John Baron MP presses Prime Minister over mixed messages on Afghanistan

MP highlights contradictory statements during PMQ’s

Today during PMQ’s, John Baron MP questioned the Prime Minister about his recent contradictory statements as to the reason for our presence in Afghanistan.

John said:

“Whatever our individual positions on Afghanistan, it is important there is clarity regarding the mission. The Prime Minister has said that we are in Afghanistan to protect the British people agaisnt terrorism, yet in almost the same breath threatens to abandon the country if President Karzai does not clean up his corrupt Government. These contradictory messages send out mixed signals. Can he now square these two statements?”

The Prime Minister could not do this despite attempting to justify our presence in Afghanistan.

John said afterwards:

“There is no clarity or clear message as to our mission in Afghanistan. Having opposed our initial involvement, believing we fundamentally underestimated the task in hand, I know believe the Government’s dithering and uncertainty is hampering our troops.”

Notes

On the terrorist threat, in his September 2009 speech, Gordon Brown said:

“a mission to protect the British people from the threat of terrorism”

“At present the threat comes mainly from the Pakistani side, but if the insurgency succeeds in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups will once again be able to use it as a sanctuary to train, plan and launch attacks on Britain and the rest of the world.”

In another speech at the beginning of November 2009, Gordon Brown said:

“Sadly, the Government of Afghanistan has become a byword for corruption. And I am not prepared to put the lives of British men and women in harms way for a Government that does not stand up against corruption.”

“If the Government fails to meet these five tests, it will have not only failed its own peopel, it will have forfeited its right to international support.”

[The five tests invluded fighting corruption to give “better governance”]