British troops heading for Afghanistan with orders to take on the drug barons risk triggering a new confrontation there, according to MPs. The Commons Defence Committee fears a British-led operation to combat the region’s powerful opium smugglers could lead to a deterioration in security in Helmand province, which British troops are hoping to stabilise. The MPs want ministers and military commanders to detail the precise role the British forces will play in countering the gangs who produce 90 per cent of the world’s opium. Full Story