UK Defense Secretary says Britain could be in Afghanistan for decades

Britain could be engaged in Afghanistan for decades, Defense Secretary Des Browne said in an interview published Sunday.

Asked by People newspaper when British forces would be withdrawn from Afghanistan, Browne said Britain could not afford to let the country of 32 million people revert to being a haven for terrorists. He said the effort to secure Afghanistan would take decades, although he suggested that the military aspect of that commitment could ease sooner than that.

"There is only so much our forces can achieve," Browne said. "The job can only be completed by the international community working with the Afghan government and its army. …