Cameron, Petraeus back Afghan troops

LONDON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Training the fledgling Afghan military is the top strategic priority for the war, the British prime minister said during a London meeting with David Petraeus.

British Prime Minister David Cameron met in London with Petraeus, a U.S. Army general and the top military commander in Afghanistan, to discuss the progress of the war.

"The prime minister confirmed that 320 British troops would be redeployed in training roles to help accelerate the training effort," a spokesman for Cameron said in a statement.

Both sides agreed, the British government said, that training Afghan security force was the "highest strategic priority" for the Afghan campaign.

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said earlier this week that he was sending another 320 British troops to Afghanistan to help train members of the Afghan military.

Fox said developing a capable Afghan force was the "best way" to improve security to the country and rotate British soldiers home.

British forces in Helmand province are serving as trainers for Afghan security forces. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he would like to take over responsibility of security operations in his country by 2014.