(AHN) - United States General Dan McNeill assumed command of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan replacing British Gen. David Richards. Command of NATO's 35,500 troops in Afghanistan was transferred from the British military to the U.S. military in a 'change-of-command' ceremony on Sunday. According to the Associated Press, McNeill said, the International Security Assistance Force's mission was to facilitate Afghanistan's reconstruction so the Afghan people might enjoy a peaceful atmosphere. "We will quit neither post nor mission until the job is done or we are properly relieved," McNeill said.
Of the 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 14,000 fall under NATO command. The number of U.S. troops there is the highest it has been since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001 because it had given refuge to Osama bin Laden there. Meanwhile, the Taliban recently issued a new threat. It said that 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to launch attacks during the spring season in Afghanistan. The Taliban warning might make NATO's job difficult in spring. |