Fritzie the Freeloader (and others)

The British defence secretary is not best pleased (links in original):

Hutton attacks European allies over lack of support in Afghanistan
Failure to send troops poses threat to national security and puts Nato alliance at risk, warns defence secretary

The UK was doing more than it could manage in the long term, the head of the armed forces said. Photograph: Marco Di Lauro/Getty

John Hutton, the defence secretary, today delivered a blistering attack on the failure of Britain's European allies to deploy more combat troops to Afghanistan and described the west's mission there as "absolutely fundamental to Britain's national security".

He did not use the term "war on terror" — a rallying cry described by David Miliband, the foreign secretary, in today's Guardian, as a mistake that may have caused more harm than good. Nevertheless, the defence secretary used strong language. For Nato, Afghanistan was a "defining issue" in what he called "the worldwide campaign against terrorism". He added: "The struggle against terrorists is one of the defining struggles of our time".

His clear message was that Afghanistan, under threat from the Taliban, and al-Qaida supporters based in north-west Pakistan, presented a threat to "British citizens on British streets" [ever hear that from a Canadian minister? - MC].

The strongly worded statement seemed in part an attempt to prepare the British public for further casualties and a likely deployment of up to 3,000 more UK troops to southern Afghanistan this year [emphasis added--earlier post on this here].

Lieutenant General Peter Wall, deputy chief of defence staff responsible for operations, warned of the growing threat posed by improvised explosive devices as the Taliban had shown itself to be "particularly resilient" [story on recent Canadian experience with IEDs here].

Shortly after he spoke, the Ministry of Defence announced that a soldier and a Royal Marine were killed by an explosion north-east of Gereshk in central Helmand province last night.

The soldier was from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery and the marine from 45 Commando Royal Marines. Their next of kin have been informed.

Twenty British servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan since November [emphasis added] – winter months traditionally regarded as quiet months when it comes to fighting.

Hutton accused the Europeans of expecting the Americans to do all the "heavy lifting" in the fight against the Taliban. It was time for the European members of Nato to "step up to the plate" and deploy effective combat forces to Afghanistan.

"We just don't have enough [troops], and we need more," said Hutton. "It is not honest, credible or, I think, sustainable to say that the Americans can do more. That is not an alliance, that is one-way traffic.

"It is not for us to go on saying the Americans can go on doing all the heavy lifting. Nato has to stand together. I do not believe that Nato members are currently doing that efficiently and effectively. We have got to look first and foremost to our European allies."

Hutton said that as the second-largest troop contributor in Afghanistan, with 8,000 deployed there, Britain was one of only a "handful" of countries that had sent combat forces to the country.

And from the Washington Post (second story about overall future, er, challenges):

NATO Nations Scolded for Shirking Duties In Afghanistan
Britain's Secretary of Defense Derides 'Freeloading' on U.S.

Resistance to U.S. Plan for Afghanistan
Troop Boost Complicated by Growing Taliban Influence, Anger Over Airstrikes and Civilian Deaths

Update: Not that military, er, reticence gets the Fritzies much credit with the Taliban:

...
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bomb attack in Kabul and said German military personnel were the targets...

More, from vom Mund eines Pferds:

Afstan: Germany flunking