US envoy: Allies strongly support Afghan plan

[unhappycamper]

US envoy: Allies strongly support Afghan plan
Dec 3, 6:22 AM EST

BRUSSELS (AP) -- America's NATO allies have been strongly supportive of the administration's plans for the war in Afghanistan despite its unpopularity in Europe, President Barack Obama's envoy said Thursday.

Richard C. Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said he expects European governments soon to contribute more forces to join the 30,000 fresh U.S. troops that will be deployed to Afghanistan under Obama's new strategy.

"We have been very gratified by the strong support of our European allies for President Obama's policy," Holbrooke told journalists. He spoke before a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers that opens later Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will brief the ministers on Friday.

Obama's plan calls for the dispatch of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, but includes assurances that some of them will begin withdrawing in July 2011.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday that the allies will contribute at least 5,000 more troops to the war effort, "and probably a few thousand more."


Rest of article at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NATO_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-12-02-08-59-53