 | | | More than 20 countries are planning to send more troops to Afghanistan (File) |
ROME/BRUSSELS (Agencies) Russia is willing to do its part to help the United States and Europe achieve peace in Afghanistan, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday as more than 20 countries are planning to send more troops to Afghanistan.
"We are obliged to help in Afghanistan ... what the armies of the United States and Europe are doing (in Afghanistan) is peacekeeping. This is very important because a threat for all Europe came from Afghanistan," Medvedev said.
Speaking at a news conference in Rome after meeting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Medvedev made some of his most positive remarks about the prospect of bringing peace to Afghanistan since U.S. President Barack Obama announced an increase in American troops there two days ago.
" We are obliged to help in Afghanistan ... what the armies of the United States and Europe are doing is peacekeeping. This is very important because a threat for all Europe came from Afghanistan " Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "President Obama, as a partner, called me and spoke to me of his new ideas for the work to be done in Afghanistan. I appreciated this. This is a serious position and we are ready to support the efforts of our partners, even with the possibility of transit that Russia permits," he said.
Russia already permits military cargo headed for Afghanistan to be moved across Russian territory. |  | Falling short of US expectations " There are well over 20 countries that are indicating or have already indicated that they intend to increase their troop numbers in Afghanistan " NATO spokesman James Appathurai More than 20 countries plan to send more troops to Afghanistan following Obama's increased commitment to the war, NATO said on Thursday, but the overall number falls short of U.S. expectations.
As NATO foreign ministers gathered to discuss their response to Obama, the alliance also said it still needed over 200 more police and military training teams to boost Afghan forces so they can eventually take responsibility for security.
On Wednesday, Obama announced he would send 30,000 more U.S. troops to join the fight against the Taliban-led insurgency, and Washington wants up to 7,000 more troops from its allies.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expected U.S. allies to provide at least 5,000 extra troops and probably a few thousand more -- still short of the 10,000 troops and trainers Pentagon officials are seeking.
"There are well over 20 countries that are indicating or have already indicated that they intend to increase their troop numbers in Afghanistan," NATO spokesman James Appathurai said.
"Based on what we have heard in the last 24 hours ... we are beyond the 5,000 figure," he told a briefing. However, he said there were "significant shortfalls" of army and police trainers.
"Trainers are not that easy to find and the secretary-general will continue to push very hard to find not only the trainers but equipment and money," he said.
Major-General Eric Tremblay, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, told the same briefing ISAF was short of 41 military training teams and 174 police training teams -- essential for Afghanistan's future. | | Europe welcomes Afghan strategy U.S. troops will begin returning home before Obama's expected re-election bid in 2012 NATO officials have cautioned that about 1,500 of the 5,000 troops would be election reinforcements sent in earlier this year. And the Netherlands and Canada plan to withdraw combat forces of 2,100 and 2,800 in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
European leaders have welcomed Obama's Afghanistan strategy, but many have been in less of a hurry to commit new forces to an uncertain, 8-year military campaign that is increasingly unpopular at home because of rising casualties.
Italy said on Thursday it would send up to 1,000 more troops, and Britain, which has the second largest contingent, plans to boost its troops by 500 to 10,000.
Among others that have announced plans to send more troops are Georgia (900), Poland (600) and Slovakia (250), and Portugal (150). Albania has said it will send its first 35 combat troops, as well as 50 trainers to join 250 already in Afghanistan.
The response from elsewhere though has been cautious.
Germany has signaled a willingness to do more police training but said it could not commit more troops before a strategy review early next year.
France said on Monday it did not plan to send more troops but President Nicolas Sarkozy responded to Obama's speech by saying it would look at helping to train Afghan forces.
Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said Budapest would consider the U.S. request for more troops, but a decision was not likely immediately.
Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said he hoped for continued Dutch support. A NATO diplomat said it was hoped the Dutch and Canadians could be persuaded to keep troops, perhaps as trainers for Afghan forces. |
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