Willie Rennie's visit to Afghanistan

12.53.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 17th Jul 2006

Willie Rennie is Member of Parliament for Dunfermline and West Fife and Member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. He joined the Committee on a week long visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan last week.

The recent deaths of British troops in Afghanistan has brought the country sharply into focus for all of us watching from the safe distance of the UK. I say safe distance but the bucket loads on heroin on our streets show the UK is not isolated from the fragile state of Afghanistan. The UN- sanctioned, NATO-led mission in Afghanistan is not only vital to that country but also to ours.

Almost all the heroin on our streets originates in Afghanistan and there is now strong evidence of Taleban involvement in the narcotics trade in the country. This is ironic since the Taleban banned opium poppy cultivation when their brutal and illiberal regime was in charge but such is their determination to raise funds for their insurgency that they are prepared to stoop to any tactics.

The Afghan National Army is primarily responsible for tackling the illegal drugs trade but the UK Government is supporting measures to create alternative livelihoods for farmers who are currently reliant on the poppy. This carrot and stick approach is sound in principle but will require a huge long term effort to be successful.

The carrot and stick is something that Pakistan, crucial to the stabilisation of its neighbour, is also adopting. Some doubt the sincerity of President Musharaf but he does talk passionately about cracking down on terrorists whilst encouraging the extremists to steer clear of a violent lifestyle. These are the terrorists that Afghan President Karzia believes are crossing the border between the two countries at will. Identifying who is a terrorist and who is only a so called harmless extremist will be a difficult task. It is a fine line between the two and will require sound intelligence and judgement.

The porous national boundary is another source of tension between the Pakistan and Afghanistan. To start with the boundary is disputed with the Pashtuns who dominate the border area not recognising any border at all. Indeed, not only does the heroin cross the border with ease but so do the terrorists who attack our troops in Helmand province. Pakistan is putting considerable investment into the war against terror with the resultant loss of 500 troops in battle. They believe they are making a huge commitment with little international recognition and they do this at a time when they face an insurgency in the Balochistan province in the west of the country.

Corruption is rife in Afghanistan. It is said you can buy your way in or out of anything and many police and officials are involved in the drugs trade. Corruption seems to be accepted as a way of life but it is debilitating and hinders reconstruction.

It is impressive to see the discipline and professionalism of our troops on the ground in baking hot and dusty conditions. It is what they are trained to do but with increasing demands placed on our troops with our commitments around the world I have huge respect for them.

The UK is not only involved in the front line we are assisting the Afghan government with the training of army officers. Bringing the discipline of Sandhurst to bear in Kabul will serve the country well in the short and long term.

The military effort will help create the secure conditions that will enable the reconstruction work to begin. The Provincial Reconstruction Teams and the NGOs that help the local people develop the infrastructure for a modern society have found it difficult to operate in Helmand with the Taleban running free. Stage 3 of the ISAF mission is to create a secure environment in the south of the country to enable the PRTs and NGOs to deliver the essential improvements to win hearts and minds. The first two ISAF stages were in the north and the west. The final stage is the east after which the American led coalition Operation Enduring Freedom will be phased out. It is a distinct change from a war mission to a security and reconstruction mission.

Afghanistan's problems are deep rooted and long standing and it has had its fair selection of invaders over the centuries. From King Darius to Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the British, the Russians, the Soviet Union, the US and the Taleban. It will be some time before this country is able to enjoy the health, education and standards of living that many other countries simply take for granted. But our forces are doing what they can in very difficult circumstances to improve security and standards of living for ordinary Afghan people. We owe it to them to offer our full support.