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More NATO troops, aid for Afghanistan
Jan 26, 2007 - 8:33:48 PM
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US President George W. Bush is asking Congress for $8.6 billion to beef up Afghanistan's army and police forces and $2 billion for infrastructure projects and anti-narcotics efforts, Rice told reporters.
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By DPA,
[RxPG] Brussels, Jan 26 - The NATO governments Friday agreed to boost operations in Afghanistan following last year's surge in Taliban attacks on alliance troops and Afghan government forces.
'The international community is stepping up its game on all fronts,' said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer after a meeting of the alliance's 26 foreign ministers here.
Scheffer said the alliance members were intent on expanding operations after last year saw the bloodiest fighting between NATO and a resurgent Taliban since 2001 when the extremist Islamist government was ousted by a US-led military operation.
The revamped NATO strategy is aimed at blunting an expected spring offensive by the Taliban.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai said additional troops would be sent to Afghanistan in 2007 but declined to give any figures ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Seville, Spain, on Feb 8-9.
Scheffer said he was 'relatively optimistic' that the NATO states would pledge more soldiers.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force - in Afghanistan currently has 32,000 troops from 37 countries. The US has an additional 12,000 military personnel under separate command as part of its Operation Enduring Freedom to fight terrorism.
The stage for a NATO surge in Afghanistan was set by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who came to Brussels after announcing a $10.6 billion military and economic aid package to battle the Taliban.
US President George W. Bush is asking Congress for $8.6 billion to beef up Afghanistan's army and police forces and $2 billion for infrastructure projects and anti-narcotics efforts, Rice told reporters.
The European Union on Friday said it planned a further 600 million euros - in aid for Afghanistan. The funds are to be used for reform of the justice sector, alternatives to poppy production and health.
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