UK cannot fight in Iraq forever: defense secretary
Iraq-UK, Politics, 3/31/2008

British Defense Secretary Des Browne emphasised Saturday that the West must seek diplomatic and military solutions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including reaching out to extremist groups.

With Britain's armed forces suffering from overstretch by being embroiled in both the wars, Browne said: "We can't do this forever and we aren't." "What you need to do in conflict resolution is to bring the people who believe that the answer to their political ambitions will be achieved through violence into a frame of mind that they accept that their political ambitions will be delivered by politics," he said.

His call comes as the escalating cost of deploying 7,800 troops is set to double to 2 billion pounds ($ 4 billion) this year. Speculation is also that the UK is being forced to delay a reduction of troops from 4,100 to 2,500 in Iraq due to a flare-up in fighting in Basra.

But in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Defense secretary suggested that the British withdrawal from Iraq could be "accelerated" rather than delayed by recent events.

"This operation is taking place on a timescale that's quicker than we would have thought as a consequence of the growing confidence of the Iraqis," he said.

"We hope by spring to be able to get to about 2,500. I'm not thinking that everybody could be home by Christmas but when the time is right we can reduce our forces," Browne said.

He claimed that there had been what he called a "phenomenal degree of success against al-Qaida" but whether the country will ever rid themselves of some form of terrorism, he admitted that "time will tell." On changing strategy in Afghanistan, the Defense secretary said his government should talk to some elements of Taleban and Hizbollah, who can be persuaded to change sides.

Some of those fighting British troops in Afghanistan were driven by "self-interest rather than ideology" and could be won over, he said.

"There's no question we should try to reach them. People have been switched." "The Taleban is a collective noun" and contained different strands, some of whom could be talked into supporting democracy, Browne told the Telegraph.

In a previous reversal of policy, Prime Minister Gordon Brown only backed the Afghan government opening negotiations with remnants of the former Taliban regime.

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