Afstan: More Norwegian troops

But what particular use are special forces in mostly calm Kabul?

Norway announced Tuesday [Feb. 13] it would deploy an additional 150-strong special forces contingent in Afghanistan. The decision was announced in parliament by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen and marked the end of an internal tug of war in the ruling red-green coalition that has gone on since last year.

Store said the additional troops would be based in the Afghan capital Kabul, adding that "there will be no further (troop) contributions during 2007."

Afghanistan faced a series of combined challenges including poverty, a weak state, and high crime rates, Store said.

In addition to contributing troops, Norway would continue to provide humanitarian aid and expected to allocate 450 million kroner (72 million dollars) for these programmes in 2007, second only to the Palestinian Territories, the foreign minister said.

The current Norwegian force operates in northern Afghanistan, including the city of Mazar-e-Sharif.

Junior coalition partner, the Socialist Left Party, initially opposed increasing the 400-strong force but accepted the decision since the new forces would not be deployed in southern Afghanistan [emphasis added] where NATO-led forces have engaged Taliban fighters, party officials said...

Meanwhile, I sniff diplomacy at work:

Gates thanks Pakistan for border crackdown
The defense secretary says Musharraf is taking seriously the need to stop the flow of fighters into Afghanistan.

(Or maybe he's distracted:

Gates, prince in deal for Four Seasons)