Afghan withdrawal ‘based on politics, not strategy’
23rd June 2011
Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, said he worried that the withdrawal was based on “political and electoral timescales”.
Oh, really? Imagine that.
Lord Stirrup told BBC Radio Four that leaders should order withdrawal when there is a “propitious moment to do it — not because there are elections forthcoming in our own countries”.
He said: “It should be a coherent and phased handover to Afghan forces. The concern I had about what was announced last night is the date of summer next year does seem to be more closely related to political and electoral timescales than it does to a phased handover of lead to Afghan National Security forces.”