Friday, February 01, 2008

Afstan diplomacy heats up

Canadian diplomatic pressure:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper escalated diplomatic pressure on Canada's NATO allies yesterday, warning Britain's Gordon Brown that Canada will end its combat mission in Afghanistan next year unless the military alliance supplies 1,000 more troops for southern Afghanistan.

For the second consecutive day, Mr. Harper pressed a major Canadian ally to step up cooperation, calling the British Prime Minister the day after he delivered the same message to U.S. President George W. Bush in a 20-minute telephone call.

Mr. Harper briefed both leaders on last week's report of the independent Manley panel and its core ultimatum: Canada will end its combat operations in Kandahar by February, 2009, unless its allies provide another 1,000 troops and much-needed military hardware.

"Without that, Canada's mission will end in a year's time [emphasis added]," said a statement from Mr. Harper's chief spokeswoman Sandra Buckler...
Supported strongly by the US (below is a Google translation, amended by me--via Norman's Spectator):
The United States has put its weight on the side of Canada in its diplomatic battle to persuade another country to come and lend a hand to Canadian soldiers in Kandahar. Yesterday, Washington sent unequivocal messages to France and Germany, urging them to do more to support Canada in southern Afghanistan.

In Berlin, German Minister of Defense Franz Josef Jung, received from his American counterpart, Robert Gates, a letter in an "unusually harsh tone," according to sources of the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. This page and a half missive asks Germany to contribute to the efforts of the United States, Canada and Britain in the south of Afghanistan, the most unstable region of the country.

The Pentagon particularly wants Berlin to send 3,200 soldiers to the south to replace--starting in the fall--the 3,200 marines that Washington will deploy on a temporary basis between March and September to lend a hand in the provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. The United States has already indicated that the force is not permanent and that it has no intention, at this time, to assist Canada in Kandahar for the longer term.

In his letter to Berlin, "Robert Gates asks for the provision [by Germany] of helicopters and combat troops," according to the newspaper. Ottawa for its part is looking for helicopters to assist its military on the ground.

The U.S. Defense Secretary recognizes the worth of German service in the north of Afghanistan "but complains about an imbalance within the NATO forces. Some countries refuse to engage in combat, while others are fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda, argued Robert Gates in his letter. He therefore called on Germany to add soldiers to its current strength of 3100 military and warns Berlin against the risk of "increased" divisions within NATO and a "loss of credibility", according to today's edition of the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

And France ...

Along with this frank and direct approach, Washington also put pressure on France yesterday. The french Minister of Defense, Herve Morin, visited the American capital to meet Robert Gates. At a press conference, the two men dodged questions on the future role of France in Afghanistan, but a spokesman for the State Department, Sean McCormack, said that the United States wanted France to send reinforcements for the Canadian troops deployed in southern Afghanistan. The Pentagon reiterated to France that European countries must do more.

France has given a new impetus to its mission in Afghanistan since the arrival in power of Nicolas Sarkozy. Paris currently has 1300 troops in Kabul, in addition to helping train the Afghan army.

In Ottawa, several sources say that France is a serious hope - with Washington and London - to assist Canada in Kandahar. The French Embassy in Canada says that the Manley report is being "scrutinized in Paris."

The two capitals have been in talks for several months about possible assistance, Jean-Christophe Fleury, spokesman for the embassy, told Le Devoir. "Discussions will intensify in the lead-up to the NATO summit in Bucharest, " he said. To show that it is not insensitive to the problems of Canada in Kandahar, France has sent six Mirage fighter jets to support the Canadian soldiers. The planes have been deployed since September. "We are a trusted ally, so it is normal to turn toward us," said Jean-Christophe Fleury. He said that France is considiering its role in Afghanistan...
The US government is also putting on the diplomatic pressure publicly:
The United States expressed concern yesterday [Jan. 31] that the international community would abandon Afghanistan, cautioning that success in the insurgency-wracked nation was "not assured."

"The greatest threat to Afghanistan's future is abandonment by the international community," Richard Boucher, the State Department's top official for Afghanistan, told a Senate hearing on the turmoil in Afghanistan.

He said the mission in Afghanistan needed more troops and equipment, such as helicopters, pointing out that "too few of our allies have combat troops fighting the insurgents, especially in the south."..

"Success is possible but not assured [emphasis added]," said Mr. Boucher, who came under intense questioning from senators at the hearing. "Therefore, the international community needs to continue and expand its efforts."

"We expect more from our NATO allies; we have promised the Afghan people to assist in stabilizing their country, and we must give NATO personnel the tools they need to make good on that promise," he said...
Update: From Spiegel Online:
Early in the week, the Canadians also ramped up the pressure on Berlin. After losing 78 soldiers in Afghanistan, Ottawa issued a clear threat to its allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels: Either the Europeans send 1,000 combat troops, together with helicopters, to Kandahar, or Canada will completely withdraw its roughly 2,500 soldiers from Afghanistan next year.

The Canadians also announced that they plan to hold "targeted talks with individual nations" in Vilnius. This effort is also directed mainly at Germany [emphasis added--NATO defence ministers are meeting there Feb. 7].
Upperdate: One down...
Germany rejects troop request for southern Afghanistan

10 Comments:

Blogger Dave in Pa. said...

Besides France and Germany, there's other NATO allies who aren't sharing the combat role. Italy, Norway, Spain, Czech Republic.

If even Poland and Romania, still digging out from their communist dictatorship era, can contribute combat forces, that ought to shame the non-participants. France and the other Western European NATO members have no excuse for not participating in this UN-sanctioned, NATO-run combat.

2:42 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Rivenshield said...

'Shame' the non-participants? They have no shame. Nor any sense of proportion or propriety. They were embarrassed about the rape and murder going on in the Balkans, too. They did nothing. They talked, they sent symbolic dribs and drabs of 'peacekeepers', they held talks... they *did* nothing.

I'm glad we're finally calling them on their fummy-farting around approach towards a war they openly declared, but I expect nothing material to come of it. I expect they will simply ratchet up the anti-American rhetoric -- how dare those violent, domineering bastards try to boss them around! The Canadians? Collateral damage. BFD.

The whole world now knows that if NATO declares war, only the English-speaking battle-tested democracies will act. The Chinese know it. The Russians know it. The assorted chapters of the Islamic Klu Klux Klan know it. All of this is creating a foul 21st century for us, but an apocalyptic one for Europe. I wonder if they have any inkling of what will happen to their nice clean narcisstic plastic bubble of a society when they get hit and we treat them like they have treated us.

Screw Europe. The more often and loudly our leaders say so, the better.

3:08 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Mark, Ottawa said...

Rivenshield: Actually shame over Srebrenica has been a major factor in the Dutch taking on the important role they have at Uruzgan.

Mark
Ottawa

3:18 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Rivenshield said...

Dribs and drabs, Mark. And my incentive, or yours, to give a rat's patoot about the *motivations* of the dribs and drabs? Nonexistant at this point. We are fighting a war they declared and they are watching it on TV like it was a bleeping ball game. I despise them. Despise them. Not out of rat-bastard nationalism, nor some desire to control or get my way. I despise them because they are despicable.

Canada fields more combat troops in the 'Stan than all of Europe combined; the source of your diplomatic discontent. The European component of NATO has the largest population, the largest economy, and -- in aggregate, the largest military machine -- on the planet Earth. You would figure all these supposedly gee-whiz-wow-yeah 'pro-American' ex-Warsaw Pact countries, at least, could cobble together a combat contingent equivalent to the Canucks. But no. They're just as lazy and parochial as the rest; they're just much more respectful and polite about it.

A few stalwart Dutchmen and Romanians and Danes and Polacks are not going to help materially in Afghanistan, nor salvage Europe's geo-political credit rating. It's time for us to foreclose on the bastards. Either their membership in NATO gets downgraded to observer status, or ours does. I do not want my national fortunes linked to theirs.

Truth in advertising: I'm an Al Gore Democrat. I wonder how the rest of the country feels. You mark my words. Nothing will come of this. The troops that bolster yours will be AMERICAN. Our money. Our worries. Our young men coming home in zip-lock baggies. Our ongoing national trauma. We will honor you; will show you the same grit and reciprocity you have shown us. The political hardball is gratifying, but it will be to no avail. And it will be an issue in every upcoming European parliamentary election -- 'maintain our sovereignty against the Yankee scum!'

Watch. Just watch.

3:32 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Truth in advertising: I'm an Al Gore Democrat. "

You have my deepest sympathies :)

3:44 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Rivenshield said...

Yeah... It really, really sucks to be a results-oriented liberal right now.

4:01 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Babbling Brooks said...

There are over 10,000 European troops in the 'hot' provinces in the south of Afghanistan (I count Kandahar, Uruzgan, and Helmand). Even taking out the 7,700 or so Brits, that leaves just about the 2,500 we have deployed.

There may be differences with the Europeans in how Canadian troops pursue their objectives, but I don't think it's particularly productive to castigate them as a whole. Better to target those populations and governments that refuse to live up to their NATO Article 5 commitments while still making noises about collective defence and grand alliances.

5:10 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger Dave in Pa. said...

One war at a time, Fred! :-)

I don't happen to share rivenshield's domestic political views but I agree wholeheartedly with him on his views on the Europeans and on Af-stan. (Honorable exceptions, as noted, of the Anglo nations, Dutch, Danes, Romanians and Poles) Rivenshield's views are logical conclusions based on the Euro's past behavior and present actions, or rather, mealy-mouthed inactions.

5:19 p.m., February 01, 2008  
Blogger arctic_front said...

Germany: The 'new French' Who knew?

I just find it absolutely shocking and ungrateful that they would 'allow' us to protect them from Soviet invasion for 60 yrs then turn their backs on us when we ask for help

Nice, real nice.

11:23 a.m., February 02, 2008  
Blogger Cameron Campbell said...

Yeah, how dare they have domestic political interests of their own?

Who do they think they are? Real countries?

9:51 a.m., February 04, 2008  

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