By Bob Ainsworth, Secretary of State for Defence (THE TIMES, 09/12/09):

One hundred British troops have been killed this year in Afghanistan. Each death is a personal tragedy for the families, friends and comrades of those killed, the first every bit as significant as the last. In theatre at the moment, I have been able to see first hand the effect that this has on the troops serving in Helmand.

I understand the strength of public feeling back in the UK when confronted with the reality of the fighting in Afghanistan. Progress has come at a heavy human cost.

It has been a heavy cost for the Afghans too. Many fight bravely and share the dangers faced by our troops. In August and September 223 Afghan military and police were killed in action. As soldiers’ bodies are repatriated to the UK and funerals take place, people rightly ask — is it worth it?

The Nato mission in Afghanistan is a conflict of necessity, not choice. It is vital to the national security of the UK. British Forces are part of a coalition of more than 40 nations that have made the same judgment about their national security. We fight together, make decisions together, and take the risks together.

We are in Afghanistan because the Taleban gave safe haven to the terrorists of al-Qaeda, who helped to plan and carry out attacks around the world, including the atrocities of 9/11. Getting rid of the brutal Taleban regime in 2001 was only the first part of the job. The second is to make sure that al-Qaeda cannot return to Afghanistan and use it to plan and direct further atrocities.

Some argue that al-Qaeda is now located in the borderlands of Pakistan, so there is no point in this mission. But if we were to abandon Afghanistan, who believes that they would not take root there again? We would just have to do it all over again.

After 30 years of war, the Afghans are not strong enough to prevent their territory being used as a base for terrorists. When they are, our troops can come home.

That’s why the focus on training Afghan troops and police is so important. About 90 per cent of International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) operations are carried out in conjunction with the Afghan Army, which is starting to lead independent operations. Meeting the targets for a larger Afghan Army will be a challenge, but it is one that we are determined to meet.

From the military point of view, we have taken essential steps this summer. In the south, the centre of the insurgency, the thousands of extra US, UK and other Nato troops have enabled the Afghan Government to extend its authority around the main population centres. Across Helmand province, UK, US, Danish, Estonian and Afghan forces have had a big impact on the insurgency. Significant numbers were killed, moved away or turned. Initiatives by the Governor of Helmand have cut poppy cultivation by a third, removing funds from the insurgents and criminal gangs. Unable to meet Isaf forces head on, the insurgents rely on the indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), many of which kill and maim Afghans. This is one of many reasons why the Taleban are deeply unpopular. The Afghans do not want them back.

What they do want is the security necessary to get on with their lives. So progress is not measured just in insurgents killed but in improvements to the quality of life. In Helmand, 63 schools have opened in the past 11 months, many new hospitals and health clinics too. Only an approach that marries security to development and governance will meet our collective objectives in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have set out our political strategy and the essential steps required from the Afghan Government. The commitment of President Karzai to reach out to his opponents to promote national reconciliation, to strengthen the Afghan security forces and to stamp down on corruption is crucial.

The new 9,500-strong UK force is part of a wider commitment by the alliance on strategy and delivery. The decision by the US and other Nato countries to commit tens of thousands more is a demonstration of our collective resolve.

Some argue that our presence in Afghanistan boosts violent extremism around the world, but the greatest boost to their vicious ideology would be for us to retreat now. The idea that we can somehow insulate ourselves, that we can retreat behind the walls of some fictitious “fortress Britain”, is wrong. If we abandon Afghanistan now, as it has been abandoned before, it would only be a matter of time before we felt the consequences.

So we must maintain momentum and get the job done. This will not happen overnight. It will cost more lives before we are finished and some of them will be British lives. But we cannot afford to be half-hearted in Afghanistan — and neither can we afford it at home. Our Forces risking life and limb deserve our support.

The Taleban-led insurgents cannot defeat Nato in the field. They will hope to outlast us and sap support at home. They will succeed only if we lose our resolve. We must not. We will not.