NATO backs Obama's Afghan troop surge
11:10 02/12/2009 BRUSSELS, December 2 (RIA Novosti) - NATO welcomed on Wednesday U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also expressed hope that other NATO countries would make a contribution to efforts in the war-ravaged Central Asian state.
"This is not a U.S. mission alone. There are 43 countries on the ground under NATO command and I am confident that other allies and partners will also make a substantial increase in their contributions," Rasmussen said.
The plan to boost troop numbers was also backed by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.
"The clarity, commitment and resolve outlined in the president's address are critical steps toward bringing security to Afghanistan and eliminating terrorist safe havens that threaten regional and global security," Gen. Stanley McChrystal said.
Obama announced his decision to increase the U.S. troop numbers in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday, saying that any abandonment of Afghanistan to Islamic radicals would "create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies."
"The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 - the fastest pace possible - so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers," he said.
There are a total of 112,000 foreign soldiers in Afghanistan. The U.S. has some 68,000 soldiers in the country, and the number will increase to 98,000 when the new troops are deployed.
The U.S.-led campaign toppled the Taliban movement from power in Afghanistan in 2001. But the radical Islamic group has stepped up attacks of late, with suicide bombings and other violence an almost daily occurrence.
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