Gates presses NATO for more troops for Afghanistan

[defendandprotect]

Source: AFP

US defense secretary presses NATO for more troops for Afghanistan by Jim Mannion

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday called on NATO allies to fill shortfalls of troops, equipment and resources in Afghanistan, warning of rising violence and the emergence of a classic insurgency.

Gates said the United States was not prepared to continue filling a shortfall in helicopters beyond January, and his top military chief said there were limits to what the United States can provide.

"My own view is I'm not ready to let NATO off the hook in Afghanistan at this point," Gates told the House Armed Services Committee.

Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said violence has increased, particularly in southern Afghanistan, since a NATO-led force assumed responsibility for security throughout the country in October 2006.

Mullen said levels of violence nationwide were up 27 percent over last year, and that in the southern Helmand province the increase was 60 percent.

The admiral described the developments as "a classic insurgency" that required "a well coordinated counter-insurgency strategy."

"And while I applaud NATO for stepping up to the plate, the ISAF is plagued by shortfalls in capability and capacity, and constrained by a host of caveats that limits its ability," he said.

Mullen was referring to the 40,000-strong, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

At the same time, Mullen said there were limits to what the US military can provide when the bulk of its resources are devoted to the war in Iraq.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071212/wl_asia_afp/usafghanistannatomilitary

[AlertLurker]

1. What an absolute IDIOT.

"My own view is I'm not ready to let NATO off the hook in Afghanistan at this point," Gates told the House Armed Services Committee.

...

At the same time, Mullen said there were limits to what the US military can provide when the bulk of its resources are devoted to the war in Iraq.

Cognitive dissonance, anyone?

[Spazito]

2. Geez, the bush cabal leaves Afghanistan in order to Illegally

invade and occupy Iraq, a country that had NOTHING to do with 9/11, and has the temerity to threaten NATO for lack of troops, this is the epitome of gall, imo!

[whistle]

3. Is there any reason to believe that NATO will comply with the Bush/Gates

...request to join into the insanity?

[karynnj]

4. Yes

Because a completely destabilized Afghanistan that harbors both the Taliban and Al Qaeta affects their security as well. Not to mention that Afghanistan now supplies 93% of the world's heroin, much of which is shipped to Europe. They also would not be "joining" the effort, they are already there.

[whistle]

5. Well Canada is part of NATO and they have been in Afghanistan

...I believe since the beginning as well as other NATO countries providing a minimum number of forces. But, Gates seems to be pressuring NATO to join in on the "surge" efforts and I'm not at all convinced that any NATO country leader who still respects the wishes of the people in their nations would be willing to do that. If they do join the surge they are as crazy as Bush/Cheney.

[karynnj]

6. The dynamics in Afghanistan are not the same as Iraq

Here we have a government (weak though it is) and a populace not yet as implacably against us. It is also not seen as an occupation. The need for more people is to provide security as the countries work to aid Afghanistan in building infrastructure and institutions to supply the services needed to gain more support for the government. This effort has a chance to succeed. In Iraq, the problem was that it was adding soldiers into a civil war in a country where the leaders were not able to solve their political problems.

The first people calling for this were not in the Bush administration. The current legislation that asks for more US soldiers here and for the US to lobby NATO is Feingold's. In fall 2006, the first legislation was Feingold/Kerry.

[defendandprotect]

7. Well, some say that the US is NATO --

The Taliban and AlQaeda, as far as I can see are farce ---
always have been --- except as we have chosen to use them.

The Talban were working to curtail the drug crops ---
and oops! suddenly we were in Afghanistan and things are back to normal --
in fact, better than ever with the drug crop.

We have another phony war going on --- The Drug War ---
it's powerful and as profitable as gold and oil ---
maybe even more so ---
and it can't function without the cooperation of high officials in government ---
and police enforcement.






Because a completely destabilized Afghanistan that harbors both the Taliban and Al Qaeta affects their security as well. Not to mention that Afghanistan now supplies 93% of the world's heroin, much of which is shipped to Europe. They also would not be "joining" the effort, they are already there.

[Dave From Canada]

8. France and Germany have failed NATO. They barely have a presence there, and they're doing none of

the heavy lifting. Canadian troops have been doing most of the difficult work over the last year or so. France and Germany should be ashamed of themselves. Their Governments are scared to act because it may be politically unpopular, even though it would be the right thing to do.