Ministers 'united' on Afghanistan

source： BBC News/BBC 中文網
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8698452.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/uk/2010/05/100523_uk_afghan_policy.shtml

The BBC's Mark Dummett says Britain's plan for Afghanistan is likely to receive a mixed response.

UK ministers have put on a united front after Defence Secretary Liam Fox suggested the focus in Afghanistan should move away from reconstruction.

He had said troops were there for UK security not for "the education policy in a broken 13th-century country".

But after talks with Afghan leaders in Kabul he and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell both stressed their commitment to redevelopment.

Foreign Secretary William Hague refused to set a date for UK troop withdrawal.

Before the talks, which took place on an unprecedented trip to Afghanistan by the three Cabinet ministers, Dr Fox argued in the Times newspaper that British troops were not in the country to fix Afghan society.

'Strong words'

"We have to reset expectations and timelines," he said. "National security is the focus now. We are not a global policeman. We are not in Afghanistan for the sake of the education policy in a broken 13th-century country. We are there so the people of Britain and our global interests are not threatened."

The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kabul said these were "strong words" from Dr Fox that signalled the new administration was considering a different approach to the war from its Labour predecessors.

But in a separate interview, Mr Mitchell said creating a stable society in Afghanistan was "absolutely crucial".

"We need to ensure that we help the Afghan people to build a functioning state," he said.

"That's about providing basic education and healthcare facilities but it's also about ensuring there are opportunities for promoting livelihoods so that people have jobs."

Dr Fox and Mr Mitchell later put on a united front when they appeared at a press conference at the British Embassy after the talks.

Dr Fox said Mr Karzai himself had used the phrase "a country that looked like a 13th or 14th century state" to refer to the Afghanistan left behind by the Taliban.

He added: "Of course, what I was pointing out, and I welcome the opportunity to amplify it, is that the primary reason for sending our armed forces to Afghanistan was one of national security.

"But clearly if we are to make the long term gains that will provide the stability to maintain the momentum when our armed forces eventually hand over to the forces of the Afghans, we will require a long period of development in concert with the international authorities, the NGOs and our and other countries' aid programmes."

'No end date'

Mr Mitchell added: "Liam Fox does demonstrate that you can't get a cigarette paper between his views and mine on the importance of joining together better and more effectively defence, diplomacy and development."

Mr Hague refused to set any time frame for Britain's military involvement in Afghanistan.

He told reporters: "Our commitment to success in Afghanistan is one of the things that will help to bring about success.

"And therefore setting end dates for any part of our activity doesn't help actually bring it to a successful conclusion."

Earlier, Col Richard Kemp, former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there seemed to be a "change of approach" from the government but that ministers needed to "get their act together on the message".

Fighting the insurgents that threatened the security of Britain and creating a functioning Afghan state and were both valid objectives, he said.

William Hague and Hamid Karzai took part in discussions
"The priority, as Liam Fox says, is to deal with the security situation in Afghanistan and to ensure the streets of the UK and the rest of the world are safer than they are at present.

"But in order for them to do that, we must rebuild and repair the society in Afghanistan - and that does include things like education policy, the economy, governance etc."

Mr Hague earlier said the three ministers were travelling together to ensure they had "a properly coherent British approach to Afghanistan".

The three Conservative ministers met senior Afghan politicians, including President Hamid Karzai, and General McChrystal.

The talks came after a Sea King helicopter carrying British troops was hit by enemy fire while landing in Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan.

An Army spokesman said the aircraft was arriving at a checkpoint in the Nad-e Ali on Friday when it was hit.

The Ministry of Defence has also announced that about 8,000 British troops based in Helmand province are to come under the operational command of the US.

The move is part of a restructuring of Nato forces, with command and control in southern Afghanistan split into two.

英國新政府承諾「阿富汗政策不變」

正在阿富汗訪問的英國外相黑格拒絕為英軍撤離阿富汗制定一個準確日期，但警告說，英國政府希望盡快從阿富汗撤軍。

黑格同國防大臣福克斯、國際發展事務大臣米徹爾周六（5月22日）會見了阿富汗總統卡爾扎伊。

黑格在會談中向卡爾扎伊明確表示，英國政府希望阿富汗能夠配合國際形勢，盡快結束該國的長期不穩定局勢。

三名英國內閣大臣再次強調了英國致力於長期援助阿富汗的努力與決心。他們表示，阿富汗的安全直接關係到英國和國際社會的安全。

言論反覆

但在此之前，國防大臣福克斯在阿富汗政策方面發表了不同語調的談話。

他在接受「泰晤士報」採訪時曾說，英國軍隊在阿富汗作戰是為了英國的安全，而不是 「在一個滿目瘡痍的13世紀國家推行教育」。
他還說，英國不是國際警察，英軍在阿富汗並不是為了那裏的安全，而是為了英國本國的安全及其全球利益。

但在同阿富汗官員會見之後三名英國大臣統一了口徑。他們指出，幫助阿富汗建立一個穩定的社會「至關重要」，英國將繼續致力於阿富汗的和平穩定與重建。

福克斯解釋自己此前的講話說，卡爾扎伊形容被塔利班破壞的阿富汗「如同一個13或14世紀的國家」，他不過是引用了卡爾扎伊的描述。

BBC駐喀布爾記者杜米特說，福克斯此前所使用的「強硬言辭」可能表明，英國新政府正考慮在阿富汗問題上採用和其前任工黨政府不同的政策。


網路來源: 2010年05月24日 11:04 來源：國際線上
http://big5.ce.cn/gate/big5/intl.ce.cn/qqss/201005/24/t20100524_21436927.shtml

據英國《泰晤士報》24日報道，英國國防大臣福克斯上週六(22日)形容阿富汗為“一個破敗的13世紀國家”，被認為嚴重損害了英國和阿富汗之間的外交關係，阿富汗人譴責福克斯的種族主義以及不尊重阿富汗的行為。

福克斯的此次言論是上週六在一個公開採訪中表明的，該言論引來阿富汗政府、官員以及當地媒體的憤怒。據阿富汗一名高級官員表示，福克斯對於阿富汗國家的定義是在上週六與總統卡爾扎伊的會面中提出的，總統卡爾扎伊對於這個言論深表不滿。

福克斯在採訪中是這麼說的：“軍事行動和人道主義目標是有區別的，我們在這裡(指英軍在阿富汗)不是為了在這個‘破敗的13世紀的國家’實施人道主義啟蒙教育，而是為了英國的全球利益不受威脅。”

阿富汗政府一名高級官員稱：“福克斯的看法似乎是在說阿富汗自13世紀以來就一直沒有改變，這意味著在說阿富汗還處在一個部族社會或者中世紀社會。我不覺得這是一個起碼的互相尊重，這個言論本身就說明瞭缺乏信任和尊重。”

這個言論觸怒了阿富汗當地媒體，Arman-e Melli昨天立即撰文表示：“我們不需要英國人在阿富汗。”一位消息人士稱，福克斯的此番言論將使得英國和阿富汗的關係變差。

福克斯和英國外交部長威廉·黑格(William Hague)、國際開發大臣米歇爾(Andrew Mitchell)于昨晚一起回了英國。英國國防部一名發言人否認福克斯的言論是要與阿富汗對抗，並說這些言論是“毫無依據、沒有道理的。”而福克斯的辦公室則表示：“阿富汗總統卡爾扎伊本人曾有類似的話說過，塔利班留下了一個13或14世紀落後的阿富汗。”(李冉) （責任編輯：師子奇）