Afstan: More troops from the usual contributors

There are several stories on this; I've picked bits from them to try and give an overall picture; it would seem that in reality only the US, UK and Poland really are doing much more. It also looks as if the US hopes only to extend the tour of the 10th Mountain soldiers as a temporary measure and not actually increase its continuing troop strength (Iraq?)--but Canadians will be getting some help for a while at Kandahar. And caveats by ISAF members on troop use remain a serious problem.

1) "More US troops for Afghanistan"

The 3,500-strong 10th Mountain Division, currently deployed along the eastern border with Pakistan, is to have its tour of duty extended by four months.

The unit, on its third tour of the country since 2001, was due to have been replaced next month by men from the 82nd Airborne division, who will still be deployed...

2) "NATO Allies Wary of Sending More Troops to Afghanistan"

America’s European allies on Friday remained noncommittal about sending additional troops to Afghanistan, even as the Bush administration sought to inject new energy into the NATO mission against the Taliban by offering more American soldiers and money...

...the realities that have troubled the NATO mission in Afghanistan since the 26-member trans-Atlantic alliance took command last year remained on display. France and Germany continued to limit their combat role; both countries have refused to deploy troops in the south of the country, where Taliban forces are strongest. Germany’s Parliament has yet to approve a proposal to send six Tornado reconnaissance jets to the south...

...While Mr. Prodi’s government passed a measure on Friday to renew financing for Italy’s troops in Afghanistan, it did so without the support of all of Mr. Prodi’s coalition partners, and Italian officials said it was unlikely that Mr. Prodi could rally support for any increase in troops...

3) "Nato falls in behind US to step up aid to Afghanistan"

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato Secretary-General, said that the issue of extra troops was likely to be discussed at a meeting of defence ministers in Seville, Spain on February 8. "The message has been clear that the international community intends to keep up the initiative in Afghanistan..."

4) "NATO to send in more troops to Afghanistan"

The surge in allied troops follows a recent warning from U.S. generals that Taliban militants are poised to unleash a bloody spring offensive across the southern half of Afghanistan.

British Gen. David Richards downplayed the gloomy assessment..

"We’ve now got a stabilized (situation)," said Richards, who steps down as commander of the NATO force in Afghanistan on Feb. 4. "I’m not saying we’ve won. We have a stabilized security situation across the south and in the east. We have a lot more to do but we’ve set the conditions for that."

On Thursday, the United States extended by four months the combat tour of 3,200 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade of the New York-based 10th Mountain Division ["...only been pledged for the short term, however."]. At least one battalion, roughly 650 troops, of that group will form a so-called theatre reserve, said Richards. He said he envies the flexibility such a formation will give his successor, an American general.

Based in Kandahar [emphasis added], the tough alpine-trained soldiers will be called upon to respond to emergencies throughout the volatile region. In theory, this should allow Canadians to concentrate on security and reconstruction.

Richards was eager to trumpet as "fantastic news" NATO plans to deploy a mixed brigade of combat troops — as many as 3,500 — in addition to the bolstered U.S. commitment. But even after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday, it remained unclear which countries planned to contribute new troops to the multinational combat group.

Poland, which had committed 900 soldiers last fall, has boosted its contingent to 1,200. There were reports this week that Britain was considering putting 600 more troops on the ground in addition to the 5,200 already deployed...

5) "US Says Troop Coordination Critical to NATO, Afghanistan Mission"

A top US State Department official warned Friday that NATO's future may hinge on alliance members dropping conditions they have placed on their troops' service in Afghanistan. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns says the so-called "caveats" on what various contingents may do in that country are an "existential" issue for NATO...

[US Defense Secretary]Gates said if things go as anticipated, it will not be necessary to further extend [emphasis added] the tours of U.S. troops.

He has said in recent days that he would be receptive to increasing the overall U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan if that is the recommendation of field commanders.

And then there's this, "NATO slow to respond on Afghan force level":

...[Secretary of State] Rice added that in addition to extending the tours, Defense Secretary Robert Gates would expand the number of U.S. troops, "partly through extra forces [emphasis added]."..

Hmm. Things not quite clear.