Energy News  
NATO reluctance in Afghanistan risking lives: US chief

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) March 11, 2008
Foot-dragging by European members of NATO in the struggle against Afghanistan's resurgent Taliban is risking the lives of alliance troops, NATO supremo General John Craddock said Tuesday.

Afghanistan and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are at a "critical juncture," he said at a hearing of the Senate's foreign relations committee.

Ahead of a NATO summit next month in Romania, Craddock bemoaned restrictions placed by some governments on their forces' operations in Afghanistan.

"These caveats, like shortfalls, increase the risk to every soldier, sailor, airman and marine deployed in theater," the US general said.

"NATO's level of ambition has exceeded its political will to support," he said, citing weak coalition governments in Europe as one drag on ISAF deployments.

The US government, which is deploying 3,200 more Marines to Afghanistan, has criticized nations including Germany, Italy, France and Spain for not doing more to pursue the Taliban and Al-Qaeda diehards on the Pakistan border.

ISAF commanders in Afghanistan want around 7,500 extra troops to be deployed in the battle-ravaged south, along with transport helicopters and intelligence resources.

Berlin last month agreed to a NATO request to deploy a rapid reaction force in northern Afghanistan, but again ruled out a fixed combat role in the south, where US, Canadian and British forces have borne the brunt of Taliban attacks.

Canada has warned that it could withdraw its 2,500 troops from Afghanistan if NATO fails to send reinforcements to the south.

Last week, US officials welcomed a "long-term commitment" to Afghanistan made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of the April 2-4 summit in Bucharest.

"It is clear that the French are thinking through their contributions in Afghanistan," Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs, told the Senate hearing.

"President Sarkozy is looking at his options and we're working with the French," he said.

The Senate committee's Democratic chairman, Joseph Biden, was blunt in demanding that US allies step up to the plate.

"It's my belief that the future of NATO is at stake in Afghanistan as well as the future of Afghanistan," he said, while also attacking the US administration for diverting resources from Afghanistan to Iraq.

The NATO-led ISAF comprises more than 47,000 troops from 40 nations, including 19,000 from the United States, according to updated figures given by Craddock.

The US general said the Afghan government's national army was taking a much stronger role in ISAF operations, but bemoaned corruption and ineffectual leadership in the Afghan police.

"Having said that... NATO's efforts in Afghanistan are making a difference," he said, citing the enrollment of six million children in schools, a third of them girls, since the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
News From Across The Stans



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


NATO, Russia bid to wrap up Afghan transit deals: diplomats
Brussels (AFP) March 7, 2008
NATO and Russia have stepped up efforts to conclude by next month two accords allowing alliance-led troops in Afghanistan to transit Russian territory, NATO diplomats said Friday.







  • Analysis: Iraq oil deals moving in phases
  • Canada unveils carbon capture plan, ban on dirty coal
  • EU to mull whether climate policy will just export problem
  • UM Invention Promises Major Advance In BioFuel Production

  • Bulgaria shortlists RWE, Electrabel for nuclear power plant
  • Progress Energy Florida Takes Next Step To Secure Energy Future
  • INL-led Team Achieves Nuclear Fuel Performance Milestone
  • Ontario to add more nuclear muscle to energy mix

  • Scientists Identify Origin Of Hiss In Upper Atmosphere
  • NASA Co-Sponsors Ocean Voyage To Probe Climate-Relevant Gases
  • Satellite Data To Deliver State-Of-The-Art Air Quality Information
  • New Model Revises Estimates Of Terrestrial Carbon Dioxide Uptake

  • Deforestation Worsening In Brazil Claims Greenpeace
  • Secrets Of Cooperation Between Trees And Fungi Revealed
  • Researcher: Wild California just a memory
  • Brazil unveils campaign against Amazon loggers

  • Green group issues warning over nanotechnology in food
  • Brazilian protesters destroy GM crops: group
  • Asia nations hurting as price of rice soars
  • China to strive for safer products: PM Wen

  • Daimler unveils plan to sell more buses in China, India and Russia
  • Yellow Cabs go green in US
  • GM VP Discusses Viability Of Affordable Hydrogen Infrastructure
  • Too Much Traffic Can Cause A Jam All On It's Own

  • Northrop, EADS to invest 600 mln dlrs in Alabama site
  • China air passenger traffic up 16.8 percent in 2007: state media
  • Environmentalists climb on Heathrow jet in airport protest: officials
  • NASA opens a rotary wing research project

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement