Nato countries are showing “new determination to see the mission through” in Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said yesterday after the allies met for a summit in Bratislava.
Despite clear indications from two key members of the coalition that reinforcements to the international force in Afghanistan will have to await a successful conclusion of the country’s disputed presidential election, Mr Ainsworth said the summit had reassured him that Nato was working “in the right direction” on shared aims.
He said Britain would continue to work with its partners to ensure that sufficient resources are provided to the Nato-led International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf).
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said that some allies had indicated to him that they are thinking about increasing either their military or civilian contributions to the force.
He stressed that he did not seek specific promises of military assistance at the summit in the Slovak city, where Nato defence ministers were briefed by the top US military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week said the UK had agreed “in principle” to boost its deployment in Afghanistan by 500 troops to 9,500 as part of a coalition-wide deployment with each ally bearing its “fair share”.
Yesterday, the Netherlands and Denmark each indicated that they will be willing to send more troops only after the creation of a legitimate government in Kabul and the announcement by US President Barack Obama of a new American strategy.
Dutch Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop said his country, which has 2,160 troops in Afghanistan, is awaiting the final election results “because the legitimacy of the Afghan government is key”.
Danish Defence Minister Soeren Gade said allies will not increase troop levels until they are assured the new government in Kabul is committed to the international effort. “I think whoever is going to send more troops to Afghanistan will put up some conditions,” said Mr Gade, whose country has 690 soldiers in Afghanistan.
A British soldier killed by a blast in southern Afghanistan was named yesterday as Corporal James Oakland, 26, from Manchester, of the Royal Military Police. He was killed by an improvised explosive device in Gereshk district in Helmand yesterday.