PM Gordon Brown has warned it could take over ten years to defeat the Taliban. Image: CROWN COPYRIGHT

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied reports it is intending to cut short new recruits’ training so that they can be deployed to Afghanistan earlier, according to the BBC.

The BBC said that a report in The Times claims that training for Army recruits could drop from a minimum of 26 weeks to just 14 weeks.

According to the BBC, the MoD has countered the reports and said no recruits would be deployed without the right training, adding that it has no plans to change training for regular forces. It did, however, say it is reviewing reserve forces’ training.

The Times reported that the move to cut training is down to a personnel shortfall in the battalions due to replace 52 Brigade in Afghanistan. They are 100 troops short, the paper said.

In December 2007, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled a new long-term strategy for Afghanistan following his visit to the country.

He warned that British troops would have to stay in Afghanistan for more than a decade if they are to defeat the Taliban and international drug gangs. There are currently some 7,800 British troops deployed in the country.

By Natasha Piscitelli