NATO Asked To Maintain Afghanistan Presence

The Defense Department has asked NATO allies and other countries with military presence in Afghanistan to maintain troop levels there beyond the August 20 national election. Other countries have deployed a total of 39,000 troops to Afghanistan – an addition of between 5,000 and 6,000 – to supplement the 62,000 U.S. troops now serving there. “When it comes time for these countries to reevaluate the departure dates of their troops that were sent over in large part to enhance security leading up to the elections, that they would reconsider that decision and keep them there longer in the hopes of making a longer-term contribution to the security situation there,” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Aug. 11. Also, many of those forces are relegated to non-combat roles by their governments. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates would like to see those restrictions rescinded.