Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Afghan force 'needs more troops'
Nato's leaders have urged member countries to provide reinforcements to help in its campaign against Taleban guerrillas in southern Afghanistan.
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer criticised some member states for, in his view, not doing enough.
The alliance's top commander, Gen James Jones, said Nato had been taken aback by the scale of violence in the region.
But he predicted that the coming weeks would be decisive in the fight against the insurgents.
Commanders on the ground had asked for several hundred additional troops and more helicopters and airlift, he said.
"We are talking about modest reinforcements," he told reporters at Nato European headquarters in Belgium.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5322698.stm
The alliance's top commander, Gen James Jones, said Nato had been taken aback by the scale of violence in the region.
But he predicted that the coming weeks would be decisive in the fight against the insurgents.
Commanders on the ground had asked for several hundred additional troops and more helicopters and airlift, he said.
"We are talking about modest reinforcements," he told reporters at Nato European headquarters in Belgium.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5322698.stm
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$135.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network
Violence continued in the country today, where a suicide car bomb hit a US patrol in central Kabul, killing between 10 and 18 people, including civilian bystanders and two US soldiers.
Colonel Brett Boudreau, speaking at a meeting of Nato's defence chiefs in Warsaw, said "2,000 plus" troops were needed to combat the deadliest spate of violence since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.
His announcement came as conflicting reports emerged about the death toll from the Kabul suicide bombing, which was close to the US embassy and the worst bombing of its kind in the Afghan capital for months.
The Associated Press said at least 10 people were killed and 17 injured. Reuters, citing police and rescue workers, said 18 people had died. The US military confirmed two US troops were among the fatalities.
Witnesses described a huge explosion which tore an American Humvee vehicle in two and set it alight, and scattered debris and body parts over an area of around 50 metres. The bodies of two soldiers were seen lying metres from the vehicle after the explosion.
Najibullah Faizi, 25, said he saw a a heavily set young man drive a blue Toyota Corolla at speed past another car on the inside lane before ramming one of two Humvees in a convoy.
"I fell to the ground after the blast. American soldiers started shooting at another car nearby. There was smoke and flames everywhere," Mr Faizi told reporters. It was reported that the suicide bomber was among the fatalities.
Pieces of Humvee and US uniforms were blown into trees set alight by the explosion, which left a 2 metre crater. Muslim prayer caps, military hats and shoes could be seen amid the wreckage and the force of the blast shattered nearby windows.
More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,1867650,00.html