants a full withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan by 2015.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the G8 summit outside Toronto.

When asked by Sky News whether the 10,000 British troops in Afghanistan would be brought back home by Britain’s next general election, Cameron said, “I want that to happen, make no mistake about it. We can’t be there for another five years, having been there for nine years already.”

US President Barack Obama says that a US withdrawal should begin next summer, although General David Petraeus, who recently replaced General Stanley McChrystal as the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, may call for another timetable.

One thing that is clear is that the British will have a stake in Afghanistan even after troop withdrawals, Cameron stated.

“Britain should have a long-term relationship with Afghanistan, including helping to train their troops and their civil society, long after the vast bulk of troops have gone home,” he added.

“So, let’s get the conditions so the troops can come home, but let’s remember there should always be training missions, diplomatic missions, and trade missions in Afghanistan as part of a very strong relationship,” he said.