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Can NATO Survive Afghanistan's Killing Fields? - by Peter C. Glover
Six weeks in hell -- or, more precisely, in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. That sums up the brutal fighting endured by the NATO troops who took over from U.S. troops in the area at the end of July. But while British, Canadian and Dutch troops have had an unexpectedly hot reception, pleas from the area British commander calling for other NATO countries to "pull their weight" and commit 2,500 more troops to the southern war have fallen on deaf ears. Though 1,000 more Polish troops were announced last week as "on way" to the region, it had nothing to do with the combat problems on the ground -- and they won't arrive until February 2007. All of which begs key questions about NATO's commitment to prosecute the Afghan campaign to a speedy military conclusion -- and about the future of NATO itself.
It was all supposed to have been so very different. Operation Mountain Thrust, a joint NATO-Afghan mission, was supposed to sweep Taliban fighters out of the south of the country. But, when NATO troops took over in July, what they found was an area far from under control. Moving farther into the interior, British troops ran straight into well-armed Taliban and tribal groups intent on defend their "happy hour" poppy crops. It is these crops, together with funds channeled via al-Qaeda, that primarily fund the Taliban. The ferocity of the response stalled the British-led offensive, forcing them to take up defensive positions as the Taliban mounted daily mass attacks. What was expected to be a series of "seek and destroy" guerrilla missions has instead seen wave after wave of frontal assaults on British bases. Comment EU-DIGEST:Everyone was forewarned about this disaster but no one paid any attention. The NATO like the Russians before them will pay the price for "not doing their homework" and staying out of Afghanistan.
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