Official: More NATO troops may be Afghan-bound
BRUSSELS, Sept 6 (AP/UNB) - A NATO official says 2,000 more alliance soldiers may be deployed to Afghanistan to join the 140,000-strong international force already there. The official says NATO commander Gen. David Petraeus asked for the additional troops, nearly half of whom will be trainers for the rapidly expanding Afghan security forces. Petraeus also asked for troops specialized in neutralizing roadside bombs, the cause of a large percentage of the 2,000 allied deaths in the nine-year war. The NATO official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the subject. The request comes ahead of NATO's November summit. NATO has had trouble rising more troops for the war effort. A number of countries have indicated they may reduce their contingents after 2011. |
