Nato force begs for troops(not looking good)

[maddezmom]

TOM COGHLAN
IN KABUL
HOPEFULLY, it was not just down to wishful thinking. In a brief pause from the fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan, a Canadian officer, Major Quentin Innes, expressed his belief that the Taliban were beginning to run short of ammunition and supplies.

"There is not the intensity of firing from Taliban positions that we were seeing before," Innes said. "We plan to play smart and take them apart piece by piece."

If he was hoping for help, that may be some time coming. As another Western soldier - believed to be a Canadian - died in combat yesterday, Nato generals made clear that they would make a direct appeal to member governments tomorrow to come up with the 2,500 extra troops that field commanders believe are needed to destroy Taliban forces.

~snip~

Asked whether chiefs of defence staff had indicated they would come up with the required 2,500 troops to quell the lawless south, he replied: "I can't give you the exact number, but the chiefs of defence are very aware of requirements. Raising the number of troops will be a political decision."

Henault said defence chiefs had at least agreed to review the caveats, or restrictions imposed by individual Nato nations on what their troops can do, ranging from a ban on night flying to deployments in direct combat in the violent south.

more:http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=444&id=1336772006