COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Denmark's defense minister criticized some NATO members, accusing them of shirking responsibility in Afghanistan, a newspaper reported Saturday. Denmark has 290 soldiers serving in volatile southern Afghanistan and has pledged to increase the number. Previously, Britain, Canada and others who have troops fighting Taliban forces in the southern heartland have complained that Germany, Italy, Spain and France are keeping their soldiers in the more peaceful north and west. "All countries should deliver," Defense Minister Soeren Gade was quoted as saying in the Politiken daily. "If we get hurt, are the others just going to stand there and watch?" "This is, of course, unsatisfactory. It's also not a good signal to give the Afghan people, and it hurts NATO's credibility," he told Politiken. A NATO summit next week in Latvia is expected to focus on the alliance's Afghan mission.
Denmark has 290 soldiers serving in volatile southern Afghanistan and has pledged to increase the number. Previously, Britain, Canada and others who have troops fighting Taliban forces in the southern heartland have complained that Germany, Italy, Spain and France are keeping their soldiers in the more peaceful north and west.
"All countries should deliver," Defense Minister Soeren Gade was quoted as saying in the Politiken daily. "If we get hurt, are the others just going to stand there and watch?"
"This is, of course, unsatisfactory. It's also not a good signal to give the Afghan people, and it hurts NATO's credibility," he told Politiken.
A NATO summit next week in Latvia is expected to focus on the alliance's Afghan mission.
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush heads to the NATO summit in Latvia looking to press European allies for more support as the Afghan war reaches a pivotal point, and US-occupied Iraq slides into chaos. Bush, stung by the drubbing of his Republican Party in congressional elections, will also push for a new network of "global partners" for NATO, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and Finland. "For us, the number one issue is Afghanistan," said US undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns ahead of the November 28-29 summit in Riga. US officials say they are satisfied with the progress of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, despite intensifying battles with Taleban fighters. They are asking for more European support in reconstruction aspects of the mission, and want combat risks shared more equally among the alliance as up to now some nations have imposed conditions on where their troops can fight. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs this week gave voice to complaints by Canada, which has lost 34 soldiers this year alone in southern Afghanistan. "Canadians especially said, "Wait a minute. How come us? Why did we draw a short straw. And shouldn't allied solidarity mean that at least countries are going to be standing at our back'."
Bush, stung by the drubbing of his Republican Party in congressional elections, will also push for a new network of "global partners" for NATO, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and Finland.
"For us, the number one issue is Afghanistan," said US undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns ahead of the November 28-29 summit in Riga.
US officials say they are satisfied with the progress of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, despite intensifying battles with Taleban fighters.
They are asking for more European support in reconstruction aspects of the mission, and want combat risks shared more equally among the alliance as up to now some nations have imposed conditions on where their troops can fight.
Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs this week gave voice to complaints by Canada, which has lost 34 soldiers this year alone in southern Afghanistan.
"Canadians especially said, "Wait a minute. How come us? Why did we draw a short straw. And shouldn't allied solidarity mean that at least countries are going to be standing at our back'."
Without more troops, NATO risks not achieving the crushing victory its prestige demands, some US officials warn.
And at no point will they question their tactics or their behaviour. They will remain forever puzzled as to why they are hated and the locals take up arms against them. keep to the Fen Causeway
Learning from the Russians in Afghanistan or (say) from Napoleon in the Peninsula war is not possible because those were the bad guys against freeedom fighters, not the good guys against terrorists. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides
