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RUSI analysis on Afghanistan: More

: Options for Britain's Defence and Security

Chief of the Defence Staff Lectures

The Chief of the Defence Staff Lectures have become a fixture in the UK defence calendar. Held annually at RUSI, they afford Britain's senior-most officer an opportunity to take stock of issues affecting Britain's armed forces.

On 3 December 2009 Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, UK Ministry of Defence addressed RUSI members on the UK's operational commitments in Afghanistan. In his annual lecture to the Royal United Services Institute in London, the Chief of the Defence Staff said the Taliban could not win in Afghanistan. But the international coalition could fail if it lost its nerve. He said: 'The Taliban is not going to defeat us militarily, but we want the same patience, courage and discipline that soldiers show here from the public at home.'

Listen to the 2009 lecture (CLICK HERE FOR TEXT)