Nato backs McChrystal in snub to Biden plan
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Independent Minds
Nato defence ministers signalled their backing for the Afghan strategy put forward by the American commander General Stanley McChrystal yesterday in an implicit rejection of the alternative plan proposed by US Vice-President Joe Biden.
The general had made an unscheduled appearance at the meeting of ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia, to give a presentation behind closed doors. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, said: "What we did today was to discuss General McChrystal's overall assessment, his overall approach, and I have noted a broad support from all ministers of this overall counter-insurgency approach."
The US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, said he was at the summit "mainly in a listening mode" with his Nato counterparts. Significantly, he added: "Many allies spoke positively about General McChrystal's assessment."
The general has asked for between 20,000 and 40,000 extra troops to implement his counter-insurgency strategy. This is being opposed by an influential faction led by Vice-President Biden who has spoken against sending large-scale reinforcements and wants, instead, to concentrate on a counter-terrorism mission hunting al-Qa'ida across the border in Pakistan.
Diplomatic sources say Nato endorsement of General McChrystal has led to anger in the Biden camp. They had criticised the commander for promoting his strategy, including on a visit to London, while President Barack Obama is still weighing up the options.
In Britain, the head of the Army, General Sir David Richards, has led allied military leaders in stressing that "more boots on the ground" were needed to establish security. The UK is already committed to sending 500 extra troops although the actual deployment will not be mounted until President Obama announces his decision.
Mr Gates said the announcement was still two or three weeks away, and he cautioned that it was "vastly premature" to draw conclusions now about whether the President would deploy more troops. He added that some countries had indicated a willingness to add to both their military and civil aid. Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark would not send more troops just yet. A further Nato meeting on Afghanistan is planned next month.
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Comments
How the hell does an unelected government employee make an "unscheuled appearance" at NATO and get its backing against his own elected boss?
Hey Osama, congratulations, you won.
request this level provided a good chance of winning, his high risk request was 30,000- 40,000 this level provides for a good chance of losing . McChrystal knew that the 60,000- 80,000 could not be provided in the near term as the The US does not have a strategic reserve, and the infantry force both Army and Marine Corp is either in Iraq, Afghanistan or taking their one year break between combat. To request troop levels that are not available was not acting in good faith. Recent articles in the American press based on confidential comments from sources in the Pentagon indicate that only 30,000 troops are available in the near term,the high risk option. Therefore President Obama and Secretary Gates have two choices either provide McChrystal the troop level currently available 30,000 which he doubts is sufficient to win the war, or replace him with a commander with a belief in the Biden Plan. As it serves no purpose to continue with a commander who says in public I doubt victory with the troops you can provide me, the second option is the only viable one.
This is a Far cry from a commander and chief.
Is indecision his best ability to, preserve, protect?
White House is unlikely to get swayed by these games is a different story.
But at some point, this European farce - always shooting from American shoulder - has to stop. Task for President Obama is to set such expectations. Despite all of his dithering on domestic front, it is unlikely that he will waver here. And of course at that point eggs will be on the faces of these 'free riders'.
troops an insult to the intelligence of the American, British and Canadian people. Where will the 40,000 soldiers come from. Mr Brown has conditionally promised 500 more, while Canada is coming out in 2011. This leaves Nato committing 39.500 more US Soldiers to a war that is becoming increasingly difficult. Thankfully during the conference Mr Gates made no commitment to either Nato or General McChrystal. Unless the Nato Secretary General Mr Rasmussen provides the leadership required to get the other nations to provide more troops to the combat mission, NATO will not only lose the war in Afghanistan, but will face oblivion.
This seems to be a similar scenario.
I still do not understand why Afganistan is so important to the US. There is no petrol there, not sure what is still keeping them there. Can it be the drug trafficcing?
I say all the forces should pull out of Afganistan and Iraq as soon as possible. There have been plenty of innocent soldiers' lives lost because Bush wanted to divert attention away from the 9/11 bombings.
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