NATO chief: Allies to send 5,000 troops to Kabul, it's 'not just America's war'

[sabra]

Source: AP

BRUSSELS (AP) — European and other U.S. allies will contribute more than 5,000 new troops to the international force in Afghanistan, NATO's chief said Wednesday, declaring that the war is not America's alone.

Still, aside from Poland, the pledges came in small numbers from small nations. European powers like France and Germany praised President Barack Obama's speech on his new strategy for Afghanistan but were silent on the offer of new troops.

Reacting to Obama's call for more help, a Polish official said the government will likely send 600 combat-ready reinforcements, mainly for patrolling and training, to beef up its existing 2,000-strong contingent.

Albania pledged to increase its 250-member unit by 85 troops, army trainers and medical workers, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said.

Spain's El Pais daily said the defense ministry was considering adding 200 soldiers to its 1,000 contingent. Italy declared it would do its part and Finland confirmed that it had been asked to consider sending more troops and would do so next week.

The largest contributors — Britain, France and Germany — held off on pledges of new troops, waiting for an Afghanistan conference in London planned for late January.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-nato-afghanistan,0,3319809.story

[MercutioATC]

1. If they're only sending 5k troops, this IS our war.

...unless they're very BIG troops, I suppose...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. I don't blame other countries for their wait and see attitude.

After Bush, I'd be skeptical of us too.

[ixion]

3. LOL @ "Coalition of the Willing" redux

:eyes:

[Dr Robert]

5. LOL @ "Ignorance of the Facts" ad infinitum

[ixion]

6. please enlighten me...

or are you just offering snappy albeit hollow retorts?

[Dr Robert]

7. The 'Coalition of the Willing' included many Countries that don't even have Armies

whereas, the contribution of actual troops by fellow NATO countries should be appreciated,
not degraded.

[ixion]

9. I don't support the addition of ANY troops, NATO or otherwise, and France and Germany

agree, so there is a basis for my statement. Sorry, nice try, though.

[Dr Robert]

10. France and Germany do not agree with you. They both announced support for Obama's decision.

They just have not announced how many troops they will contribute as of yet.

But they will be sending troops and trainers just like everyone else.
You'll see.

[ixion]

12. and you will see

that the numbers don't matter. There will never be a western-style democracy in Afghanistan. People will be killed at our expense, and we will spend billions on a futile fools errand.

You'll see.

[apnu]

15. Actually France and Germany don't agree or disagree.

They'll make their position known in the conference, as mentioned in the OP, in January.

So saying France and Germany are smart for getting out is silly. Plus, they might already have troops there as part of the NATO forces, of which we, the US, make up about 50% of the total contingent.

[Dr Robert]

4. 5000 guaranteed + a likely few thousand more

[western mass]

8. Funny, I didn't know the "North Atlantic" stretched so far east.

Can we please drop "NATO" and replace it with a less insultingly disingenuous moniker, maybe something like "America's Lackey Squadron".

[Davis_X_Machina]

11. Call it what you want, but something like it is needed.

Afghanistan is not the last time this kind of problem will come up and eventually a workable solution must be found. The fact that we cannot be the world's policeman doesn't mean there is no 'crime'.

As long as there are nation-states, there's going to be continuing real need for a formal international process of receiver-in-possession for failed nation-states. They're a nuisance to their neighbors and often a hellhole for the people who live there.

NATO and the US big-footing around is not the answer to the problem, but that's not the same thing as saying there is no problem. And waiting for the inevitable withering away of the state isn't a very effective solution, either

We're ad-hoc-ing something that needs to be settled permanently, multilaterally, by the world community, for the sake of the peace of our shared planet and the safety of its inhabitants. This is something the nations of the world are going to have to grasp the nettle on sooner or later, with all its problems of sovereignty, 'interference in purely internal matters', etc

[biermeister]

13. you have to ante up

if you want to get your share of the heroin & oil profits :)

[grahamhgreen]

14. If it was really important, they'd be sending hundreds of thousands.

[Romulox]

16. So...only 95% America's war. nt