Appeal for countries to provide more troops is rejected

The United States was rebuffed yesterday after urging Nato countries with a minimal troop presence in Afghanistan to send more soldiers to ensure the success of the campaign.

The appeal, delivered at a meeting of Nato defence ministers at Noordwijk, in the Netherlands, was rejected by Germany, and other nations were reluctant to boost their numbers, alliance sources said.

In Afghanistan the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) of Nato has about 41,000 troops, but with Isaf’s remit having spread to every region of the country, there are now gaps in combat troops and logistics units and a shortfall in helicopters and other vital equipment.

Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, and Robert Gates, his American counterpart, said that it was time for some Nato countries to provide more troops. However, Franz Josef Jung, the German Defence Minister, said that the call for more troops was misguided. “We need security and reconstruction and development, that is the wider concept, that’s why I think these calls simply for more and more military involvement are misguided,� he said.

He added: “We have 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan and I think our contribution is significant.�

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Nato Secretary-General, suggested moving national forces around the country on rotation to alleviate the burden on those nations that have had to fight the Taleban. The British troops in Helmand province, the Americans in the eastern region and other Nato countries, including the Netherlands and Canada, have borne the brunt of the battles with the resurgent Taleban forces.

The secretary-general told the defence ministers at the opening of the two-day meeting in the Dutch seaside resort: “Our top priority today is our operation in Afghanistan. The most important thing that we can do is to strengthen Afghan capacity so that Afghanistan can stand on its own feet.�

Underlining the continuing violence in Afghanistan, a suicide bomber yesterday targeted the governor of the southeast province of Khost. Arsala Jamal survived the attack, but three people were wounded.

Despite division over sending more troops to Afghanistan, the Nato ministers were unanimous in expressing their solidarity with Turkey after the recent attacks by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Michael Evans, Defence Editor