More NATO Troops To Afghanistan

US soldier with NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
More than 3,000 additional U.S. troops have been deployed to Logar and Wardak provinces, in central east Afghanistan to increase security so that reconstruction can move forward and the Afghan people can improve and expand governance.

These troops serve as part of the 50,000 strong NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in the country. By improving security for the Afghan people in those 2 provinces, U.S. troops will facilitate reconstruction and assist the Afghan government to extend services to the population and provide infrastructure such as roads and power.

Logar and Wardak are key provinces along Afghanistan's major highway routes, and these provinces have been victimized in recent months by criminal and insurgent activity.

The increasing deployments of troops to Afghanistan demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. to work with its NATO Allies to extend the reach of the central government and to further secure the people of Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama has said the U.S. is committed to allocating more resources to winning the war against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. According to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the U.S. may send 2 more brigades to Afghanistan by late spring and a third brigade by mid-summer.

Currently, there are more than 60,000 international soldiers, including roughly 33,000 U.S. troops, in Afghanistan. It is the highest number since the Taliban were ousted from power.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, said the mission in Afghanistan “is one of the most challenging tasks NATO has ever taken on, but it is a critical contribution to international security."

The goal of NATO's International Security Assistance Force is to help establish the conditions in which Afghanistan can enjoy a representative government and self-sustaining peace and security – after decades of conflict, destruction and poverty.