Afstan: ISAF fighting forces to be up 7,300/7,300
At the Riga Summit last November NATO commanders were saying they needed some 2,500 extra troops for southern Afstan. Well, it seems they have got them--and quite a bit more--from the usual contributors.
Total ISAF forces are being increased by what amounts to one brigade of Brits and one of Americans. The Brits are sending three additional battalions of infantry (that's brigade strength, plus others), for a total of 2,200 more troops:
1st Battalion Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (announced Feb. 1)
1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1st Battalion Scots Guards (latter two announced Feb. 26).
More on UK units deploying soon here. And this is the kit being provided for the 1,400 soldiers who will start arriving in May:
So that's 5,400 more UK and US troops than a few months ago. All the extra Brits plus one American battalion will be in the south, total almost 2,900.
And 1,000 Poles are now scheduled to arrive in Afstan in April.
So the ISAF troop gain overall should be around 7,300. Wow. I wonder when the media will do the math.
Update: Holy cow! A Toronto Star editorial mentions the UK and US troop boosts, though only in passing:
Upperdate: An article on the hard job facing US forces in the east that rings true to me (via Afghanistan Watch).
Uppestdate: James Appathurai, Spokesman for NATO International Staff, and Christopher Alexander, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan at the UN (both Canadians) pointed out the efforts of other countries in Afstan to the Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, Feb. 27. I saw the session on CPAC this morning (no video seems available). They were absolutely brilliant in pointing out the achievements of the NATO mission and of international development assistance--and in stressing the terrible error it would be for countries to bug out. MPs won no awards for intelligent questioning based on knowledge;Kandahar seemed to be the only place they knew the slightest about.
Uppestdate II: Embassy newsweekly has a much fuller report on the committee session than the major media, but with this snarky headline:
Total ISAF forces are being increased by what amounts to one brigade of Brits and one of Americans. The Brits are sending three additional battalions of infantry (that's brigade strength, plus others), for a total of 2,200 more troops:
1st Battalion Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (announced Feb. 1)
1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1st Battalion Scots Guards (latter two announced Feb. 26).
More on UK units deploying soon here. And this is the kit being provided for the 1,400 soldiers who will start arriving in May:
The list of extra equipment includes Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicles and multiple-launch rocket systems, which are both being deployed to Afghanistan for the first time. Also included are four more Harrier GR9s, to be used as bombers in a support role for ground troops, and four extra Sea King helicopters. Another C130 Hercules transport aircraft is also being sent...The US, for its part, is sending an additional brigade combat team, the 173rd, of 3,200 soldiers. One battalion of US troops will be based alongside Canadians at Kandahar.
There will also be additional artillery, with a battery of six 105mm light guns from 19th Regiment Royal Artillery, and a troop of guided multiple-launch rocket systems from 39th Regiment Royal Artillery...
So that's 5,400 more UK and US troops than a few months ago. All the extra Brits plus one American battalion will be in the south, total almost 2,900.
And 1,000 Poles are now scheduled to arrive in Afstan in April.
The Minister of Defense confirmed on Wednesday that Polish troops could be located anywhere that they are needed in Afghanistan, raising the possibility that Polish troops will be dispatched to the most dangerous regions.Some Poles have just arrived. The Polish
"Everyone realizes that this is not a simple mission and that experience of the Canadian army were not the best [emphasis added]," said Aleksander Szczyglo, Minister of Defense. However, he admitted that the troops would be dispatched in Afghanistan by the beginning of April and the final decision on the location of bases is already made. Over half of domestic troops will be located in the most dangerous areas of the country, with the Minister stressing that Poland was one of the few countries that did not request any limitations to location and use of its troops in Afghanistan...
...maneuver battalion...[will] be stationed in the south of the country in Ghazni province and will be entrusted with monitoring the strategic road [red on map at preceding link] from Kabul, the capital, to Kandahar and securing it from attacks of the Taliban...Moreover, Australia may be doubling its strength in the south to 900 soldiers.
So the ISAF troop gain overall should be around 7,300. Wow. I wonder when the media will do the math.
Update: Holy cow! A Toronto Star editorial mentions the UK and US troop boosts, though only in passing:
...Washington and London plan to send 5,000 more soldiers...But Jim Travers doesn't (as might be expected--see second part of post at last link).
Upperdate: An article on the hard job facing US forces in the east that rings true to me (via Afghanistan Watch).
Uppestdate: James Appathurai, Spokesman for NATO International Staff, and Christopher Alexander, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan at the UN (both Canadians) pointed out the efforts of other countries in Afstan to the Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, Feb. 27. I saw the session on CPAC this morning (no video seems available). They were absolutely brilliant in pointing out the achievements of the NATO mission and of international development assistance--and in stressing the terrible error it would be for countries to bug out. MPs won no awards for intelligent questioning based on knowledge;Kandahar seemed to be the only place they knew the slightest about.
Uppestdate II: Embassy newsweekly has a much fuller report on the committee session than the major media, but with this snarky headline:
Salesmen for Afghanistan
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 8:10 a.m.
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