US Gen. Dan McNeill took over command of the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Sunday in
volatile Afghanistan at a ceremony in Kabul.
At the ceremony British General David Richards, ISAF outgoing
commander said, "We've proved that NATO can and will defeat the
Taliban militarily and come the spring an ISAF offensive, not a
Taliban offensive, will set the conditions to defeat the
insurgents."
At the ceremony Richards, who assumed the command in May, 2006,
presented an ISAF flag to McNeill to mark the command change.
McNeill said that NATO troops would go on to fight Taliban and
other militants to provide security and stability for Afghans.
At the ceremony Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, thanked the NATO
troops and the international community for their support in
Afghanistan's reconstruction. He also called for more assistance
from the international world in rebuilding the country and
improving the lives of Afghan people.?
Rising Taliban-linked insurgence has plunged Afghanistan into
the worst period of bloodshed since the Taliban regime was ousted
five years ago. Around 4,000 people, mostly Taliban militants, were
killed in violent clashes last year.
NATO aims to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan and
acquiring more weapons and equipment for its troops to defeat the
resurgent Taliban.
Although among the 35,000-strong ISAF soldiers from 37 nations
there are already about 14,000 US troops America still plans to
strengthen its force and increase aid to the country.
The US military extended the Afghan mission by about 3,200
soldiers for four months in late January and say more troops will
be sent to Afghanistan if needed. And the US government has asked
Congress for 10.6 billion US dollars in aid for Afghanistan.
The US has also asked its NATO allies to do more in Afghanistan
but apparently only a few countries responded to the appeal.
Taliban commanders have threatened to launch a spring offensive
as snow melts across Afghanistan. They've vowed to deal a heavy
blow to NATO and government troops. Recently the Taliban claimed
that 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to launch attacks during the
spring.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)
