Context
Days after British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the first major scale down of British troops in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General James Bucknall said that talk of an early pull out could boost the morale of the Taliban. Coalition troop numbers must remain unaltered for another two summer “fighting seasons”, Bucknall added. He warned that the Helmand province, where British forces are stationed, was expected to see heavy fighting in days to come. The remarks come amid heated discussions between political leaders and generals in Washington and London over how soon NATO troops can withdraw from Afghanistan.
