Gordon Brown’s announcement of the conditional dispatch of a further 500 British troops to Afghanistan represents a sop to the Atlantic alliance, rather than a change of heart in Downing Street. The prime minister and his advisers are deeply sceptical – as is President Barack Obama – about whether a reinforced combat effort will change much in an increasingly unpopular war.
But the American military has exerted huge pressure on the White House and US allies. “We face a crisis of confidence,” Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, told an audience in London recently. “This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely.”
Gen McChrystal argues that only by providing Afghans with local security can the country be stabilised. More Nato troops are needed to do this, as well as to train Afghan soldiers. He is exasperated by the two-month delay since he delivered to the White House an urgent request for reinforcements. “Uncertainty dismays our allies and emboldens our enemies,” he says.
The president is still deliberating about how many extra troops to send. Mr Brown’s gesture this week suggests that the Americans will somewhat strengthen their forces, with a modest top-up from Britain. But it is implausible that even a reinforced Nato army can secure a country the size of France unless the population shares its objectives.
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