The last thing we want to do is to go into an area and inflict unnecessary civilian casualties. One is too many.

Our aim is always to minimise casualties and to separate a hardline Taliban from those who have been caught up in the insurgency.

Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.

Failure in Afghanistan would have profound consequences for our national security. It would undermine the NATO alliance structure that has been the bedrock of Britain's defence for the last 60 years... I will not allow this to happen on my watch.

The casualty figures that we have received from the enemy are somewhere about 10 times that amount, ... About civilian casualties, there is no authoritative figure out there.

We are not in Afghanistan because girls were not allowed to go to school, but helping them do so will give the Afghan people hope for a better future.