NATO commander seeks reinforcements in Afghanistan

MONS, Belgium, Sep 7 (Reuters) NATO's top commander of operations, General James Jones, acknowledged today the alliance had been taken aback by the extent of violence in southern Afghanistan and urged allies to provide reinforcements.

''We are talking about modest reinforcements,'' Jones told a news briefing at NATO's European military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, saying that commanders on the ground sought several hundred additional troops, more helicopters and transport aircraft.

Several NATO soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting with Islamist Taliban guerrillas since the alliance extended its peacekeeping mission to the south a month ago.

Jones said he would turn initially to existing contributors to the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), including Germany, which has several thousand troops in the relatively calm north of Afghanistan.

He said discussions would take place at a meeting of NATO chiefs of staff in Warsaw tomorrow and Saturday, and he was confident they would produce early results.

''While some of it (violence) is predictable, we should recognise we are a little bit surprised at the level of intensity, and (the fact) that the opposition in some areas are not relying on traditional hit-and-run tactics,'' the US Marine general said.

British NATO troops in outlying outposts have come under siege from Taliban fighters.

But Jones said he was confident the violence could be contained quickly.

''It is my feeling that... certainly before the winter, we will see this decisive moment in the region turn favourably to the forces that represent the (Afghan) government and the efforts we are trying to achieve,'' he said.

Of the reinforcements, he said: ''It will help us reduce casualties and help us bring this to a successful conclusion in a shorter period of time.'' The rising death toll among Canadian NATO soldiers in Afghanistan has prompted calls for the Ottawa government to rethink its military mission in the war-torn country.

NATO is gradually taking over security responsibility, alongside the Afghan army, from a U S-led force that invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow a Taliban government that was sheltering al Qaeda leaders who ordered the September 11 attacks on the United States.

REUTERS DKA BS1348