Conflict in Afghanistan has long road ahead.

The U.S. President, Barack Obama, said the conflict in Afghanistan has "a long road ahead" in an exclusive interview with British television channel Sky News, this Saturday. "This is a serious battle, but essential to the future stability of the country," Obama said in the interview given during his visit to Accra, Ghana.

The U.S. president also said that, although the allied forces are facing violent clashes with militants of the Taliban, the United States is developing new strategies to establish a new relationship with the Afghan society, after the country's presidential elections, scheduled for August.

"Afghanistan needs its own army, police and their ability to control their own security," Obama said, describing a strategy similar to the United States have been implementing in Iraq. "Let's see what else we can do. It may not be in military field, but in the field of development, giving farmers alternatives to poppy plantations, and ensuring an efficient training to the judiciary of the country."

Great Britain.

Obama also defended the participation of Britain in the attack, at a time when the British government has been pressed after the death of 15 soldiers in the last ten days - which led the number of British dead in Afghanistan to overcome the deaths in Iraq. Under Obama, the battle in Afghanistan is vital in the fight against terrorism.

"The possibility of a terrorist attack in London is so great or even greater than in the United States," he said. When he assumed the presidency in January, Obama announced that reinforce the troops in Afghanistan, sending more than 30 thousand soldiers to join the 33 thousand Americans and 32 thousand members of the NATO forces now serving in the country.