HC Deb 14 September 2004 vol 424 cc1539-40W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on(a) the number of fighters serving with the militias in Afghanistan and (b) the arms available to them. [188362]

Mr. Ingram

It is difficult to estimate accurately the number of fighters serving with militias in Afghanistan accurately, due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable intelligence reporting and the precise definition of what constitutes a militia fighter. Nevertheless, we estimate there to be around 50–60,000. They are predominantly armed with Soviet-era small arms and heavy weapons from the 1950s–1980s period.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with other members of NATO on the need for additional resources for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. [188363]

Mr. Ingram

The United Kingdom strongly supports the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as an essential part of the international community's efforts to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan. Our leadership of Stage 1 of ISAF expansion and our deployment of Harrier GR7 aircraft to support both ISAF and coalition operations are examples of this commitment. In this context, we routinely engage with our NATO allies to discuss what additional resources are needed to facilitate ISAF expansion.

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