A British writer who had talks with Taleban leaders in Afghanistan last year has said that the only way to make progress is to “learn to live” with the fundamentalists.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Book Festival yesterday, James Fergusson said that the Army had “blown its chances” in the war-ravaged country and that trying to continue solely on a military basis was “pure folly”.

In his new book, A Million Bullets, Mr Fergusson describes a meeting near Kabul with a Taleban leader named Abdullah, who told him that they would be prepared to fight a jihad against the foreign forces for “ten million years”. Referring to the Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th century, he told Mr Fergusson that, for them, fighting the British felt like “unfinished business”.

Quoting the figures cited recently by General Dan McNeill, the former commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, Mr Fergusson said that it would take 400,000 troops to hold Afghanistan. He said that, at present, there were approximately 47,000 stationed in the country, including 8,000 British soldiers based mainly in Helmand Province.

No matter how many Taleban were killed, Mr Fergusson said, the fact that the border with Pakistan remained open meant that more insurgents would continue to get through.

“It is like the Hydra,” he added. “No matter how many heads you cut off, the monster grows another one.”

Despite his opposition to the fighting, the writer said: “I don't think the West should pull out of Afghanistan, but we need to change strategy. I think we need to learn to live with the Taleban and find another way, other than military, to move forward.”

He added that the objective of British troops to get rid of al-Qaeda had been achieved in 2002. “The great plan to democratise the country is seen as the icing on the cake, but to do it by military means is pure folly,” he said.

“How many British troops have to die for women's rights in Afghanistan? The answer is none. It's not our business.”

The suffering of British soldiers on the front line was highlighted during the discussion by Sean Rayment, a former paratrooper turned journalist.

In Edinburgh to promote his forthcoming book, Into the Killing Zone, Mr Rayment described coming under attack with British troops in Helmand's Green Zone as “a terrifying experience”.

He added: “Whatever you think of our policy, whether it's right or wrong, if you look at what our troops are doing, going out on patrol every single day in the knowledge they will be attacked, possibly killed, you can't help but admire them.”

Mr Rayment, who served for two years in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, said that he had spoken to a young soldier from the Royal Anglian Regiment who had lost three friends in suicide bomb attacks, while he knew of another soldier who had lost both legs, had been blinded and was in a coma.

Mr Rayment said: “The courage they are demonstrating every single day is remarkable because they are so young. Some are just 18.”

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