NATO takes over in Afghanistan
NATO extended its security mission Thursday to all of Afghanistan nearly five years after the West began its war to defeat the Taliban, taking command of 12,000 U.S. troops in the war-battered country’s east.
The hand-over diminishes the Pentagon’s role in Afghanistan and gives the Europe-based military alliance its biggest test yet.
The transfer of command “illustrates the enduring commitment of NATO and its international partners to the future of this great country,” said British Gen. David Richards. He was promoted to the military’s top rank hours before a hand-over ceremony at the NATO compound in Kabul.
The takeover caps an already historic expansion for the military alliance that was created as a Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union. The mission in Afghanistan is the biggest ground combat operation in NATO history, and gives Richards command of the largest number of U.S. troops fighting under a foreign commander since World War II.
The move comes during a rapid spread of the Taliban insurgency, with close to 100 suicide attacks this year, a nearly fivefold increase over 2005.
Baghdad, Iraq
Rice tells Iraqis infighting must end
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iraqi leaders on Thursday they have limited time to settle their differences and that the escalating waves of violence are intolerable.
On a visit five weeks before congressional elections in the U.S., Rice also insisted the Bush administration has been honest with Americans about the costs and stakes in Iraq.
Administration officials recently have found themselves defending their conduct of the war, and Rice’s remarks reflected the political toll for the White House from an unpopular conflict.
“This is really hard going,” Rice told reporters during her stop in the Iraqi capital. “Not only do I believe that the president has been clear with the American people that this is a struggle, he’s been clear with the American people why he thinks it’s a struggle that needs to be waged.”
After meetings in the Mideast with Arab and Israeli leaders, the top U.S. diplomat came to Iraq to tell sometimes squabbling leaders they have a short window to resolve disputes that she said are spurring sectarian and insurgent violence.
London
Police say Muslim excused for safety
London police excused a Muslim officer from standing guard at the Israeli Embassy, but insisted Thursday the decision was based on his safety rather than personal beliefs.
The Sun newspaper reported that Alexander Omar Basha’s request was because of moral objections to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon. However, the police officer’s union said he expressed fears for the safety of his family.
The decision set off a furious debate, with critics saying duty should come before personal beliefs.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair ordered an urgent review of the decision amid fears the impartiality of the police force could be compromised.