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| Afghanistan |
| Bush asks NATO for more Afghanistan troops |
| 2008-04-03 |
| BUCHAREST - US President George W. Bush urged NATO allies on Wednesday to send more troops to Afghanistan, but France played down expectations it would tell an alliance summit it will deploy 1,000 extra soldiers. Bush said NATO could not afford to lose its battle against Taliban insurgents and al Qaeda militants and recalled that France had indicated it could boost its 1,500-strong force. “Whatever the cost, however difficult, we cannot afford it, we must win. I agree completely,” he said ahead of NATO’s three-day summit in Bucharest. “We ask other NATO nations to step forward with additional forces as well.” Bush told reporters at a later event with his Romanian hosts: “We expect our NATO allies to shoulder the burden necessary to succeed...The question nations have to ask, is, is it worth it? My answer is absolutely it’s worth it,” NATO allies want the summit to send the message that the defence alliance’s 47,000-strong force will stay in Afghanistan for as long as necessary to fight the insurgency. Diplomats had hoped President Nicolas Sarkozy would tell the summit that France would make a major new contribution in Afghanistan as part of a revamp of the NATO peacekeeping force in the east and south. But French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Tuesday Paris was looking to send just several hundred more troops to Afghanistan. That was short of the 1,000 extra soldiers some NATO allies had expected and it was not clear whether it would be enough to cover a Canadian demand for reinforcements in the south. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 NET > NATO has reportedly turned down the bids of UKRAINE, GEORGIA to join, probably becuz of the tremendous pressure RUSSIA is under right now, + potential in the near future vv OSAMA + RADICAL ISLAM. They can, however, still participate in NATO activities widout being official members at this time, until next submission of bids. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-04-03 02:01 |