Clegg voices Afghan campaign fear

Mr Clegg said he would be asking about how to deal with the opium trade

Failure in Afghanistan would be "devastating" while the Nato mission was "hanging in the balance", Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said on a visit.

Speaking during his first trip there, Mr Clegg warned that without lasting peace and stability Afghanistan could revert to a "pariah state".

"The consequences of failure would be devastating," he said.

Mr Clegg is spending two days visiting British troops and holding talks with Afghan leaders.

"Afghanistan is the most important conflict of our generation," he said.

"If we fail to secure lasting peace and stability, Afghanistan will revert to a pariah state, feeding the international drugs trade and offering a haven for terrorism that will threaten global security for the conceivable future.

My aim in travelling to Afghanistan is to discuss these vital issues on the ground with politicians, military commanders and soldiers serving on the front line Nick Clegg Lib Dem leader

"Yet the success of our mission in Afghanistan hangs in the balance. International efforts have not yet delivered the stability and security that the people of Afghanistan deserve.

"So we must ask tough questions, of ourselves and our allies, to ensure we succeed."

Mr Clegg said the international community needed to demonstrate "greater unity in the way aid and reconstruction support is provided".

There were also crucial questions over how many UK troops should be on the ground, how to tackle the opium trade, and how to engage with neighbouring states, he added.

"My aim in travelling to Afghanistan is to discuss these vital issues on the ground with politicians, military commanders and soldiers serving on the front line," he said.

"I want to listen, learn and seek answers to the difficult question marks hanging over the success of our mission in Afghanistan."