Britain's army chief said Wednesday that more troops are needed in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand as soldiers pursue a bloody campaign to uproot Taliban fighters ahead of elections next month. Gen. Richard Dannatt, outgoing head of the British army, said larger numbers of soldiers are needed to hold territory won in intense combat and to give ordinary Afghans more confidence in the region's security. It doesn't matter whether the soldiers are British, American or Afghan, he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Britain has around 9,000 troops in Helmand and has suffered heavy losses. The deaths of 15 soldiers this month _ including eight in a 24-hour period _ have prompted debate over whether the conflict is winnable. About 4,000 U.S. Marines began operations in Helmand this month, seeking to prevent the Taliban from disrupting the country's presidential ballot on August 20. «I have said before, we can have effect where we have boots on the ground. I don't mind whether the feet in those boots are British, American or Afghan, but we need more, to have the persistent effect to give the people confidence in us,» Dannatt told BBC radio from Sangin, in Helmand. «That is the top line and the bottom line.»
