US Seeks 10K Allied Troops in Afghanistan

Sarkozy has 4,000 troops there

(NEWSER) - A mere 12 hours after President Obama spoke on his Afghanistan drawdown, France offered its support for the plan. It will also begin a pullout of its 4,000 troops next month, “in a proportional manner and in a timeframe similar to the pullback of the American reinforcements,” the Élysée Palace said. The decision came after a phone conversation between Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The US is expected to push for more British troops to help fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, a move certain to be unpopular with the British public, reports the Guardian. NATO Gen. Stanley McChrystal will likely recommend to President Obama that the current total of 150,000 Afghan troops should be doubled, which would require more US and British training and support, and that America should boost monetary aid to support the Afghan government. Britain has been pressuring the US to increase financial aid. More»

Army stretched too thin, top commander says

(NEWSER) - Britain should oppose any calls from President Obama to shift troops to Afghanistan as they are pulled out of Iraq, the country's defense chief says, arguing that UK troops need a breather. “I have said for a very long time that the British armed forces are stretched,” Sir Jock Stirrup told the Guardian. “We have to put ourselves back into balance.” And the foreign secretary, David Miliband, says Britain is already doing its fair share in Afghanistan. More»

But American, NATO troops will still have 'robust' advisory role

(NEWSER) - At some point next year, the US will no longer be fighting a war in Afghanistan for the first time in a decade. "Hopefully by mid to the latter part of 2013 we’ll be able to make a transition from a combat role to a training, advise, and assist role,” defense chief Leon Panetta told reporters today. That applies to NATO troops as well, and it's the first time the Obama administration has put a date on it, reports the New York Times and Washington Post . More»

Officials working to recover every single piece

(NEWSER) - The helicopter that crashed over the weekend in Afghanistan, killing 30 US troops and eight others, was likely shot down by a Taliban rocket, NATO forces said today. Though the Taliban was quick to claim responsibility, Western officials had been tight-lipped until today's announcement, Reuters notes. The Navy SEALs and other service members in the helicopter were on their way to assist other troops from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) when the copter was shot down. More»