Britain offers more troops for Afghanistan if allies refuse

[CHIMO]

More British troops and helicopters are on standby for deployment to Afghanistan, a highly controversial development that will compound unease over UK operations in the increasingly volatile Helmand province.

If other members of the Nato alliance refuse to supply the reinforcements of soldiers and equipment demanded by its military chief, Whitehall sources have conceded for the first time that extra UK troops will make up the shortfall.

Despite concerns that the British army is being stretched too far, The Observer has learnt that defence officials have already identified additional troops and equipment available for deployment to southern Afghanistan. But senior defence officials insist it remains too early to discuss potential numbers.

Not only is the future stability of Afghanistan at stake, but Ministry of Defence officials admit that the credibility of Nato itself rests with the success of the mission. Yet the cost to the UK in terms of men lost remains a pressing concern. Fresh questions over the mission have been raised following the deaths of 19 British servicemen in the past nine days, 14 of whom died when an RAF Nimrod crashed. Britain has 4,500 service personnel in Afghanistan, mainly in the southern province of Helmand.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1868922,00.html

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. Ask participants from the now non-existent Soviet Union about Afghanistan

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They bled themselves dry trying to control that country

And for what?

[CHIMO]

2. Looks Like NATO's Last Stand

Nato rows over sending more troops to Afghanistan

A full-scale row threatened to erupt in Nato on Friday night with alliance commanders demanding more soldiers and aircraft to defeat the Taliban and their supporters.

In what Britain and the United States regard as an unprecedented test for the alliance, Germany and France came under intense pressure to provide more forces as Nato defence chiefs met behind closed doors in Warsaw to discuss the escalating violence in southern Afghanistan.

As Nato members pointed the finger at each other, Kabul's deadliest suicide bombing in years ripped through a US military convoy on Friday, killing 14 Afghans and two soldiers -- days before the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Defence sources came close to accusing some European allies of reneging on their promises to provide adequate forces in what is the alliance's first joint combat mission in its 57-year history.

http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=283682

Wouldn't be at all surprised at seeing some of the EU countries cosying up to Russia.