To ask Her Majesty's Government following the comments of the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on 2 March that the military war in Afghanistan cannot be won, what assessment they have made of the likelihood of success in that campaign; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of failure resulting in Al Qaeda re-establishing training camps there. [HL1923]

Enduring success in Afghanistan cannot be achieved by military means alone. This is why the international community is working with the democratically elected Afghan Government to deliver the security, governance and development necessary to suppress the insurgency and ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for international terrorists.

The reality is that we are making progress but it will take time and patience to achieve our objectives.