Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
US preparing for troop buildup in Afghanistan
By LOLITA C. BALDOR,Associated Press Writer AP - Saturday, December 6
WASHINGTON - The military is beginning a big building effort in Afghanistan to house the roughly 20,000 additional troops who are expected to begin pouring in early next year, a top military officer said Friday.
Maj. Gen. Michael Tucker, deputy commander for operations for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told Pentagon reporters that military leaders are anticipating a "very active winter" of insurgency attacks.
And while he provided few details, he said there is a "very huge building campaign that has already begun. We're pushing dirt as we speak to prepare for the arrival of these forces."
He could not quantify the number of buildings or contractors involved, but said the military has done several in-depth studies over the past month and a half to determine exactly how many buildings, helicopter pads, dining facilities and even latrines will be needed.
U.S. defense officials have said they will build up the number of forces in Afghanistan as soon as they are able to free up troop commitments in Iraq. Commanders in Afghanistan have said they need four more combat brigades, along with thousands of other support forces, including intelligence, surveillance, aviation and logistics personnel.
One combat brigade is expected to arrive in Afghanistan in January, but the other three have not yet been identified.
According to defense officials, the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based in Alaska, is expected to go to Afghanistan early next summer, but that unit will replace one that is already there and is scheduled to leave. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the final orders have not yet been signed.
Tucker said at least some of those extra forces will be Marines, but he would not say how many or when they might arrive.
Officials balk at likening the impending troop escalation in Afghanistan to the surge in Iraq that is credited in part for the decline in violence there. But some of the goals are the same.
Military leaders say they need to improve security and tamp down the stubborn insurgency in the more rural regions of the country, so they can reach out to the populations there. That strategy mirrors the counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq, where troops pushed into difficult neighborhoods to clear out militants, and maintained the security long enough for governance to take hold and reconstruction and repairs to begin.
In Afghanistan, however, the population if more far-flung, in rural communities that stretch up into the rugged mountains _ where passage in the winter is sometimes impossible.
More troops are needed in order to get to some of those more remote locations, Tucker said.
He also repeated assertions that U.S. and NATO forces are prepared to fight on aggressively through the winter _ a time when insurgent activity has historically slowed due to the harsh weather.
This year, military leaders have said they cannot relax and allow the enemy to rebuild during the cold months.
"We anticipate a very active, a very active winter," said Tucker, adding that forces will press to attack the insurgency in its safe havens _ largely in the mountain border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "We see no change in our operation. And if he wants to continue to fight through the winter, we'll be here to fight him."
He added that the U.S. and NATO troops have already stepped up their counter-narcotics operations _ an agreement that was reached by allied defense ministers at a meeting in Budapest earlier this year.
Some allies, he acknowledged, are reluctant to participate in more aggressive operations, but are contributing in other ways, such as helicopter transportation, medical evacuations and intelligence gathering.
There are currently 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, including 14,000 with the NATO-led coalition and 18,000 training the Afghan security forces and fighting insurgents.
___
On the Net:
Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil
(This version CORRECTS that the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division is based in Alaska, not Hawaii.)
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
Report: South a big exporter of guns used in crimeAP - 19 minutes ago
Congress, White House talking $15B auto bailoutAP - 28 minutes ago
Police: NY hotels vulnerable to Mumbai-type attackAP - 33 minutes ago
UN chief frustrated over lack of democratic steps in MyanmarAFP - 48 minutes ago
Name by name, Obama's Cabinet taking shapeAP - 58 minutes ago
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Do not disturb eggs: MP reveals Britain's oddest laws
Cruise ship runs aground in Antarctica
Fate of auto giants hangs by thread
Diamond thieves pull off 100-million-dollar Paris heist
Central banks slash interest rates to drive back recession
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular