Bombing Afghanistan is not just about pleasing the Americans, it is about defending British interests, writes the Labour MP for Hendon ANDREW DISMORE

My last Soapbox article was written in the wake of the horrors of September 11.

A month on and two emergency sessions of Parliament later, we are now in the middle of military action against the perpetrators and those who harbour them.

From the outset, we must remember our quarrel is not with Islam, which is a tolerant and peaceful religion many of us have Muslim friends and their views could not be more different from those of the Taliban.

Still less is our quarrel with the Afghan people, who have suffered terribly. Even before September 11, four million refugees were on the move.

They have endured years of war, drought and Taliban misrule, which has caused the collapse of their country.

Britain has already provided an extra £36million in humanitarian aid, on top of £32million since 1997. Emergency shelters have been flown in and food packages dropped.

The Prime Minister's energetic diplomacy could not have been bettered, as he built an international alliance not just to bring those responsible to account but also to create the humanitarian coalition required to meet the needs of the Afghan people.

Military action is never taken lightly. We sought a peaceful solution and the Taliban had almost a month to hand over Bin Laden for trial.

Our objectives are those set by the UN Security Council in two resolutions and by governments around the world. We have to ensure that Bin Laden, his network and the Taliban who sponsor him cease to pose a threat to innocent lives everywhere.

We are determined to do all we can to avoid civilian casualties: neither the Afghan civilian population nor their homes and property are targets.

This action is about much more than support for the United States of America: it is about defending ourselves, too.

As well as causing the deaths of thousands of US citizens and other nationals, the September 11 attacks caused more British casualties than any other terrorist outrage in our history.

Bin Laden has made clear that unless he is stopped, he will continue those kinds of attacks. His Al Qaida network threatens the whole of the non-Islamic world, including Britain.

He also intends to destabilise moderate Muslim countries. The attack on the heart of New York was an attack on all our lives and livelihoods.

We should also remember that 90 per cent of all heroin sold in Britain originates from the Taliban's poppy fields in Afghanistan, the proceeds of which finance terrorism on a global scale.

To "turn the other cheek" would not appease the terrorists, but lead to even greater danger.

People are bound to be concerned about what the terrorists may seek to do in response, so these are difficult and testing times for all of us.

I have spoken out against fundamentalist extremists in Britain, and some arrests have been made.

But it is also important to note that there is no specific credible threat to the UK of which we are aware.

Our police service in Barnet is nevertheless mounting extra patrols, and altogether there are an extra 1,500 officers on the streets of London.

We have in place tried and tested contingency plans to provide the best possible response to any attacks at home, from those who do not believe in our democracy.

We also need to think ahead for the future of Afghanistan.

The international community must work with the Afghan people as a whole, to develop a government for Afghanistan that represents all the different peoples of that country and their views and interests.

October 16, 2001 14:20