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| Afghanistan |
| Foreign Command to Direct U.S. Troops |
| 2006-09-29 |
| PORTOROZ, Slovenia (AP) - A plan approved Thursday to extend NATO's military control across all of Afghanistan would put as many as 12,000 American troops under foreign battlefield command, a number that U.S. officials said could be the most since World War II. The move is expected to take place in the next few weeks, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said. It was not clear how many troops were under foreign command during World War II. A U.S. officer, Gen. James L. Jones, is in charge of the overall NATO force, but the new arrangement would put the U.S. troops under foreign commanders on the battlefield. The ministers also agreed to provide substantial amounts of military equipment for the Afghan army. "There were in rough numbers thousands of weapons offered up, and I believe probably millions of rounds of ammunition," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters. NATO-led troops took command of the southern portion of Afghanistan two months ago. This plan would extend their control to the eastern section, which U.S. troops now command. Plans all along have been for NATO to take over the military in all regions of the country. NATO's takeover of the eastern section had been expected to happen later this fall, switching at least 10,000 American troops from U.S. command to alliance control - specifically that of British Lt. Gen. David Richards. Currently about 2,000 U.S. troops are serving under NATO commanders in other portions of Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Interesting situation I wonder who would courts martial a soldier that disobeys an order from a non-U.S. Commander? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-09-29 17:48 |
| #2 A plan approved Thursday to extend NATO's military control across all of Afghanistan would put as many as 12,000 American troops under foreign battlefield command, a number that U.S. officials said could be the most since World War II. The move is expected to take place in the next few weeks, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said. Not that the Rant community would ever believe any news delivered by MSM as being correct, let's grasp the nuance here. IAW the powers invested by the Constitution [Justices Kennedy and Souter aside] and enacted under Title 10 USC, the ‘Chain of Command’ and authority is unbroken from the President of the United States to that private out there on the field of operations. American leadership at each command transition is the legal authority. American commands at each level coordinate and cooperate with allied commands and commanders, but the legal authority channel is never held by a non-American. |
| Posted by: Cheath Ununter6466 2006-09-29 08:53 |
| #1 PACIFIC STARS-N-STRIPES > roughly ditto for USA milfors in SOUTH KOREA. Sum - US has confidence in SoKor/SoKor leadership. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-09-29 00:48 |