Afghan Govt Collapse if NATO Troops Quit: David Miliband

LONDON: Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband says the Afghanistan government would collapse within weeks if NATO troops left the country right away.

Miliband said insurgent forces would quickly overrun Afghan troops if the international community pulled out.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has said he expects Afghan forces to be able to control the country within five years. Miliband said the international community would stay as long as needed and not stick to “artificial timetables.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told lawmakers last week that Britain remains committed to the Afghanistan mission — despite some public calls for troops to be withdrawn amid a mounting death toll.