Obama appreciates Britain for sacrifices in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday called British Prime Minster Gordon Brown, voicing "deep appreciation" for the sacrifices of the British army in Afghanistan.

In a "productive call," President Obama "expressed his deep appreciation for the sacrifices of the British military and people in this difficult summer period, noting that the American people also honor this sacrifice," a White House statement said.

There are about 9,200 British troops stationed as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Some 210 British soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

The two leaders discussed their shared commitment to "disrupting, dismantling, and defeating Al Qaeda and their extremist allies in Afghanistan," said the statement.

They also discussed their resolve to "work together to implement our agreed strategy, which includes building Afghan institutions to help Afghans bear more of the responsibility."