NATO must do more in southern Afghanistan, says Canada
Friday, 1 August 2008
OTTAWA, July 31 (Reuters): NATO members must send more troops to southern Afghanistan, where Canada and a few other nations are bearing the brunt of combat against Taliban militants, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay said on Wednesday.
Canada, which has 2,500 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar and plans to send around 200 more, has long complained that many NATO members refuse to send soldiers to the most dangerous parts of the country.
"We're doing enough ... but NATO has to do more," MacKay told reporters in televised comments from Levis, Quebec.
"Southern Afghanistan is the flash point in this mission. It's the most vulnerable, the most volatile part of the country ... we're not going to let up or relent on our request for other NATO countries to come to the south," he said.
Canada, which has 2,500 soldiers in the southern city of Kandahar and plans to send around 200 more, has long complained that many NATO members refuse to send soldiers to the most dangerous parts of the country.
"We're doing enough ... but NATO has to do more," MacKay told reporters in televised comments from Levis, Quebec.
"Southern Afghanistan is the flash point in this mission. It's the most vulnerable, the most volatile part of the country ... we're not going to let up or relent on our request for other NATO countries to come to the south," he said.