UK to tighten Afghan police vetting after attack

By Adrian Croft

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Thursday it was working to tighten up vetting of Afghan police recruits after a policeman shot dead five British soldiers, but faced growing calls to bring its 9,000 troops home.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown scheduled a speech for Friday to defend his policy on Afghanistan in the face of mounting casualties and questioning of Britain's military role.

"We are looking to do all we can to improve vetting," Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell told the BBC in the wake of Tuesday's attack, in which the policeman escaped.

All new recruits to the Afghan police already had to have a character reference from a senior police officer or community leader saying they did not have links to Taliban insurgents, Rammell said. Recruits were tested for drug use.

But, highlighting the limitations of vetting, he said there were few, if any, criminal convictions in Afghanistan.

Brown's spokesman said Britain had been working with Afghan police commanders to improve recruitment and vetting procedures.

"Clearly we need to look at that again," he said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack when the British soldiers were killed at a military compound in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.