London, Feb 11: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Monday said that if the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pulled its troops out of Afghanistan, or abandoned efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, it could degenerate into a "failed state."

"It would help precipitate even more dangerous insecurity in Afghanistan (if the international community pulled out),"Miliband told British radio.

If more efforts are not taken, Afghanistan could become a "failed state", he added.

"I think it's important that the pressure is kept up," Miliband was quoted as saying.

He went on to say that it was important to emphasise that troops alone were not solve the problem in that country, adding, "it has to be the building up of a decent society in Afghanistan that is able to cater for its own affairs."

He emphasised that the relationship between the Afghanistan Government and the international community needed to improve.

"Both need to raise their game to deal with the challenges facing the country, " he said.

He also described President Hamid Karzai as a "democratically elected leader of million of Afghans," and therefore, questions about replacing him carried no merit.

Miliband also justified British troops presence in Afghanistan, saying that 70 per cent of terrorist incidents in Britain had their origin in Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has appealed directly to Europeans to support the war in Afghanistan, warning that violence and terrorism would increase if NATO were defeated there.

Gates reportedly said that the transatlantic alliance was under such stress over operations in Afghanistan that it risked imploding. (ANI)