Gordon Brown Surprises Troops in Afghanistan

Gordon Brown flew into southern Afghanistan today for a surprise visit to British troops.

The chancellor arrived in Kandahar, accompanied by the defence secretary, Des Browne, to meet UK military commanders and local political leaders.

He was also expected to talk informally to some of the 6,300 soldiers Britain has based in Afghanistan, mainly around the lawless Helmand province, where there has been heavy fighting.

The chancellor was making his first visit to the country. A Treasury source told the Press Association news agency: "The main reason for the visit is to see British troops, hear about their experiences and see their equipment, taking an opportunity to see, on the ground, the results of the investment that has gone in over the past 12 months."

In the past year, a number of British commanders who have served in Afghanistan have stoked controversy by questioning some aspects of the UK's mission in the country and the resources being made available, such as the number of helicopters. Mr Browne has insisted the situation has now improved and commanders are been given what they need.

Mr Brown announced an extra £400m for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in his budget earlier this month.

"The chancellor will also be talking to local political leaders about helping economic development in Afghanistan," the source added.

Kandahar is the country's second largest city and was the first to be captured by the Taliban in the mid 1990s before they took over the country. The city was the last main Taliban stronghold to fall during the US-led invasion in late 2001.

As well as being a centre of insurgent fighting in Afghanistan, Helmand is the world's largest poppy-growing region and the question of how far Britain/Nato should be involved in counter-narcotics operations has been a controversial issue.

The government and Nato have both been criticised for not having a clear, consistent policy on the issue and any comments by Mr Brown today on the subject will be closely scrutinised.

The overwhelming majority of heroin in Europe is sourced from Afghanistan. However, some argue that counter-narcotics work further imperils British troops by alienating the many farmers who grow opium poppies.

More than 50 British troops have died in Afghanistan, most of them in 2006. A Taliban commander warned earlier this year that insurgent attacks on British troops will escalate this year.

Some 4,000 people died in insurgency-related violence last year, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from US, Nato and Afghan officials.

Mr Browne announced last month that Britain would send an additional 1,400 troops to southern Afghanistan, increasing the British contribution to the Nato-commanded force to 7,700 troops.

The defence secretary has tried, largely in vain, to get bigger military contributions to the mission in Afghanistan from other Nato allies.

The latest footage from Afghanistan showed Mr Brown, wearing chinos, a dark jacket and open necked blue shirt, meeting British officers after touching down.

It is usual for the visit of high-ranking politicians to be kept secret until they are on the ground for security reasons.