Hillarysworld

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6945276.ece

Hillary Clinton has welcomed pledges of 7,000 extra troops from 25 countries to join the US surge in Afghanistan, although a large part of the commitment came from nations outside Nato.

The US Secretary of State told Nato yesterday that Afghanistan was "a crucial test for the most successful military alliance in history". However, the grand total of reinforcements to the 30,000-strong US surge was made more respectable by 1,000 troops from Georgia and 500 from South Korea.

Britain will provide 1,200 soldiers, with 500 new troops, and 700 who were sent to help with the Afghan election remaining in the country. Italy and Poland made the next most substantial offers, with 1,000 and 600 respectively, but France said that it was unlikely to send frontline soldiers.

The number of foreign forces from the 44-country International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) will now be more than 140,000, although more training staff are needed for the Afghan Army and police.

"This is our fight, together. And we must finish it together. The US will not ask others to do what we are not prepared to do ourselves," Mrs Clinton told foreign ministers in Brussels.

Spoken like a true Commander-in-Chief!