Killings raise fresh questions over war; Vow after five British troops die in attack.

Byline: Gavin Cordon

GORDON Brown insisted last night that Britain must press on in Afghanistan after the killing of five British soldiers by a rogue Afghan policeman prompted fresh questions over the military mission.

The Prime Minister told a sombre House of Commons that it was important to match the resolve shown by the armed forces amid signs that political support for the campaign was fracturing.

The five victims were named last night as Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major from the Grenadier Guards, and Acting Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the Royal Military Police.

Another six British soldiers and two Afghan policemen were wounded in the shooting in the Nad-e'Ali district of Helmand Province on Tuesday.

Former foreign office minister Kim Howells said the attack had struck a blow at the heart of the strategy of building up the Afghan army and police so they could take over responsibility for security from the international forces.

Dr Howells, who now chairs the Intelligence and Security Committee, argued that the Government would be better off using the resources it was spending on the campaign to strengthen anti-terrorism measures in the UK.

Ministers, however, insisted it was vital to deny al Qaida a base in Afghanistan and that the mission remained essential to British national security.

Mr Brown said it appeared the soldiers were deliberately targeted by the Taliban because they feared the success of the international coalition's "Afghanisation" strategy. "Security will be stepped up where that is necessary, but we cannot desist from the practice which is absolutely essential for the future of Afghanistan and the security of our country and that is training and mentoring the Afghan forces," he told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions.

"We must not allow ourselves to give up what the Afghan Taliban fear most and that is that we have a strong Afghan security force that is Afghan-based to be able to face them."

However, Downing Street later sought to play down an assertion by Mr Brown that the Taliban had actually claimed responsibility for the attack. His spokesman said it had simply been "a general comment about what may be likely in a situation like this".

Tory leader David Cameron told the Commons that the attack had "worrying" implications and underlined the need to "clean up" the Afghan police.

"Clearly the attack raises questions about the infiltration of the Afghan police by criminals, by drug dealers, by militants," he said. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg warned that the mission was "in trouble" and would continue to struggle as long as the government of Afghan president Hamid Karzai lacked proper legitimacy.

And Labour backbencher David Winnick demanded: "Can this war be won?" However, the most far-reaching criticisms came from Dr Howells, a former supporter of the military campaign who warned that the whole "Afghanisation" strategy was now in jeopardy. In an article for a London newspaper, he urged withdrawal of British forces and strengthened internal UK security.

"It is time to ask whether the fight against those who are intent on murdering British citizens might better be served by diverting into the work of the UK Border Agency and our police and intelligence services much of the additional finance and resources swallowed up by the costs of maintaining British forces in Afghanistan," he said.

Dr Howells stressed that he was writing in a personal capacity and not as chairman of the ISC.

CAPTION(S):

ON PATROL Above, Afghan National Police in Lashkar Gar. Left, Brigadier General Mirwais Noorzai, deputy regional police commander, and British Commander Major General Nick Carter.