Afghan Trip Troubles Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown stirred up a storm of trouble at home by making a surprise visit to British troops stationed in Afghanistan Saturday. Former Prime Minister John Major called the stopover a “cynically-timed political stunt,” saying that Brown was aiming to distract people from a governmental inquiry into the Iraq war. Aides countered, saying Brown has made regular trips to Afghanistan and questioned whether Conservatives would “prefer if the prime minister didn’t thank our armed forces for their efforts…?” Politics will grow increasingly bitter in the U.K. as the country heads towards a national election this spring.