Stirrup pleased with Afghan successes

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A top British military official says he is encouraged by successes against Taliban militants in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

British Chief of the Defense Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup visited British troops in southern Afghanistan Monday to get a face-to-face update from top commanders regarding conditions on the ground, the British Ministry of Defense reported.

Stirrup visited the U.K. military base at Lashkar Gar, where new areas have recently been opened up to reconstruction.

"Our people are doing a vital job -- and doing it superbly," Stirrup said in a statement. They take the fight to the Taliban and defeat them consistently. This is necessary; but all recognize that such military activity is not an end in itself. It is designed to create opportunities for progress on governance and development -- ways that improve the lives of the ordinary Afghan.

"So I am delighted with the work of our civilian and military cooperation teams; their efforts demonstrate clearly to the Afghan people that we and our allies are in this for the long term. Our people are doing a vital job -- and doing it superbly. They take the fight to the Taliban and defeat them consistently."