UK's new Afghan mantra: Buy off Taliban

British forces stationed in Afghanistan have been issued new guidelines, asking them to buy off potential Taliban recruits with "bags of gold".

According to a new army field manual, army commanders have also been asked to talk to insurgent leaders with "blood on their hands" in order to end the conflict in Afghanistan soon.

The rewritten counter-insurgency guidelines, which will be taught to all new army officers, is a recognition that the Army's previous doctrine for success against insurgents, which was based on the experience in Northern Ireland, is now out of date.

Addressing the issue of paying off the locals, the new manual states that army commanders should give away enough money to dissuade them from joining the enemy.

The Times quoted Major-General Paul Newton, as saying: 'The best weapons to counter insurgents don't shoot. In other words, use bags of gold in the short term to change the security dynamics. But you don't just chuck gold at them; this has to be done wisely.'

Adam Holloway, a former army officer and the Tory MP for Gravesham in Kent, said that the idea was a matter of 'shutting the door after the horse has bolted'.

'I know that a number of generals thought in 2006 that, rather than send a British brigade to Helmand, they should buy off people in the tribal areas. Now it's too late,' he said.

The new guideline comes despite Britain's previous futile experience of doling out cash in Afghanistan.

Nearly 16 million Pounds in cash were given to Afghan farmers to stop them growing poppy crops for the heroin trade, which helps to fund the Taliban. The money had little impact on the opium yields.