Liam Fox calls for Afghan mission to be scaled back - The Observer

Government policy on Afghanistan was thrown into confusion yesterday as three Tory cabinet ministers issued contradictory messages about the UK's objectives ahead of a meeting with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

Former military chiefs urged ministers to clarify their approach as a matter of urgency after Liam Fox, the defence secretary, said he wanted troops out "as soon as possible" and insisted that British soldiers were not there "for the sake of the education policy in a broken 13th- century country".

In an interview with the Times, he added: "We are there so the people of Britain and our global interests are not threatened." His comments appeared to be at odds with remarks by Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, and foreign secretary William Hague, whom he accompanied on the trip.

David Cameron said during the election campaign that he would not set an artificial deadline for withdrawing troops, but made clear they should start coming home in the next five years. Liam Fox calls for Afghan mission to be scaled back Politics ...

Mixed messages over Afghan policy
Swift Afghanistan exit not on the cards - Guardian