http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=354204 <http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=354204&sid=SAS> &sid=SAS Troop deficit in Afghanistan endangering soldiers: NATO
Mons, Belgium, Feb 13: NATO nations are putting the lives of their soldiers in danger in Afghanistan by refusing to provide enough troops to fight off the Taliban, the alliance's military chief warned today. "If you don't source this to 100 percent," said NATO military commander US General Bantz Craddock, "it places every NATO soldier there at greater risk." Speaking to reporters at NATO military headquarters in Mons, Southern Belgium, Craddock said that military needs -- known as the joint statement of requirements -- are "probably filled to 93 or 94 percent". "I want full sourcing of the combined joint statement of requirements: 100 percent," he said. In Spain on Thursday, Craddock urged NATO Defence Ministers to provide two more battalions and important support forces to put down the resistance of the Taliban, whose attacks increased four-fold last year. But some of the alliance's 26 member countries insisted that it was vitally important to focus on reconstruction, and not just security, to provide hope for ordinary afghans. NATO has, since 2003, been leading the 35,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which draws forces from 37 nations and has been trying to broaden the influence of Afghanistan's weak central government. Craddock said that it was also important for countries to lift caveats, or restrictions they place on the use of their soldiers, which deprive commanders of the flexibility to re-deploy troops easily in times of combat. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
