Gates sends stern letter to Germany over Afghan mission

This is from CBC. The article tells us absolutely nothing about the content of the German reply. The article tells us nothing in detail about the report of the senior NATO officers. Among the recommendations of that report are that NATO reserve the right to first strike nuclear responses and pre-emptive attacks. If NATO splits or even breaks up that would be a plus for world peace as far as I am concerned. It is used as means for furthering US and allies policy when the UN fails to comply with those aims or is unable to itself to supply military force. The NATO report constantly refers to the West. I guess this is the new substitute for the Free World of Cold War times.
Most civilian populations in Europe are unenthusiastic about the NATO Afghan mission. As in Canada the mission must be constantly "sold" to the population in terms of idealistic slogans or appeals to fear of terrorism or failed states. Strange that we do not invade Saudi Arabia or Yemen the sources of a great many terrorists and certainly Saudi Arabia is hardly a model democracy.

Gates sends 'stern' letter to Germany over Afghan mission: report
Last Updated: Friday, February 1, 2008 6:49 AM ET
CBC News
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates is pressuring Germany to provide more troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, a German newspaper said Friday.
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates is pushing for German troops to take on a larger role in Afghanistan.J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)
Gates sent an "unusually stern" letter to German Defence Minister Franz Josef more than a week ago, reported Suddeutsche Zeitung. His letter reportedly asked for more combat troops and helicopters.
Josef quickly responded with his own "direct and stern" letter of response to Gates, said the newspaper, which didn't quote either of the letters directly.
The report comes days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper backed a report recommending Canada not remain in Afghanistan past 2009 unless NATO provides more soldiers.
Roughly 2,500 Canadian soldiers are serving in the southern Kandahar province. Seventy-eight soldiers and one diplomat from Canada have been killed since the mission started in 2002.
Gates has asked Germany to send 3,200 troops to replace U.S. troops set to leave Afghanistan later this year, says the newspaper report. He also complains of a heavy burden on American troops and warns of a possible split within NATO.
Germany already has about the same number of soldiers working around the capital Kabul and the relatively calm northern part of the country.
Washington recently announced it would send a one-time deployment of 3,000 marines to Afghanistan.
Harper, Defence Minister Peter MacKay and former defence minister Gordon O'Connor have repeatedly called on NATO to send more troops to clamp down on Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency, complaining a small number of countries are carrying the heaviest load.
Canadian, American, British and Dutch troops are deployed in southern Afghanistan, where much of the heavy fighting against the Taliban frequently occurs.
French, German and Italian troops are under self-imposed restrictions that keep them out of combat operations.
Also Friday, a group of former senior NATO officers have written a report calling for a major overhaul of the alliance, said the New York Times.
The 152-page report, called Toward a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World, criticizes the organization for complicated rules surrounding its decision-making process, financing and its inability to maintain long-term missions.With files from the Associated Press