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Lib Dem calls for rethink on war in Afghanistan

Sep 20 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

BRITAIN’S war on terror in Afghanistan could become “our Vietnam” with even more North blood being spilt, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg warns today.

At the start of his party’s annual conference, Mr Clegg told the Sunday Sun it’s vital a new strategy is forged in the Middle East.

In an outspoken attack, he also went on and blasted the “lamentable” leadership of Gordon Brown over the war and warned it would be increasingly seen as “unwinnable” unless there was a major rethink.

His comments come as more than 200 UK servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan, including over a dozen from across the North, sparking doubts over the Government’s current strategy.

The Lib Dem leader stressed he did not want to “pull the rug out from under the military operation” but warned it had been over-ambitious and under-resourced.

“What I am very clear about is that we will continue to lose men and women if we don’t change the strategy,” said Mr Clegg, whose party conference gets under way in Bournemouth today.

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