Dutch, British to extend Afghanistan commands

Dutch, British to extend Afghanistan commands
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 21, 2008 18:46:40 EDT

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department said Wednesday it has shelved a plan to take greater control in parts of Afghanistan where NATO is in charge after the Dutch and British agreed to extend their commands.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the Netherlands and Britain will stay in control in southern Afghanistan for a full year, rather than in months, as the military alliance fights a stubborn Taliban insurgency.

The European allies agreed to the new arrangement in recent conversations with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Morrell said.

“I think we’re trying to create a situation in which ... by the command serving longer, there’ll be greater stability and continuity to our operations” in southern Afghanistan, Morrell said. The U.S. raised the idea and allies signed on, he said.

The U.S. has complained that changing commands every nine months and rotating troops even more frequently do not provide the necessary continuity for an effective fight against the insurgency, particularly in Afghanistan’s volatile south.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_afghanistan_nato_052108/