Friday, July 20, 2007

Chairman of Joint Chiefs Pace: More troops needed for Afghanistan

Afghan national army commando soldiers assault a building during their final training exercise in Kabul this week. They are the first battalion of Afghan commandos to graduate training.

Pace visited Forward Operating Base Fenty as part of a week-long farewell tour in Iraq and Afghanistan before before he retires at the end of September...

Addressing the issue of the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Pace said, “We are going to see an increase of troop strength in Afghanistan to help the Afghan army before we see a decrease.”

Citing a need for more U.S. trainers to help the Afghan army, Pace said, “We’re going to need another brigade’s worth of troops, about another 3,000-plus troops to be able to have the number of embeds with the Afghan army that will really help them.”

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

Related Link:
Report: 45 civilians among 107 killed in Afghan village airstrikes on Friday

Related Link:
Official: Afghanistan airstrikes kills, wounds civilians including children; Villagers say toll far exceeds U.S. estimates

Related Link:
U.S. says Iran knows its weapons reaching Taliban

Related Link:
Report: 1000 killed in Afghanistan in June; More than 3100 this year; 100 killed on Friday as reports of civilians killed in airstrikes continue

Related Link:
Report: More Afghanis killed by coalition than by militants; Karzai says 90 dead in 10 days, Afghan lives 'not cheap'; U.S. says no changes needed

Related Link:
Report: Record opium crop in southern Afghanistan

Related Link:
Report: Gates seeks 3000 trainers, 3000 combat troops for Afghanistan

Related Link:
Gates: 'Fairly substantial flow of weapons' going to Taliban from Iran

Related Link:
General McNeill: Iran may be aiding Taliban to hedge bets, cites improving tactics

Related Link:
Report: Second, more powerful EFP found in Afghanistan, this time in Kabul

Related Link:
Requests from Afghanistan commanders for more trainers going unmet

Related Link:
General: Afghanistan needs more troops, money; Development of police 'several years behind' Afghan Army

Related Link:
Gates: Iranian weapons moving into Afghanistan

Related Link:
Afghan Army Chief Seeks Independent Army

Related Link:
Report: UK military to urge that Britain withdraw from Iraq in 12 months, focus on Afghanistan

Related Link:
Report: UK military to urge that Britain withdraw from Iraq in 12 months, focus on Afghanistan

Related Link:
'Officials': Iran increasing weapons shipments to Iraq, Afghanistan, including 240mm rocket with 30-mile range used against 'green zone'

Related Link:
NATO: EFP found in Afghanistan 'considerably similiar' to 'those made in Iraq'

Related Link:
Blair: Iran arming Taliban against West

Related Link:
UK 'Senior Army Source': Iran supplying Taliban with weapons including surface-to-air missiles

Related Link:
Pentagon: Extra Afghanistan troops to stay into 2008

Related Link:
Pace: U.S. intercepted Iranian weapons headed to Taliban in Afghanistan

Related Link:
Pentagon extends tours to 15 months for all active-duty army troops in Iraq, Afghanistan; Guard, Reserve, Marines excepted

Related Link:
Perspective: America's forgotten war

Related Link:
Commandant Conway: More Marines to Afghanistan to 'train' forces

Related Link:
Bush seeks money for 8,229 more troops; 4,729 for Iraq, 3,500 for Afghanistan

Related Link:
General Craddock: Troops still lacking for Afghanistan

Related Link:
Perspective: Iraq made Afghanistan an orphan

Related Link:
Perspective: Unit finds Iraq and Afghanistan are worlds apart

Related Link:
Bush Extends Stay for 3,200 Troops in Afghanistan

Related Link:
Unit for Iraq to be redeployed to Afghanistan