Poland has become the latest country to criticise NATO members for not supplying enough troops to serve in Afghanistan.

Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, has pledged to commit Polish soldiers and helicopters to work alongside Canadian troops. His promise comes hot on the heels of Canada’s threat to withdraw its armed forces from the area unless other countries do more.

About 37,000 NATO troops currently serve in Afghanistan.

Sikorski’s comments were made while he was in Ottawa – the capital of Canada.

Here, while backing Canada’s troop drive, he said it was objectionable that the unwillingness of some nations to commit troops to Afghanistan was affecting NATO’s mission there.

"More needs to be done, the burdens have to be shared more fairly and there's no room for free riding in this most important of operations that NATO has ever undertaken", he said.

US, UK, Dutch, Canadian Troops Active in South Afghanistan

While Sikorski did not name the countries which, in his view, are not doing enough, a number of NATO states have soldiers based in Afghanistan’s more tranquil areas rather than the south – where British, Canadian, Dutch and US troops are actively engaged in anti-Taliban counter-insurgency operations.

1,200 Polish troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan. A further 400 are due to join them before the end of 2008.

During his speech, Mr Sikorski offered Canada the use of Polish troops and helicopters, stating: "When an ally asks you, you try to accommodate him.”

He added: “This mission has to be a success, and (we) can only succeed by doing it together."

Poland’s Urge for More NATO Troops Echoes US, Canadian Thoughts

The issue of the War in Afghanistan has really come to the forefront in recent days.

On the 30^th January, a US report warned that Afghanistan could become a failed state, and urged for more troops to be supplied.

Shortly after, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates appealed to Germany in writing to send additional personnel – a request that was rebuffed. Canada’s threat to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was made around the same time.

Most recently, the news emerged that Taliban attacks in the country increased by at least 20 per cent in 2007.

A summit of NATO leaders is due to be held in Romania in two months’ time. The issue of troop supply to Afghanistan is expected to figure prominently in the discussions.

In the meantime, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to arrive in London imminently.

Source – Armed Forces International’s European Correspondent

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