Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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February 6, 2008

Rice Urges NATO Allies to Shoulder More of Burden for Afghan Mission
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B2A620:A6F02AD83191E160354EFD83DB91312898CBE7246176B735& US secretary of
state says only a small number on NATO countries have troops in most
dangerous areas of Afghanistan





Condoleezza Rice U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says a only
a small number of NATO countries have troops in the most dangerous
areas of Afghanistan and that more allies need to share the combat
burden.

Rice spoke to reporters traveling with her to London, where she is to
meet Wednesday, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign
Secretary David Miliband.

Talks are expected to focus on two nations' common goal of getting
more NATO members to commit troops to enter the fight against a
resurgent Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

Last week, Germany, whose forces are deployed in relatively stable
northern Afghanistan, spurned a call by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert
Gates to send forces to the south.

Most of the fighting against the Taliban in the south is being done by
troops from Canada, the U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands.

Canada has threatened to pull its troops out of Afghanistan next year
unless other allies send reinforcements.

Germany has about 3,000 troops stationed in Kabul and in the north.
German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung has said a parliamentary
mandate limits his nation's troop involvement to northern Afghanistan.

A recent report by a panel led by a former NATO commander, U.S.
General James Jones, warned Afghanistan is in danger of becoming a
"failed state" because of too few military forces and insufficient
economic aid.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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