British Leader Outlines Goals for Afghanistan and Yemen Conferences

25 January 2010

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks to the media during his monthly press conference inside 10 Downing Street in central London, 25 Jan. 2010

In his monthly news conference, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined what he hopes can be achieved in the two one-day international gatherings on Afghanistan and Yemen that will be held this week in London.

Mr. Brown says the London Afghan conference will outline force projections and also training projections for Afghan troops and police with the bottom-line objective being that British forces can come home once the Afghans themselves are in a position to provide their own security.

"The London conference will be attended by President Karzai, the U.N. Secretary General Ban, 60 nations will be represented," he said. "We will be announcing new figures from NATO forces and for Afghan forces in the time to come and we will be focusing on how the political and civilian surge that we plan in Afghanistan can match and compliment the military surge that is taking place."

Meanwhile, the top commander in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal tells Britain's

Financial Times

newspaper that increased troop levels could bring a negotiated peace with the Taliban.

At Gordon Brown's news conference, the British leader was asked directly if he backed efforts to try to win over the allegiance of militants.