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Nato head commits to Afghanistan Nato head commits to Afghanistan
(about 1 hour later)
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said the organisation cannot "run away" from Afghanistan, as members hold talks in the Netherlands.Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said the organisation cannot "run away" from Afghanistan, as members hold talks in the Netherlands.
If Nato left Afghanistan now it would become a failed state and a training ground for terrorists, he told the BBC.If Nato left Afghanistan now it would become a failed state and a training ground for terrorists, he told the BBC.
US calls for its allies to send more troops to Afghanistan are expected to dominate the Nato meeting. US calls for its allies to send more troops to Afghanistan were high on the agenda of the meeting in Noordwijk.
Washington provides more than 15,100 of over 41,100 Nato troops in Afghanistan, where the Taleban is resurgent.Washington provides more than 15,100 of over 41,100 Nato troops in Afghanistan, where the Taleban is resurgent.
Nato defence ministers are gathering in the Dutch seaside resort of Noordwijk. name="top">
'Point of morality' The BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Noordwijk says US, UK, Canadian and Dutch troops are bearing the lion's share of fighting a resurgent Taleban in Afghanistan.
Before Wednesday's talks began, the Nato secretary general told the BBC the organisation intended to fulfil its Afghan mission to the end. class="bodl" href="#table">See how Nato members' contributions compare
He said: "We cannot simply run away from the Afghan people and say 'thank you very much ladies and gentlemen but this is it we are leaving'. From a point of morality, solidarity that is impossible. National caveats currently prevent some countries - such as Germany, Italy, France and Spain - from either fighting or from being based in the more dangerous provinces.
Are we going to see Afghanistan become a failed state again? A training camp for terrorists? Quite honestly I do not think so Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
This has led to a perception of an unfairly shared burden, says our correspondent.
Before the two days of talks between Nato's 26 defence ministers opened on Wednesday at the Dutch seaside resort, the secretary general said members must fulfil their Afghan mission.
He told the BBC: "We cannot simply run away from the Afghan people and say 'thank you very much ladies and gentlemen but this is it we are leaving'. From a point of morality, solidarity that is impossible.
"Secondly, are we going to see Afghanistan become a failed state again? Be a training camp for terrorists with all the consequences for London, for Amsterdam, for Brussels, and for the United States? Quite honestly I do not think so.""Secondly, are we going to see Afghanistan become a failed state again? Be a training camp for terrorists with all the consequences for London, for Amsterdam, for Brussels, and for the United States? Quite honestly I do not think so."
Six years since the toppling of the Taleban, there is an air of concern, if not crisis, about the Nato mission in Afghanistan, BBC defence correspondent Rob Watson reports. 'No free ride'
As well as a Taleban revival, rebuilding has gone more slowly than expected and all of this has created strains among the Nato allies. Before the meeting, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates had complained some European nations were not pulling their weight in Afghanistan.
"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over two million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen cannot find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said earlier this week. As talks got underway, the Netherlands - which has seen 10 of its soldiers killed in Afghanistan - also appealed for more help.
There are disagreements over how much military force to use and some governments are under pressure to withdraw their troops from the mission. "One thing is certain, there is no such thing as a free ride to peace and security," said Dutch Defence Minister Eimert Van Middelkoop.
But Nato defence ministers are expected to be asked to send more troops not so much for combat operations, but to help train Afghanistan's own security forces. The Netherlands has warned its parliament may not extend the mission beyond August, unless they get more back-up.
The Canadians, meanwhile, must decide by 2009 whether to extend the mandate of their 1,700 troops in the south.
Six years since the toppling of the Taleban, there is an air of concern, if not crisis, about the 38-nation mission to Afghanistan, say analysts.
As well as a Taleban revival, rebuilding has gone more slowly than expected, while civilian and military casualties have tested public support for the mission.

International Security Assistance Force

Troop contributing nations

  No. of troops   No. of troops Albania 138 Italy 2395 Australia 907 Latvia 97 Austria 3 Lithuania 195 Azerbaijan 22 Luxembourg 9 Belgium 368 Macedonia 129 Bulgaria 401 Netherlands 1516 Canada 1730 New Zealand 138 Croatia 199 Norway 508 Czech Rep. 233 Poland 937 Denmark 454 Portugal 162 Estonia 128 Romania 536 Finland 85 Slovakia 70 France 1073 Slovenia 42 Georgia - Spain 715 Germany 3155 Sweden 340 Greece 146 Switzerland 2 Hungary 225 Turkey 1220 Iceland 11 United Kingdom 7740 Ireland 7 United States 15108 ISAF total 41144     National Support elements 4140     Source: Nato
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