Miliband warns about Afghan pullout

UK's Labour leader Ed Miliband called on the international community to ‘up its game’ on political progress in Afghanistan – or risk wasting a decade of sacrifice by British soldiers. He expressed fears that the country would slip back into being a failed state when combat troops are withdrawn in 2014, during a visit to the capital Kabul for talks with president Hamid Karzai. He flew in after visiting troops serving in southern Helmand, where he expressed surprise at the level of progress being made in training the Afghan security forces ahead of the international pullout. Despite giving his backing to the planned withdrawal date - reaffirmed at last weekend's Nato summit in Chicago - and to Prime Minister David Cameron's approach, he said there was 'a long way to go'. In an address to troops at the end of a tour of British bases yesterday, Miliband told a gathering of troops that political failure must not be allowed to undermine their 'extraordinary' efforts. A total of 414 members of UK forces have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001.