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http://frontierpost.com.pk/afghan.asp?id=1&date1=9/23/2002 The Frontier Post (Pakistan) September 23, 2002 Germany may take over security command -Germany has played a major role in the force already, providing nearly 1,300 troops out of a total contingent of about 5,000. -As another possibility, US officials have looked at creating some kind of joint leadership arrangement for the international force, teaming several smaller NATO countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. -US officials expect that a larger role for Germany in Afghanistan would be conditioned on the active involvement of NATO’s military structure, both to assist in military planning and to generate additional forces from NATO member and partnership countries. NATO support is viewed as particularly important in ensuring a longer-term commitment by the next head of the international force. WASHINGTON (NNI): Germany has emerged as the leading candidate to take command of the international security force in Afghanistan, a move that might also involve NATO, according to US and European officials.With Turkey’s six-month commitment to head the International Security Assistance Force due to expire in December, the Bush administration has been scrambling to find a replacement. Germany’s willingness to fill the gap would have particular significance as a step towards mending the deep rift in US-German relations that has opened since Chancellor Schroeder made opposition to a US attack on Iraq, a central factor in his campaign for re-election, reports the Washington Post. The German government has reserved a final decision on taking over lead responsibility for the international force until after national elections in Germany on Sunday. But German Defence Minister Peter Struck said he could imagine his country assuming command, and German authorities have affirmed their readiness in private talks with European officials and US. Germany has played a major role in the force already, providing nearly 1,300 troops out of a total contingent of about 5,000. In addition to performing guard duty and patrolling, the Germans have handled training of a new Afghan police force. As another possibility, US officials have looked at creating some kind of joint leadership arrangement for the international force, teaming several smaller NATO countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. But the preference is for a single, larger European state to run the force, officials said. US officials expect that a larger role for Germany in Afghanistan would be conditioned on the active involvement of NATO’s military structure, both to assist in military planning and to generate additional forces from NATO member and partnership countries. NATO support is viewed as particularly important in ensuring a longer-term commitment by the next head of the international force. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other administration officials have made clear their interest in seeing what has been a six-month commitment extended to 12 or 18 months to provide greater stability. Lingering difficulties in reining in warlords, bandits and renegade Taliban fighters have complicated rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan and have put pressure on the Bush administration to allow expansion of the international force beyond Kabul, where its operations are now confined. NATO has avoided a formal political commitment to involvement in Afghanistan, reflecting both an initial US desire to strike on its own against the Taliban regime and al Qaeda network and a NATO reluctance to get involved in operations out of its traditional area of European focus. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
