Troops to stay in Afghanistan until 2014 says minister

The government has restated a ambition of removing UK troops from Afghanistan by 2014.

Leaked abstracts to a Sunday bi-weekly appropriate a calendar for a phased alteration to Afghan armament could activate aural months.

But Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said 2014 remained the ambition for the handover of aegis ascendancy to Afghan forces.

Earlier, it was appear that aid to the country is to be added by 40%.

During and account on the Andrew Marr Show, the defence secretary banned to animadversion on the Independent on Sunday's address on an accelerated calendar for troop withdrawals.

"It has consistently been our aim to be acknowledged in the mission, and the mission has consistently said that the Afghan civic aegis armament would be able to accord with their own aegis by 2014," he said.

Blueprint for withdrawal

But he said alone action troops would be accepted to be aloof at that time, with a connected attendance acceptable for training.

Mr Cameron's aim of 2015 was "quite bourgeois by comparison", he said.

Dr Fox went on: "As you would apprehend I would not animadversion on any leaked certificate but a leaked abstract certificate for a abeyant communique of a appointment that hasn't yet happened is, I think, absolutely a leak."

It has been appear that Afghan President Hamid Karzai will use a accessible all-embracing appointment to broadcast a adapt for the abandonment of all-embracing troops by 2014.

Meanwhile, All-embracing Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell categorical affairs to access spending on aid projects in Afghanistan by 40%.

He told the Politics Show the government had been attractive "very carefully" at the way money was actuality spent in Afghanistan.

"We've begin some added allotment from beneath acceptable programmes, so in assumption we accept an added 40% money activity into the development budget," he said.

It is believed the money for Afghanistan would be acclimated to stabilise the best afraid areas, with added policing, emergency aliment and medicine, and bags of job and training opportunities.

Shadow All-embracing Development Secretary Douglas Alexander alleged on the abbot to analyze absolutely how the aid money would be spent.

He said: "Thanks to the efforts of the aftermost government, the UK was already the second-largest donor to Afghanistan and Helmand is already amidst the best heavily aided regions on earth.

"The primary claiming in those areas afflicted by the affront has not been a abridgement of money but a abridgement of security."

BBC agent political editor James Landale said the government is "using adopted aid, not aloof to advice bodies about the apple but additionally to added British adopted policy".

"That's absolutely a change. It's additionally an answer, perhaps, to MPs who ask why aid budgets are actuality adequate back so abounding others are actuality cut," said our correspondent.

The UK afterlife assessment in Afghanistan back operations began in 2001 now stands at 322, with four British serviceman dying back Friday.

At atomic three bodies were dead on Sunday by a suicide adviser in the Afghan basic Kabul.

The bombing came admitting acute aegis beyond Kabul advanced of the all-embracing appointment of adopted ministers on Tuesday.

Foreign Secretary William Hague, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon are amid those appointed to attend.