Afstan: Time to get things done

Now that the "tipping point" has been reached.

1) NATO ISAF commander:

Military successes over the Taliban in recent months have opened a crucial six-month “window of opportunity” to prove to Afghans in the south that long-promised reconstruction and security can be delivered, NATO's commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday...

2) Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff:

Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of defence staff, is leading Canada's charge in trying to persuade countries in the 26-nation alliance -- particularly France, Italy, Spain and Germany -- to cough up more soldiers for dangerous duty in Afghanistan's south, or grant permission to the troops they already have stationed in country to serve in the hazardous region...

Gen. Hillier's lobbying flows from the unsuccessful attempts by NATO's defence ministers to find an additional 2,500 troops among their members' countries at a meeting in Slovenia late last month.

Only Poland, a newer NATO member, offered troops -- 1,000 in total -- with no caveats...