SORRY, COUSINS:

Bob Ainsworth criticises Barack Obama over Afghanistan (James Kirkup, Thomas Harding and Toby Harnden, 24 Nov 2009, Daily Telegraph)

Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, has blamed Barack Obama and the United States for the decline in British public support for the war in Afghanistan.

Mr Ainsworth took the unprecedented step of publicly criticising the US President and his delays in sending more troops to bolster the mission against the Taliban.

A “period of hiatus” in Washington - and a lack of clear direction - had made it harder for ministers to persuade the British public to go on backing the Afghan mission in the face of a rising death toll, he said.