sirenianshores

Kabul, Afghanistan: pictured is a Norwegian F16 as it takes off on a mission in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The picture is taken from Strategypage.com.

Contrary to the American portrayal of us being a bunch of ungratefull wimps, Europeans have taken an active in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It’s role is to support the fledgling government of Afghanistan and improve the security of the situation in order to facilitate the re-building of country.

In recently weeks, the Dutch parliament has given the go ahead to send a battalion of it’s troops, along with more F16’s and Apache attack helicopters to suppor them.

The French have sent their aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, to the region. French jets have been flying missions in support of the newly arrived British forces in their pursuit of the Taliban around the Pakistan border area. The Charles de Gaulle provided air support during the opening phase of the war 5 years ago where the French flew 13% of the initial combat misssion. Two French soldiers have been killed in recent fighting, with another Special Forces officer killed last month. Not that it matters much, the French will be labelled as cowards regardless of how many of them die in Afghanistan fighting alongside US troops.

Current NATO troop levels are around the 15,000 mark, with more on the way. US troop levels are 23,000 which is up significantly on previous years where the Afghanistan became somewhat of a backwater in the War On Terror.
Afghanistan is a war I still support (some might say naively, given Bush’s track record). My hope is that if Europeans and the US can maintain their focus on the country for long enough, the Afghanistani people may one day see their country emerge from the incessant war which has cursed their history.