Hoon warns against Afghan targets

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Speaking to Radio 4 this afternoon, former defence minister Geoff Hoon warned the government against setting artificial targets for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Hoon said:

“There’s nothing wrong with having an ambition but the important thing is that that doesn’t become a specific target. There’s nothing wrong with saying by 2015 we will have trained substantial number of Afghan forces.”

This followed current defence minister Liam Fox’s statement on the future of the Afghan mission in parliament after PMQ’s today, in which he said that UK forces would be withdrawn from the Sangin region of Helmand province by the end of the year.

In response, shadow defence secretary Bob Ainsworth attempted to clear up confusion over the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

Ainsworth argued that confusion had arisen as to whether there will be a “conditions based” withdrawal, or whether there is a clear deadline for troop withdrawal, saying:

“I think it is enormously important that that point is cleared up.”