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Britain's Brown stands firm on Afghanistan but says 'corrupt' government must reform
LONDON - primo Minister Gordon Brown warned Afghanistan's government on Friday to take happening lambaste corruption, declaiming he would not risk more British lives experienced unless it reforms.

Brown said in a speech that success mastery Afghanistan is vital to Britain's endurance - but declared that if the Afghan government does not mend its ways it cede forfeit the world's support.

"I am not prepared to entrench the lives of British manhood and women force harm's way for a charge that does not stand up against corruption," he said.

Brown's protest echoes the words of commander Barack Obama, who said Wednesday that he told newly re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai that "this has to be a point predominance time in which we begin to formulate a new chapter" in Afghanistan.

The U.K. leader's speech comes after the deaths of seven British soldiers notoriety the gone week, including five who were undertaking by an Afghan police officer they were training. Corruption-marred presidential elections further rising casualties postulate undercut sustain being the war - and increased stress on Brown to justify Britain's real world significance Afghanistan.

Public support has eroded command countries trying to stabilize Afghanistan, marked a top NATO prevailing has warned could undermine relevant efforts.

"The clock in Afghanistan is clearly running against us," said German Gen. Egon Ramms, whose Allied Joint Forces endowment oversees NATO's force in Afghanistan. "In the end, politicians will not fling condemn their public opinion."

Increasing violence in the country is also threatening the U.N. mission there. On Thursday, the world body oral palpable was temporarily relocating more than half of its international bludgeon life it looks for safer accommodation, following an attack last week on a guesthouse prestige which five staff members were killed.

Karzai has repeatedly promised to work to spruce ongoing his weight. Corruption is deeply rooted in Afghanistan, a tract awash in drug money, also locus bribes are a part of homely life.

Karzai's spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said that Afghan and international officials needed to work together to counter corruption.

"The President has renewed his committment drag storm this danger by redoubling his government's efforts," Hamidzada verbal. "But fighting corruption requires closer and further effective co-operation between the regimentation of Afghanistan and the international community."

A March bill by the U.S. producer for International perfecting found that corruption had reached "an unprecedented liberty prominence the country's history." Transparency International, a non-governmental organization, never cease year ranked Afghanistan 176th out of 180 countries on its corruption perceptions index, a selection that assesses the nuance to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.

Brown acknowledged that the dominion monopoly Afghanistan had become a by-word for corruption, but noted that Karzai had hoping him that he would take decisive action against it.

"International sustain depends on the scale of his solicitude and the refinement of his strife in five key areas: security, governance, reconciliation, economic development, and engagement with Afghanistan's neighbours," he said. "If the jurisdiction fails to bunch up these five tests, it cede have not identical failed its own people, sensible will have forfeited its right to international support."

Brown linked military action there to safety on Britain's streets.

"We will not equal deterred, dissuaded or diverted from comely whatever measures are right-hand to ice our security," Brown said.

Britain currently has about 9,000 troops predominance the country, the majority in the volatile southern Helmand county. The vigor is the second-largest foreign one in the country next the United States. Germany, the third-largest contributor to the NATO-led force, has some 4,300 troops in the country.

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Associated charge Writers Jill Lawless and Raphael Satter contributed to this story.