NATO chiefs to urge world re-think on Afghanistan (Reuters)

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NATO chiefs to urge world re-think on Afghanistan

By Mark John
Reuters

Nov 17, 2006 — BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO leaders meeting in Riga this month
will call on the international community to revamp a haphazard strategy for
rebuilding Afghanistan to plug shortcomings in aid efforts, alliance diplomats
said on Friday.

Ideas being floated ahead of the November 28-29 summit of the U.S.-led defence
pact include stricter monitoring of donor pledges, and greater roles for the local
U.N. mission and World Bank in coordinating development and reconstruction.

Taliban insurgents have fed off growing frustration among Afghans at the slow
pace of reconstruction and anger about civilian casualties as NATO troops seek
to root out Islamist fighters often hiding within local communities.

Leaders at the summit are expected to call for the United Nations, the European
Union and other agencies to work more closely with NATO but will stress the
alliance wants to stick to security tasks and seeks no coordinating role for
itself.

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Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2660742