NATO pleas for help rejected

Key quote

"If we are going to reconstruct Afghanistan, we have to have the resources. The problem has been that the resources have been desperately stretched by the invasion of Iraq. Instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan after 2001, the West went blundering into Iraq" - ALEX SALMOND

Story in full DESPERATE pleas for NATO members to commit thousands more troops to back British forces in Afghanistan were rejected yesterday, triggering a warning that the war-torn country was in danger of becoming a failed state.

NATO military commanders have warned they need at least another 2,500 soldiers on the ground in southern Afghanistan to fight the Taleban.

But yesterday, they failed to secure any commitment for extra troops from the alliance's political leaders, meeting in Belgium.

The rejection came just 24 hours after Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, warned that Afghanistan could become a haven for militants and despite a plea from Tony Blair for countries to do their "duty".

The UK, Canada and the Netherlands have contributed most to the 18,500-strong NATO contingent that forms the backbone of the 20,000-member International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). France, Germany, Spain and Poland have been less forthcoming in providing troops for the south.

James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman, said that while no "formal offers" were made yesterday, there had been positive indications that some troops could be offered at a later date.

"The Canadians, Brits and many others are fighting very, very hard and they're stretched thin, and they need overall support," Mr Appathurai said.

The reinforcement in the form of a reserve battalion is unlikely to come before October, when winter conditions could hamper alliance operations.

Colonel David Reynolds, a spokesman for UK forces in Afghanistan, said any help would be welcome for the British contingent, which numbers around 4,500. "If a commander had more help, he could definitely do more," he said.

Tony Blair yesterday urged the rest of NATO to pull its weight. "It is important that the whole of NATO regards this as their responsibility," he told a news conference in London.

He reminded members that troops were in Afghanistan because that was the country that spawned the "terrorism of 9/11".

But the lack of support for the operation yesterday triggered calls for a "fundamental reassessment" of Britain's involvement in Afghanistan.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party leader, told The Scotsman that the government should rethink its commitment if British troops continued to be overstretched and under- resourced. The only way to rebuild the country was to occupy it, but the UK did not have the numbers or a coherent strategy.

"If we are going to reconstruct Afghanistan, we have to have the resources. The problem has been that the resources have been desperately stretched by the invasion of Iraq. Instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan after 2001, the West went blundering into Iraq," he said. "We took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and are endangering the lives of our soldiers."

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrats' leader, echoed the sentiments. "Any military strategy is only as good as the resources and capabilities behind it. If NATO countries are unwilling to provide sufficient forces and equipment to enable the existing strategy to be fully implemented, the strategy may well have to be rethought," he said.

"What is not sustainable in the long run is for the UK to shoulder a disproportionate burden."

The complications of the Iraq war and differing rules of engagement have made it difficult for allies to strike agreement on NATO troops, putting the alliance's unity under pressure.

The election of governments on an anti-war platform in the wake of the Iraq invasion in key states such as Spain and Italy has also widened the gulf. On top of the NATO troops, there are almost as many non-ISAF United States troops.

On Tuesday, Ms Rice said the US should learn lessons about abandoning Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union in 1989.

"If you allow that kind of vacuum, if you allow a failed state in that strategic location, you're going to pay for it," she said.

Last month, NATO commanders took over from US-led coalition forces but there has been a resurgence of Taleban attacks.

Dr Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said NATO was facing a crisis of resolve."Those NATO countries who are genuinely concerned about security and human rights need to understand now is the time to act."