# Oh...this will help.....More British diplomats for Afghanistan



## GAP (24 Jan 2007)

More British diplomats for Afghanistan
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LONDON, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- The British Government is to send up to 35 extra diplomatic staff to Afghanistan, the BBC reported Wednesday.

The deployment will make the country one of the UK Foreign Office's biggest overseas postings.

Government sources said the move is an attempt to prevent the country suffering the same level of chaos and violence as Iraq.

Officials said staff will focus on tackling drug production and corruption as well as building institutions.

Currently there are between 50 and 100 UK-based diplomats in Afghanistan, including counter-narcotics specialists.

The new staff are expected to be deployed to the British Embassy in Kabul and to Lashkar Garh in the south of the country over the coming months.

Foreign Office officials say the priorities will be to combat corruption, help build government institutions in the south and to tackle the production of opium.

The newly enlarged embassy staff will be headed by one of Britain's highest profile diplomats Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, who is currently ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

A fluent Arabist, he was previously ambassador in Tel Aviv.
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