More troops needed to tackle Taliban: NATO Gen

By Staff
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London, Jan 22: NATO's commander of forces in Afghanistan saidhe needed more troops to fight Taliban insurgents and victory could bejust a year away.

''I am concerned that NATO nations will assume the same level ofrisk in 2007, believing they can get away with it,'' General DavidRichards, a Briton, told the Guardian newspaper.

''They might, but it's a dangerous assumption to believe the sameingredients will exist this year as they did last. And anyway astabilised situation is not a good enough aim,'' he said in aninterview conducted by email and published today.

''We should and can win in Afghanistan but we need to put moremilitary effort into the country.'' The newspaper quoted Richards assaying the military was ''hugely frustrated''.

''We must apply ourselves more energetically for one more year in order to win.

''What I need is more troops, not the ability simply to redeploy existing troops,'' Richards said.

About 40,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, some 33,000 of them under NATO command.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week he would considermore troops for Afghanistan where US commanders say the Talibaninsurgency is expected to intensify.

NATO forces are trying to ensure enough security in the country to enable development projects to begin.

''Our civilian partners must improve the speed and scale of theirreconstruction and development effort, sufficient to keep pace with thepeople's expectations; and President (Hamid) Karzai must accelerate thespeed with which he roots out corrupt and inefficient administrators,''Richards said.

''Finally, we must all do our best to bring Pakistan andAfghanistan together. Currently they are passing in the night and theclimate is not good.'' A top rebel commander said this month theTaliban Islamist militia would step up attacks on foreign troops inAfghanistan in 2007 and kill anyone who negotiated with the government.

Taliban fighters staged a surprise comeback last year with thebloodiest violence since U.S.-led troops forced them from power in2001. More than 4,000 people were killed on both sides in 2006including nearly 170 foreign troops.


Reuters >

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