General: Nato's Afghan forces 'hit limit'

A top British general and former commander of UN forces in Bosnia warns that the US-led forces in Afghanistan have "now reached their limit".

General Sir Michael Rose made his comments Tuesday when writing for the military think-tank, the Royal United Services Institute.

He said he believed there were not enough combat troops to enable NATO to uphold the momentum against Taliban fighters.

Instead, he suggested it was time to consider supporting the formation of local tribal militias to help stabilize the country. "By winning the support of the Pashtun tribes who live on both sides of the border and by developing a sympathetic understanding of their complex tribal systems, it should be possible to achieve security in the key eastern and southern areas of Afghanistan."

Rose, who has recently returned from Afghanistan, said that while the international community was clearly committed to victory, serious operational problems remained for NATO's mission.

Rose's comments echo other military commanders' recent warnings. Earlier, Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, who has commanded British troops in Afghanistan for the past six months, said that coalition forces were not going to win the war and it was about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency.

Also, last week, John Craddock, a US general and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said that NATO's efforts in Afghanistan were "disjointed" and the political will in the fight against Taliban was wavering.


The British General's remarks come at a time when US, British and NATO forces experience some of the most violent attacks since the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan. More foreign troops are now being killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq.

Over 230 foreign soldiers and more than 4,700 Afghans, mostly civilians have been killed by militants in Afghanistan so far this year. PressTV

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The developments come at a time when US, British and NATO forces are experiencing some of the most violent attacks since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, i.e Defeated