US sees West in Afghanistan for many years

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

US sees West in Afghanistan for many years
26 Mar 2007 15:07:42 GMT
Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS, March 26 (Reuters) - The United States urged European countries on Monday to provide more troops and aid for Afghanistan, forecasting an international presence in the war-shattered country for "many, many years" to come.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Washington was grateful to European countries such as Britain, Estonia, Romania and the Netherlands which have troops operating in combat zones in Afghanistan, but said more were needed.

"There is a need for a greater number of troops from Europe, for a greater degree of flexibility in how those troops are allowed to operate," Burns told reporters in Brussels.

"The caveats that limit the tactical deployments of troops inside the country, in our view, should be lifted. All states should lift them and there should be additional economic and humanitarian aid," he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26292674.htm

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Top general in Afghanistan expels Marines
Source: Examiner.com

The top American general in Afghanistan has expelled a U.S. Marine special operations company for the way the men responded to an ambush March 4, Marine sources said.

Maj. Cliff Gilmore, a spokesman for Marine Special Operations Command, confirmed to The Examiner that the company of 120 Marines is redeploying.

He said the decision followed an ambush on the company's convoy by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. A second Marine source said the Marines retaliated and some civilians were killed.

The action brought an abrupt end to what promised to be a historic deployment. The unit sailed in January from Camp Lejuene, N.C., as the first Marine Corps special operations company sent overseas. The Corps joined U.S. Special Operations Command a year ago.

The company is now redeploying to Kuwait after just a few weeks in Afghanistan in what was supposed to be a six-month tour.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2778591

Karzai slams Afghan deaths after raid on U.S. force
05 Mar 2007 06:49:14 GMT

KABUL, March 5 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday condemned the deaths of 10 civilians shot by U.S. troops after an attack on their convoy over the weekend.

~snip~

No provincial or central government official has confirmed the U.S. military's account that the convoy came under rebel fire. The killing of civilians by NATO and U.S. troops is undermining public support of the foreign mission here, analysts say.

Two provincial government officials on Sunday said 10 civilians were killed and more than 25 wounded in firing by the U.S. soldiers fleeing as they fled the site of the attack.

"Karzai strongly condemned the incident that took place," the palace said in a statement.

Karzai has ordered an inquiry, but previous such investigations by NATO and the Afghan government have done nothing more than confirm witness accounts that those killed were civilians.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2755317

[mike_c]

1. that's what Sergei Sokolov and Leonid Brezhnev said, no doubt...

...and we know what came of THAT.

[LynnTheDem]

2. And what was RUSSIA'S answer?

After they quit laughing...

[maddezmom]

3. NATO troops earn resentment of frustrated Afghans

NATO troops earn resentment of frustrated Afghans
27 Mar 2007 17:57:37 GMT
Source: Reuters
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Background
Afghan turmoil
More By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan are beginning to draw the resentment of Afghans fed up with growing civilian casualties and the lack of material progress in their lives, experts say.

Resentment has posed special problems in the south, where villagers who have suffered from Western military firepower have responded to the Taliban's call to arms against foreign troops and the government of President Hamid Karzai, the experts said.

"There is growing resentment because of the kinds of military operations that have been carried out, not because of the international troop presence," Samina Ahmed, South Asia project director for International Crisis Group think tank, said this week in an interview.

Ahmed, who is based in Pakistan and travels frequently to Afghanistan, cited bombing raids based on faulty intelligence that have killed innocent villagers and shootings of innocent civilians by panicky troops as especially damaging to Afghan support for Western forces.

"What has also led to greater resentment is the fact that Kabul is not delivering," she added, referring to the Afghan government's difficulty in providing services to the people.

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26385274.htm