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| Afghanistan |
| France, Germany reject US appeals to boost Afghan force |
| 2009-12-01 |
| France and Germany refused US requests to immediately promise extra combat troops for Afghanistan, frustrating President Barack Obama's hopes that more allies would bolster his troop surge. But they love him ... Britain has already offered an extra 500 troops and Italy has said it will send an unspecified number, while Poland is considering deploying several hundred more soldiers. US officials say Obama is about to announce a surge of 30,000 troops and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week predicted other nations would provide another 10,000. Lucky to get 1000. What's the payoff for other countries to contribute any, even the troops already in country? Le Monde reported that Obama was seeking 1,500 extra French troops for Afghanistan, on top of the 3,400 already there. Germany has around 4,300 troops in northern Afghanistan, the third largest contributor to a 100,000-strong international force after the United States and Britain, whose extra 500 troops will take it past 10,000 in the war. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after a telephone call from Obama that Poland could beef up its contingent of 2,000 troops in Afghanistan by several hundred. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pledged Monday to send more police trainers and civilian aid experts to Afghanistan, saying his country was in it "for the long haul." But Rudd, who met in Washington this week with Obama, did not offer more troops beyond the 1,550 that Australia has already committed. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #2 They jus' be pizt cuz he din' bow to them...... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2009-12-01 23:02 |
| #1 To say no before he even gives his big speech is really flipping him the bird. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-12-01 21:22 |