NATO allies pledge help to Canada in Afghanistan ! ! ! !
Canadian Foreign Minister David Emerson (L) speaks as his Afghan counterpart Rangeen Dadfar Spanta listens...
Is the increase of NATO troops and the addition of 200 more troops from Canada the ultimate solution, to the Afghan Mission. Canada's contribution has been going on since 2001. We have lost 88 brave souls and a Foreign Office Diplomat, must we lose more? I realise that the following comment may cause anger, shock or even accusations of being a peacenik. BUT I do firmly believe that we must support our troops while at the same time petitioning for their return. This conflict is definetely turning out to be Our Vietnam I as Canadian and as a former Military man do not see an end in sight. Let's say a word of prayer for our serving members and their families for a safe return for one and all.
KABUL (Reuters) - NATO countries have agreed to send more troops to the volatile south of Afghanistan, Canada's foreign minister said on Saturday, and another 200 Canadian troops could also be deployed. if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['JJBXA9j8fbY-']='&U=13f6ft864%2fN%3dJJBXA9j8fbY-%2fC%3d655378.12654553.12971182.6258759%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d5316446%2fV%3d1';
Canada has some 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan, most of them stationed in the southern province of Kandahar where they have suffered one of the worst casualty rates fighting a resilient Taliban insurgency.
We've been talking with our NATO allies and in fact we do now have commitments to increase the number of troops particularly in the Kandahar region, Canadian Foreign Minister David Emerson told a news conference in Kabul.
We're really more comforted that the troop support is being increased in an appropriate way, he said.
Canadian soldiers first came to Afghanistan in late 2001 as part of a U.S.-led Afghan mission to overthrow the hardline Taliban. In 2006, Canadian troops took over operations in Kandahar, the Taliban's former de-facto capital.
Faced with some of the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan, Canada has criticized other countries for refusing to send troops to the south, where the insurgency is strongest.
Asked if Canada was going to increase its own contingent in Afghanistan, Emerson said it could send some 200 soldiers.
Canada does have 2,500 troops here in Afghanistan and that number could expand to 2,700 as more equipment arrives, he said.
Nil Sine LAbore
Robby
