NATO allies commit 7,000 more troops to aid US surge

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says 25 countries have pledged a total of around 7,000 more troops for Afghanistan - with more to come - following US President Barack Obama's commitment of 30,000 more US troops.

AFP - US allies fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have pledged at least 7,000 troops to help implement a new strategy to seize the initiatives in Afghanistan, NATO's chief said Friday.
  
NATO officials have said that some of those troops -- who come on top of more than 30,000 additional soldiers sent by Washington -- would be officially pledged next year after an international conference on Afghanistan in London.
  
The following is a list of unofficial contributions of troops, trainers and resources which are expected to be in Afghanistan by 2010 and which, according to NATO sources, total 5,529 personnel.
  
The figures include 1,500 troops sent to provide security for the elections in August and who will now remain in Afghanistan.
  

  
NATO
  
Albania: 125 troops
  
Britain: 1,200
  
Croatia: two police training teams (teams usually comprise 20-30 personnel)
  
Czech Republic: 100 troops
  
Italy: 1,140 troops
  
Lithuania: one military training team
  
Poland: 600 troops, plus 400 in reserve. Two army training units and two police training units.
  
Portugal: 120 troops, and one gendarmerie unit.
  
Romania: 100 troops
  
Slovakia: 240 troops
  
Turkey: one military training team, two police training units
  

  
NATO partners
  
Armenia: 40 troops
  
Australia: 120 troops
  
Finland: 25 troops
  
Georgia: 923 troops
  
Macedonia: 80 troops
  
Sweden: 125 troops
  
Ukraine: 22 troops
  

  
Others
  
Colombia: 84 troops
  
Kazakhstan: five troops
  
Mongolia: 40 troops
  
Montenegro: 40 troops
  
South Korea: 400 troops
  
 

Date created : 2009-12-04