§ 27. Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress made in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. [66987]
§ Mr. HoonThe coalition has destroyed the Taliban regime and inflicted serious damage on al-Qaeda. Although remnants of both groups continue to pose a threat, coalition forces—including strong contingents from the United Kingdom—have had considerable success during recent operations. They destroyed weapons caches and bunker positions, obtained valuable intelligence material and denied ground to the Taliban and al-Qaeda in advance of the Loya Jirga, whose outcome was very welcome. We have made clear that the tempo and location of the campaign will vary according to the situation on the ground.
§ 35. Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Afghanistan. [66995]
§ Mr. HoonOverall the security situation in Kabul has greatly improved since the ISAF began its operations there last December. The security situation elsewhere in Afghanistan is more uncertain. But we were pleased with the outcome of the Loya Jirga, and are confident that President Karzai will strive to address these security concerns. The international community is also working to assist the Afghan Islamic Transitional Administration with security sector reform. This includes work on a national police force, border control force and judiciary as well as the Afghan Army.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the involvement of British personnel in southern Oruzgan in Afghanistan for the week of 26 June to 1 July; [68924]
(2) whether British (a) troops and (b) support services were involved in gun battles in southern Oruzgan in Afghanistan during the week of 26 June to 1 July. [68925]
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the combined ISAF force will be after the planned summer withdrawal of troops. [64528]
22W
§ Mr. HoonOn 23 May 2002 the United Nations' Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1413 renewing the authorisation for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to operate only in Kabul and its immediate environs. The combined strength of the force is determined by that requirement. The reduction in the United Kingdom's contribution to the ISAF following Turkey's adoption of the Lead Nation role on 20 June 2002 is offset by the consequent increase in the size of the Turkish contingent. The overall strength of the ISAF will therefore remain at around 5,000 personnel.
§ Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on contact between the US gunship AC-130 and British personnel on 1 July; [68926]
(2) if he will make a statement on contact between US bomber planes and British personnel on 1 July in Afghanistan. [68922]
§ Mr. HoonI assume this question refers to the regrettable bombing of a wedding party on 1 July in Afghanistan. United Kingdom personnel had no contact with the US AC-130 or bomber planes at that time.