LONDON (AFP) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown played down Wednesday the threat of a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, saying the recent wave of violence that killed 10 French soldiers had always been expected.
He also stressed the importance of close ties between Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan, which he said was facing a "period of political uncertainty" after the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf.
"We'll be pressing on the Pakistanis themselves to be involved with us in fighting terrorism and making sure the number of terrorists coming into Afghanistan from Pakistan is limited," he said.
"Obviously we have had a period of political uncertainty in Pakistan... I think it's very important now that we see the Pakistan and Afghan governments working together," speaking as he headed off for the Beijing Olympic Games.
He voiced sadness at the deaths of 10 French NATO soldiers in an ambush 50 kilometres (30 miles) outside Kabul Tuesday, adding: "We have obviously also suffered casualties because of the summer offensive.
"We have always expected there to be a summer offensive (because of) the fact that there was very little of a spring offensive," he said, adding the Taliban had changed tactics to "a more guerilla campaign" including roadside mines and suicide bombers.
"It's a summer offensive of the Taliban. We will see that happening but in our view our strategy will be to build up the Afghan army... to build up the rest of Afghan society," he added,
He told reporters that he had written to French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressing sadness at the French deaths and expressed admiration for France's "resolve" in the face of the losses.
Britain has around 7,800 troops in Afghanistan as part of the 40-nation NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), while Pakistan is a former colony.
Brown hailed the expansion of the Afghan army, which he said was currently 60,000 strong and should eventually hit 120,000, and underlined the importance of further economic development in Afghanistan.
But he also urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government to "sort out the government so that we have a full attack on corruption", adding: "We want to see on the ground the delivery of results."
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