British Prime Minister Pledges International Commitment to Afghanistan
British Prime Minister Tony Blair traveled to Afghanistan on November 20, where he met with President Hamid Karzai and pledged his nation's commitment in Afghanistan "for as long as it takes."
In a press conference with President Karzai, Prime Minister Blair promised that British and NATO forces would remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future. "We came to Afghanistan because the sickness and the evil that was here came to us," the Prime Minister said, referring to the Sept. 11 attacks. "I don't believe there is an alternative but to fight this and to fight it for as long as it takes…Now is the right time to bring into sharp focus the need to stay with Afghanistan in its move towards progress and redevelopment, to relive the vision that brought us here and should keep us here 'til the job is done.
Prime Minister Blair also traveled to Helmand province to visit hundreds of British troops at Camp Bastion. He assured the soldiers that success against the Taliban would help establish global security. "Here in this extraordinary desert is where the future of world security in the early 21st century is going to be played out," he said.
