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Afghanistan and Pakistan

My Lords, of course noble Lords, including the noble Baroness, are right to question me carefully on this. The Government have a strategy—it is right to have a strategy—but all noble Lords would wish the three conditions to be there to ensure that our troops are properly supported in every way, with enough troops on the ground and enough equipment. That is why we have the conditions. We are confident that the conditions will be met. Again I say that Sir Jock Stirrup, and all those people who are so much better equipped to deal with these matters than I am, are confident that they can be met. Noble Lords laugh at me—they do not think that that is adequate—but it is the case that if the conditions cannot be met it must mean that the 500 extra troops will not be going to Afghanistan; that is the clear outcome. In relation to Pakistan, I am sure the Statement does not wish to put an over rosy view on the situation but it is important, as the noble Baroness will agree, to consider both Afghanistan and Pakistan together. As I understand it, the Opposition in Pakistan are now working together with the Government to ensure that there is much more consensus in the country in favour of doing what has already happened in the Swat Valley and what is happening in other places—that is, beating the Taliban.