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December 7, 2009

NATO Allies Pledge Additional 7,000 Troops for Afghan War
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US allies in NATO have pledged an additional 7,000 soldiers for the
occupation of Afghanistan. The move follows President Obama’s decision
last week to order more than 30,000 troops. Appearing at a NATO summit
in Belgium, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed that the 2011
withdrawal date only marked when a troop “reduction” would begin.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: ‘’The additional American and
international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over
responsibility to Afghan forces beginning in July 2011. This transition
will enable us to begin a reduction of US and international forces that
will continue over time. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute
this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the
ground.’’

The latest NATO escalation will bring the total number of foreign troops
in Afghanistan to more than 140,000. Last week, the Pentagon released
figures showing over 104,000 private contractors are currently on the
ground. In other Afghan war news, the Pentagon says around twelve rebel
fighters have been killed since the US launched a new offensive in a
southern Afghanistan last week. A US soldier was killed in eastern
Afghanistan on Saturday, bringing the US troop toll this year to 301.



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