Bush Seeks More Afghan Help, Bigger NATO

President Works Toward NATO Expansion And Getting More Troops For Afghanistan

(CBS/AP)  President Bush wants to bolster the multinational fight in Afghanistan by reminding NATO allies that the war is in their interest - and by persuading them to send more troops into battle.

But this will be a challenge for Mr. Bush, who arrived Monday night in Kiev, Ukraine, at the start of a trip that also will include Romania, Croatia and Russia. The NATO alliance is strained currently and is engaged in soul-searching about its place and mission in a rapidly changing world.

Beyond Afghanistan, Mr. Bush is trying to score a breakthrough on a U.S.-based missile defense system in Europe. And he wants NATO to expand its borders.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday with Ukraine's president in the country's capital of Kiev, Mr. Bush said he would work as hard as he can to help Ukraine join the NATO alliance, and he declared that Russia will not have a veto over the matter.

Mr. Bush praised democratic and military reforms undertaken to help support Ukraine's bid for NATO membership. He said that the United States "strongly supports" Ukraine's request to get an outline for what it needs to do to join out of this week's NATO summit.

The President spoke after talks with his counterpart, President Viktor Yushchenko. The Ukrainian leader said he is sure his country will "receive a positive signal" during the summit. At the summit, NATO leaders are expected to formally invite Croatia, Albania and perhaps Macedonia to join, expanding the alliance's imprint in the Balkans. Mr. Bush supports that expansion and also wants Ukraine and Georgia to get on track for membership.

At the center of the trip is the NATO summit, starting Wednesday in Bucharest, Romania. The war in Afghanistan is under fresh review as the 26-nation NATO alliance confronts al Qaeda and Taliban forces, rising violence and internal debate about whether member nations are contributing enough.

Mr. Bush's administration expects to emerge from the summit with a strong allied statement about the commitment in Afghanistan - a message that could be backed by the limited promise of new troop deployments to Afghanistan, where NATO commanders say they need more muscle.

"We think we're going to have some countries stepping up and doing more in Afghanistan," Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, told reporters traveling with Mr. Bush on Air Force One. He declined to name those countries or say whether their expected troop additions will be enough.

"Let's see what we get," Hadley said. "We've all been saying that we all need to do more. We've also been saying this is going to be a long effort."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates (seen at left), in Denmark ahead of the NATO summit, set measured expectations.

"I would be surprised if we saw commitments in Bucharest at a level that would fully meet all the requirements" for combat troops and military and police trainers, Gates said. "But we'll just keep working at it."

The United States wants not only more troops, but also fewer restrictions from some governments on how their troops can be used. Those restrictions are intended to limit the risk of casualties; U.S. officials complain that they also limit the usefulness of the forces.

Mr. Bush's push for more NATO support comes days after a new warning from CIA Director Michael Hayden that al Qaeda militants regrouping in the Pakistan border region pose an increasing threat to Afghanistan, and the West. Taliban subcommanders claim 4,000 militants are about to be moved from training camps in Pakistan across the border into Afghanistan, and dozens more are being trained separately to wage attacks in the West. (Read more)

NATO's force is about 43,000-strong, but commanders are pleading for more troops in the south, where Taliban insurgents are wreaking the most havoc.

The United States is the biggest contributor of troops in Afghanistan, with 31,000 fighting men and women - about 17,000 as part of the NATO-led force, and 14,000 in a U.S.-led outfit in eastern Afghanistan that is training the Afghan army and conducting counterinsurgency operations.

Most of the fighting is done by troops from the U.S., Canada, Britain and the Netherlands.

Ahead of Mr. Bush's trip, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for one, pledged to deploy more troops to fight the Taliban if Afghans also get more responsibility and if there is better coordination of nonmilitary efforts. Mr. Bush said that promise would help ensure the NATO meeting is a success.

Some European leaders are under pressure to pull back, though, and NATO is increasingly stretched thin.

Mr. Bush starts in Ukraine in a show of support for the country's democratic reforms. He meets Tuesday with the country's leaders and its opposition leader. The president and first lady Laura Bush are also set to visit a cathedral and a public school before departing for Romania.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bush also has an upcoming date with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At week's end in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in Russia, the two will again discuss the missile defense system that the United States plans to base in Central Europe. It would involve 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland and a tracking radar system in the Czech Republic.

Moscow has been vehemently opposed to the idea, saying the intent is to weaken its nuclear deterrent. The United States denies that.

Speaking in Kiev on Tuesday, Mr. Bush said it was "in Russia's interest" to work with the United States to develop the anti-missile system.

Hadley said Mr. Bush had talked to Putin about the matter personally, and in a letter he sent to Putin. He sounded optimistic about a breakthrough. The meeting in Sochi will be the last encounter between the two men before Putin steps away from the Russian presidency.

"We're hopeful," Hadley said. "We're not going to resolve all our differences. You know, this is a complicated relationship."

Before leaving Washington, Mr. Bush could not help but poke Congress on his way to his helicopter.

He said lawmakers in the Democratic-run Congress should pass a Colombia free-trade deal, a reform of the Federal Housing Administration and a government eavesdropping law intended to root out suspected terrorists. "They have a lot of work to do," Mr. Bush said.

[prof_s]

noloyalisti - Europe doesn''t view America as a rogue state at all. Bush on the other hand isn''t liked well at all. Whomever is elected into the White House is going to find Europe, and indeed most of the rest of the world, looking to Washington for signs that a trusting relationship can be reignited. You won''t find the American bashing in Europe like the U.N., NATO and Europe bashing you find in the states.

[swwils]

He needs more NATO help,because the beginning has begun.We will be at war Longer than any war has happened on this earth.Hell has opened its flood gates and the devil has spread his wings (war pigs).We will take all the Middle East before this is over that is why he wants more troops.Why else,our SF troops can''t whip those cave dwellers on goats.Ha! Give me a break,just watch as this year continues.Mark my words.I told my son last year about aug. we were gonna have a recession ,possibly a depression ,look it''s happening.

[leftyintexas]

Tell him what he wants to hear but give him NOTHING! He''ll be happy and he''ll never catch on. After all, he''s DOOFUS, the great ''Decider''. Ha!Ha!Ha!

[noloyalisti]

I think most of NATO and the rest of the world has recognized we are the rogue state. We, along with Israel, are the most prolific users of state sponsored terror. Just look at our brutal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Just look at what Israel is doing in Palestine.

Welcome to the fascist states of America. They have the sheeple in line worrying about the next fraudulent election. They have created a huge militaristic machine in our society and done their imperialistic will on the world.

[trishab4]

"I would be surprised if we saw commitments in Bucharest at a level that would fully meet all the requirements" for combat troops and military and police trainers, Gates said. "But we''ll just keep working at it."

The United States wants not only more troops, but also fewer restrictions from some governments on how their troops can be used. Those restrictions are intended to limit the risk of casualties; U.S. officials complain that they also limit the usefulness of the forces.

-The original mission of Invading Iraq was only to split it in two or three parts in order to solidly relocate the Iraqi Jews in Northern Iraq, give them an independant state under Kurdish cover, Turkish Protection and get a good grip on its Oilfields. In that regard, it is ''mission accomplished''.

Why would we invade Afghanistan now? The Jews don''t want a safehaven there. So let the Others send their troops there. Why not Ukrain cheap flesh Humans? Right?

[j-whitman]

Hey Bush, Just park it along side of the road like our independent truckers are doing

[trishab4]

Viktor Yushchenko the beggar got to know Uncle George has got no more money to give, He''s run this country bankrupt. Viktor is better knock on Medvedev/Putin''s door for charity.

[andrew_693]

Funny how the US is asking socialist nations to help them out at the same time the republicons go around ranting against the europeans etc... Why don''t they ask the oil companies for help since the nation has to sacrifice itself for them. 9- 11 is a US problem not a nato problem. Use oil''s profit to finance the war.

[prof_s]

I guess if we didn''t want to fight the Taliban, we shouldn''t have let them go in the first place. Anyone remember the truck loads of Taliban which deserted to the American side every time we''d surround a city, leaving the foreign fighters, mostly Saudis, behind to fight alone. Anyone remember how we cheered as they joined us? Anyone remember why the Russians could never get control in Afghanistan? Anyone want to guess why the same thing is happening all over again? And where did all the American soldiers go? Anyone want to guess why NATO nations are reluctant to clean up this mess?

[j-whitman]

arlt1627,,,, To our GOP & White House it''s Alice in Wonderland

[arlt1627]

I guess our cretin-in-chief doesn''''t know enough about history to have learned anything from it.

Posted by USBrit at 01:31 PM : Apr 01, 2008


This is SO TRUE! I guess that is why we continue to make mistake after mistake after mistake.

[j-whitman]

USBrit,,,, Both Bush & McCain make Nixon look like an honest man

[arlt1627]

Bu$h may as well request the Draft be re-instated...

Posted by Inventagod at 01:25 PM : Apr 01, 2008


Sadly, I think that could be the "smartest" thing he ever did. Imagine how quickly Americans would SCREAM at those still supporting Iraq to get out and fast!! It would go against what GW might think that draft would do??

[usbrit-2009]

Demslie and James whatever - Liberals do not hate America per se. Liberals hate that the likes of Bush (and Nixon before him) have made America look pathetic to the rest of the world. At least y''all had the good sense to oust Nixon. Given the fact that most everything that America is hated for around the world Bush & Co. is responsible for, it must be you neocons who hate America because you voted the lttle *** in.
How does he think he''s going to get any help from Europe when five years ago he said essentially "f-off if you don''t like it lump it."
How does he think he''s going to get any help from Putin when he wants to go put missiles on his doorstep. Remember the $h1t fit the US had when Kruschev put missiles in Cuba.
I guess our cretin-in-chief doesn''t know enough about history to have learned anything from it.

[inventagod]

Bu$h may as well request the Draft be re-instated...

[j-whitman]

hungry1968,,,, All of our Troops agree with you

[prinzowhales]

Sarkozy is standing up for the French end of the "French Connection"...if the criminals behind him want to continue getting their cut of the trade, the French are going to have to send troops and spend public treasure to help maintain the Narco-Regime in Kabul...and Sarkozy, this quarter-Frenchman, is not afraid to sacrifice Frenchmen for the greater profit of the Drug Cartel. He is the former Interior Minister!...the Bush41 of France....

Hopefully, the French will get rid of this animal before he does as much damage to France as the Bushies have done to America.

[hungry1968]

"President Bush wants to bolster the multinational fight in Afghanistan by reminding NATO allies that the war is in their interest - and by persuading them to send more troops into battle."





How many more do you need? Maybe you could redeploy all of the troops and equipment from Iraq, to the war on terror. Wouldn''t that help?

[j-whitman]

Anyone need "More of the Same McCain" ????

Anyone need us supporting Isral ??? -- Non only are they not helping in Iraq or Afhaganistan - They oppose us training & arming the Iraqi military

[j-whitman]

This GOP is asleep at the switch from 9/11 to winning the War on Terror & securing our nation.

Only now, close to the Election does this White House decide to break 32 Laws & build a border fence, & 2 Border Patrol agents remain in prison for doing their job