BRUSSELS – American allies reiterated on Wednesday, December 2, full support for the Afghanistan troop surge ordered by US President Barack Obama, pledging to contribute at least 5,000 more troops to the Afghanistan mission. "It was a courageous, determined and lucid speech which gives new momentum to the international engagement and opens new prospects," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In a long-awaited speech, Obama ordered a surge of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to reverse the Taliban's momentum and strengthen the West-backed Kabul government.
The surge, expected within six months, will bring US troop in the Asian Muslim country to more than 100,000.
"I call on all our allies to unite behind President Obama's strategy," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
"Britain will continue to play its full part in persuading other countries to offer troops to the Afghanistan campaign."
British defense chief Jock Stirrup also welcomed the additional American troops as much needed.
"It's what all of us who have been involved in the operation in Afghanistan has assessed is required if we are to resource a plan to deliver the strategy which we have been holding to for some time," he told BBC radio.
The US, backed by NATO allies, invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the ruling Taliban regime.
The foreign troops have since been facing growing attacks from the resurgent Taliban.
Public opposition is growing to a war that has so far claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops.
Troops Pledge
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the American surge and promised 5,000 more troops by NATO allies.
"US allies will send at least 5,000 soldiers to this operation, and possibly a few more thousand on top of it," he told reporters.
Rasmussen expected promises to follow NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss Afghanistan.
"I think you will see some pledges right now, and some at a later stage.
"Then you will see a build-up of troops during 2010."
For the moment though, only around 3,000 personnel have been committed -- with the major pledges involving 1,000 troops from Georgia.
Poland is considering sending as many as 600 extra troops to Afghanistan in 2010, a move that would increase the size of its contingent by almost one third.
Poland currently has 1,910 troops in Afghanistan within the 43-nation NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Officials say a further 1,500 soldiers would be drawn from contingents sent to provide security for the fraud-marred presidential elections on August 20, some 700 of which were provided by Britain.
A small core of NATO heavyweights -- France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- will wait until after an international conference on Afghanistan in London in late January.
"Before the conference on Afghanistan and the strategic discussions that will take place during that conference, a debate on troop levels and German participation is neither sensible nor appropriate," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday.
"It is about setting goals and strategy first and then seeing what instruments can be used to achieve them."
Germany currently has around 4,300 troops in northern Afghanistan, the third largest troops contributor after the US and Britain.
The US has reportedly asked Germany to provide 2,000 more troops, France and Italy 1,500 each and Britain 1,000.
"For the moment there's no need to increase the number of troops," Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France Inter radio.
Source: IslamOnline
In a long-awaited speech, Obama ordered a surge of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to reverse the Taliban's momentum and strengthen the West-backed Kabul government.
The surge, expected within six months, will bring US troop in the Asian Muslim country to more than 100,000.
"I call on all our allies to unite behind President Obama's strategy," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
"Britain will continue to play its full part in persuading other countries to offer troops to the Afghanistan campaign."
British defense chief Jock Stirrup also welcomed the additional American troops as much needed.
"It's what all of us who have been involved in the operation in Afghanistan has assessed is required if we are to resource a plan to deliver the strategy which we have been holding to for some time," he told BBC radio.
The US, backed by NATO allies, invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the ruling Taliban regime.
The foreign troops have since been facing growing attacks from the resurgent Taliban.
Public opposition is growing to a war that has so far claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops.
Troops Pledge
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the American surge and promised 5,000 more troops by NATO allies.
"US allies will send at least 5,000 soldiers to this operation, and possibly a few more thousand on top of it," he told reporters.
Rasmussen expected promises to follow NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss Afghanistan.
"I think you will see some pledges right now, and some at a later stage.
"Then you will see a build-up of troops during 2010."
For the moment though, only around 3,000 personnel have been committed -- with the major pledges involving 1,000 troops from Georgia.
Poland is considering sending as many as 600 extra troops to Afghanistan in 2010, a move that would increase the size of its contingent by almost one third.
Poland currently has 1,910 troops in Afghanistan within the 43-nation NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Officials say a further 1,500 soldiers would be drawn from contingents sent to provide security for the fraud-marred presidential elections on August 20, some 700 of which were provided by Britain.
A small core of NATO heavyweights -- France, Germany, Italy and Spain -- will wait until after an international conference on Afghanistan in London in late January.
"Before the conference on Afghanistan and the strategic discussions that will take place during that conference, a debate on troop levels and German participation is neither sensible nor appropriate," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday.
"It is about setting goals and strategy first and then seeing what instruments can be used to achieve them."
Germany currently has around 4,300 troops in northern Afghanistan, the third largest troops contributor after the US and Britain.
The US has reportedly asked Germany to provide 2,000 more troops, France and Italy 1,500 each and Britain 1,000.
"For the moment there's no need to increase the number of troops," Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France Inter radio.
Source: IslamOnline
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