Brown urges Afghan cooperation with Pakistan

By Katherine Baldwin

KABUL (Reuters), Aug 21 - Prime Minister Gordon Brown landed in Afghanistan on Thursday for talks with Hamid Karzai, planning to urge the Afghan president to cooperate more closely with Pakistan against terrorism.

Brown arrived in Afghanistan at a time of an upsurge in violence and amid political uncertainty in neighbouring Pakistan following the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf.

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a hotbed for al Qaeda-backed Taliban insurgents, who have stepped up their guerrilla and bombing campaign in Afghanistan this year to oust Karzai's pro-Western government and drive out foreign troops.

The insurgents have been engaging foreign and government troops almost daily, taking the fight to heavily fortified bases in sometimes brazen suicide attacks or with well organised units numbering dozens of fighters.

"I'll be pressing on President Karzai the need for there to be greater cooperation with the Pakistani authorities," Brown told reporters travelling on a plane with him to Afghanistan.

"And we'll be pressing on the Pakistanis themselves the need for them to be involved with us in fighting terrorism and making sure the number of terrorists coming in to Pakistan from Afghanistan is limited," he added.

Britain has some 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, which Brown said were being "reconfigured" to include more secondments to the Afghan army and to tackle the Taliban's new guerrilla tactics.

Brown wouldn't be drawn on whether the absence of Musharraf -- a key Western ally against terrorism -- would hinder the fight against the Taliban. He said Britain worked closely with army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.