NATO Takes on Bigger Role in Afghanistan

[tocqueville]

By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer
17 minutes ago

KABUL, Afghanistan - As the NATO armored car inches through a crowded Kabul market, its machine gun sweeping over the heads of shoppers, the Portuguese officer on board banters with street kids and traders, exchanging waves and smiles.

It's that rapport on the ground that is encouraging NATO commanders as they increase their peacekeeping forces to protect the Sept. 18 legislative election from worsening violence that has claimed 1,100 lives in the past six months.

"The people here are tired," says the officer, Lt. Lee Chin, as his patrol moves on to a school that will serve as a polling station. "They had 20 years of war with the Russian guys then with the Taliban. Now I think they want peace."

But the foreign troops face an even tougher challenge next year when their operations expand into the volatile east and south of Afghanistan.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_as/afghan_nato_s_challenge