Afghanistan: Nato's top commander of operations, Gen James Jones, acknowledged yesterday the alliance had been taken aback by the violence in south Afghanistan and urged allies to provide reinforcements.
Nato secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer joined his appeal, urging alliance members to come to the support of the British, Canadian and Dutch troops leading the fight against Islamist Taliban guerrillas in the south.
"Those allies who perhaps are doing less in Afghanistan should think: 'Shouldn't we do more?'" Mr de Hoop Scheffer said.
Neither singled out individual Nato members. Diplomats say Germany, which leads the Nato mission in the relatively calm north, is under pressure to offer reinforcements for the south.
A German defence ministry spokesman played down prospects of Berlin redeploying any of its 2,700 troops southwards, saying: "It is still the case that our focus is on the northern region." Several Nato soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting with the Taliban since the alliance extended its peacekeeping mission to the south a month ago.
Gen Jones said commanders of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) sought several hundred additional reserve troops, more helicopters and transport aircraft.
He said he would use a meeting with national military chiefs in Warsaw starting today to plead with Nato nations to remove the restrictions, known as caveats, on how and where their country's troops can be used.
- Reuters