Afghanistan

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Excerpts
Wednesday 7th July 2010

(14 years, 4 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Portrait Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
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Let me bring the noble Lord back to the point made by my noble friend Lord Myners. I do not think that my noble friend was referring to the current arrangements, which we all understand are ISAF arrangements on which there has been a broad area of agreement in your Lordships’ House. My noble friend was asking what precedent there is for announcing a withdrawal by May 2015. It is that that is causing so much worry because it is thought to give people on the ground who are harming our troops—al-Qaeda, the Taliban and others—a target date by which they know we will be gone. It is that precedent that we would like the noble Lord to address.

Lord Astor of Hever Portrait Lord Astor of Hever
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My Lords, there are always events. What the Prime Minister has said was an aspiration, to which we very much hope that as a country we can keep, although we could be overtaken by events.