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Subject:
Do your fair share in Afghanistan, Nato told
AdamB
3/10/2007 6:53:34 AM
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Do your fair share in Afghanistan, Nato told
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
10/03/2007
Britain's Nato allies who refuse to fight in Afghanistan were accused yesterday of causing "huge resentment" and a sense of betrayal among UK forces.
With four British soldiers killed within the last week, and the Taliban expected to launch a Spring offensive, senior military figures have called for Nato forces to contribute more or risk fracturing the alliance.
The 60-year-old coalition has come under pressure as countries such as Britain, America and Canada continue to shoulder the burden of the fighting, while others such as Germany and France have held their troops back.
Commanders are angry that despite pleas for reinforcements or to have "operational caveats" removed, some countries are still not heeding their requests.
Tony Blair yesterday failed to win a pledge of more fighting troops after he called for European allies to commit to a "maximum collective effort" during a summit in Brussels.The example of German troops not being allowed to operate at night is one of many caveats that have infuriated Britain's military leaders.
Lord Inge, who was head of the Armed Forces during the 1990s, told The Daily Telegraph that the limitations were making the alliance ineffective.
"When you go on an operation as complex and dangerous as this, where some Nato nations are not playing a full part, it makes the job of a commander much more difficult if he cannot use half the troops. It breaks a fundamental military principle."
Lord Inge added that there was now "huge resentment" among troops who were putting their lives on the line when "others are not".
He said: "It also undermines Nato's credibility in the long term if it cannot respond to operational challenges such as this."
Nato had to be prepared for a "very long haul" of up to 20 years' fighting, he added.
The lack of troops and the caveats issue "reflected very badly on Nato", agreed Lord Guthrie, who was a former head of the Armed Forces and advisor to Mr Blair.
"Considering the amount of people the British have out there they are doing an amazing job but it's a smaller part of the overall picture in Afghanistan," he said.
"Tactically we are winning but the strategic battle is a long way off from being won. That is many years off and we will see if Nato has the stomach to see it through."
Col Tim Collins, who served in Iraq, believes that at the very least other countries should provide more finance for those doing the hard fighting. "Helmand province is no place for defence forces that cannot go out at night without their mothers," he said.
Since the Riga summit last year there have been an extra 7,000 troops pledged, taking the total numbers to 39,000.
Following the announcement last week of a further 1,400 troops, the British contingent will soon top 7,700.
Meanwhile, the German government yesterday agreed to send six Tornado jets and 500 support staff to Afghanistan. However, the aircraft will be used primarily for reconnaissance and the soldiers will not be involved in combat.
But while Britain and America will continue to put pressure on their allies to provide more fighting men, a Nato source summed up the situation when he said:
"You are not going to get the Germans to fight for you by shouting at them."
The British soldier who died from injuries received in a grenade attack in the town of Sangeen on Thursday has been named as Michael Smith, who was 39 and came from Liverpool.
The Warrant Officer Class 2, of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, had 22 years of service in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
His commanding officer, Lt Col Neil Wilson, called him "an indomitable character and an institution both within his battery and the wider regiment".
BRITAIN (6000, soon rising to 7700)
Royal Marine frontline fighting force heavily involved in Operation Achilles
CANADA (2500)
Frontline troops disrupting Taliban supplies and reinforcements on Kandahar / Helmand border
AMERICA (14,000)
Frontline search and destroy operations, plus tactical reinforcements for Achilles
DENMARK (400)
Provincial reconstruction team in north, reconaissance unit fighting in Helmand
FRANCE (1000)
Security force in Kabul, special forces leaving south after heavy losses (running away).
AUSTRALIA (500)
Engineering team and some special forces in Uruzgan
GERMANY (3000)
Reconstruction team in north-east, some soldiers in Kabul
HOLLAND (2200)
Frontline troops in Uruzgan, F16 jets used in Helmand.
ITALY (1950)
Reconstruction team in Herat. No frontline presence
SPAIN (550)
Reconstruction and security in Badghis province
telegraph.co.uk |
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