Word: afghan
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...There are currently more than 110,000 foreign soldiers in Afghanistan, anchored by a 68,000-strong U.S. force. The other members of the 43-nation, NATO-led coalition provide some 42,000 troops. The Afghan army currently numbers about 94,000, but the government wants a force of 134,000 by October 2010, rising...
...found. "This is not a U.S. mission alone: America's allies in NATO have shared the risks, costs and burdens of this mission from the beginning," said Rasmussen, who has traveled around Europe in recent weeks to drum up more military muscle. (See pictures of life in the National Afghan Army...
...only Britain has come up with a plan to send extra troops - about 500 - while the other major European powers, notably Germany and France, are reluctant to commit any. Surveys consistently show that most European voters feel the Afghan mission is failing and are opposed to any additional deployments. In Britain, around 70% of the public favors an early withdrawal. The global economic crisis is also setting new budgetary constraints on government expenditure. "I don't see anyone sending massive numbers. Most countries are under pressure to announce exit strategies," says Shada Islam, Senior Program Executive at the European Policy...
...long-awaited strategy speech for Afghanistan, President Barack Obama clearly and forcibly repeated his objectives from his original plan in March - denying al-Qaeda a safe haven and reversing Taliban momentum. But he added one detail that stunned many Afghans. All this would be achieved within 18 months, at which point, it is assumed, the Afghan government would be able to stand on its own and the Afghan security forces - who are a far cry from the disciplined rows of uniformed cadets who faced Obama on Tuesday evening - would be able to take on the job of securing the battle...
...month timeline came as a shock to many Afghans, who had hoped for - and who had believed in - previous statements by world leaders that the international community was in it for the long haul. Even if development projects continue long after, fear is rife that the Taliban will simply wait out the surge, only to return re-energized and triumphant once the numbers of international forces have dwindled, even if it is only a return to present numbers. As for those Afghans sitting on the fence, they now see less security in joining the government's side, which may once...