August 22, 2008	Friday	Sha'aban 19, 1429

KABUL, Aug 21: Britain is “utterly resolute” in supporting Afghanistan as it fights the Taliban and pursues democracy, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during a visit to Kabul on Thursday.

Brown flew into the capital from southern Helmand province where he met British troops at a sprawling base of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) helping Afghanistan fight off the extremists.

Even though countries with troops in Afghanistan had suffered losses in recent weeks, “we are utterly resolute in our determination to support this new democracy of Afghanistan,” Brown said.

“We will not relax from our efforts to support reconstruction of Afghanistan because we understand that, with Afghanistan the frontline against the Taliban, what happens in Afghanistan affects the rest of the world,” he said.

Brown pledged more support for Afghanistan, especially in the training and mentoring of the army and police forces and development of the civil service.

Britain would also provide $120 million towards a development fund that would include paying teachers’ salaries and $17 million for a radio station in Helmand, he announced.

Brown said he and Afghan President Hamid Karzai had also discussed allegations that attackers were arriving in Afghanistan from sanctuaries across the border in Pakistan.

“I accept that Pakistan and the problems of terrorism there is something that’s got to be raised with the Pakistan government and (we) will continue to do so,” he said. “We emphasised the importance of better cooperation between the two countries, particularly in dealing with the insurgents that are coming across the border from Pakistan to Afghanistan,” Brown said.

A total of 116 British troops have died in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

Brown was in Afghanistan en route to China for the Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing.—Agencies