DESPITE GRIM MILESTONE, HMG VOWS TO STAY THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001606

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR AF UK
SUBJECT: DESPITE GRIM MILESTONE, HMG VOWS TO STAY THE
COURSE IN AFGHANISTAN

REF: LONDON SIPRNET DAILY JUNE 9

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Maura Connelly for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. UK media gave extensive coverage to the
killing of three paratroopers by a suicide bomber as they
were conducting a routine foot patrol in Helmand province on
June 8. The incident pushed the total number of soldiers
killed over the seven years of British military presence in
Afghanistan to 100. PM Brown and other members of the
Government, including leaders of the main opposition parties,
paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. Public statements by
politicians and private assurances from the FCO, MOD and
parliamentary officials indicate continuing cross party
support for the UK's role in Afghanistan, at current military
levels and with an increasing focus and allocation of
resources to the civilian-reconstruction sector. End Summary.

Continued Military Commitment
--------------


2. (C) FCO Head of Afghanistan Group Matthew Lodge
confirmed that as far as the FCO and MOD were concerned, UK
force levels would remain at approximately 8,000 personnel
for the foreseeable future. While it was unlikely that there
would be any significant increase to that number, the UK was
determined to do all it could within that framework,
including making available additional civilian resources to
the PRT and DfID stabilization programs. The UK announcement
at the June 12 Paris Afghanistan Compact meeting will provide
a more detailed indication of British intentions on the
civilian component of its effort.


3. (C) Lodge said that it was the UK's intention to
coordinate more formally and regularly, at appropriate
levels, with the U.S. government as the American role in the
south increases, and in the run-up to the 2010 RC/S U.S.
command. He said that this process would start with a
high-level inter-departmental (to include FCO, MOD, DfID)
visit to Washington in July (exact dates TBC).

Opposition on Board, but...
--------------


4. (C) In response to the recent military deaths and
overall toll of 100 killed in Afghanistan, Conservative Party
Leader David Cameron said "We owe so much to young servicemen
and women who risk their lives on our behalf," and Shadow
Defense Secretary Liam Fox said "We should be grateful as a
country for the courage and fortitude of those willing to
defend the security and values of an often ungrateful
nation." Shadow Foreign Office Minister Keith Simpson
confirmed to poloff that the Conservative party's support for
the UK's efforts in Afghanistan remains steadfast. He said
that his party would like to see more coordination among
government ministries as well as among coalition partners,
and bemoaned the lack of an overall HMG strategy on
Afghanistan, which he attributed to his view that PM Brown is
"repelled" at dealing with hard security, as opposed to
economic and development, issues.


5. (C) Simpson said that in order to retain public support
for a UK role in Afghanistan, it would be critical to provide
a detailed explanation of the UK's goals and associated
costs. He also returned to a long-standing Conservative
Party criticism of the Labour government, which is that it
does not do enough to care for its soldiers, both on the
battlefield and when they return home. Simpson said that
improvement of conditions for military personnel and their
families would help bolster public support for the
Afghanistan deployment. He did not specify how this
government (or a future Conservative government) would pay
for such improvements.


6. (C) At an Embassy sponsored lunch on the day the bad
news from Afghanistan was published, Liberal Democrat leader
Nick Clegg underlined his party's support for the UK's
efforts in Afghanistan. He echoed Simpson's call for a
clearer message directed at the public, and cited
specifically the need to separate in the public's perception
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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