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Blair: U.K. Will Stay in Afghanistan | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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LAHORE, Pakistan, (AP) – British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday said more must be done to support moderates in the battle against terrorism or the war against extremism will fail.

The visiting British premier, in a press conference with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, also said U.K. forces will continue battling Taliban in Afghanistan to prevent the spread of extremism in that war-wracked country.

“This terrorism that we are facing, of which one manifestation is what has happened in Afghanistan, has been a long time going and will take a long time to defeat,” Blair said during a visit to the eastern city of Lahore.

Blair said promoting democracy and development and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis were vital to ensuring moderates win out over extremists.

“To fail on this would (mean this would be) defeated, and we mustn’t be defeated,” Blair said.

Musharraf said Pakistan was doing all it could to prevent extremists in his country aiding the war in Afghanistan, but acknowledged his government needed to do more to stamp out the threat.

“The Taliban problem is an Afghan problem … being supported by elements from this side,” Musharraf said. “We need to put our house in order on our side.”