Official: Delay hurts U.K. Afghan support

LONDON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama's delay in sending more U.S. troops in Afghanistan has contributed to flagging support in Britain for the mission, an official said.

British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said deaths among British troops deployed in Afghanistan as well as the country's fraud-riddled election also contributed to the falling public support, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

Obama is expected to announce his decision about sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan next week.

Ainsworth's comments came as the British Ambassador to Kabul said he agreed with U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request to send an additional 40,000 troops to help ensure success of the mission. McChrystal is the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

"I have been through the McChrystal analysis as well as the report quite carefully, in order to do my job and advise our government," British Ambassador Mark Sedwill told The Times Tuesday. "I think it is a very compelling analysis."

McChrystal "is talking about a total of 140,000 (International Security Assistance Force) troops, both to secure and protect the population in the short term and create a situation where we build up the Afghan forces, can hand over to them and they take the lead. I think that is right," Sedwill said.

Sedwill said he hoped a U.S. decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, along with Britain's commitment to send an additional 500 soldiers to the Middle Eastern country, will encourage NATO allies to commit additional forces.

Military support must be tied to economic development and political reconciliation for a stronger Afghanistan to emerge, Sedwill said.

"That is why the other element of the McChrystal review is important, which is setting a perspective over the next three to five years when we expect the Afghans to take the lead," the British diplomat said.