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