NATO ‘is in Afghanistan for the long haul’

Soldiers on the front line have been told that NATO is in Afghanistan for the long haul and will do all it can to help the Afghan people live in peace.

NATO’s secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at the end of his two-day visit to the country that troops from member countries will defeat the Taliban and help the nation grow.

At a joint press conference with president Karzai, Rasmussen warned the Taliban that they will feel the force of NATO soldiers who will stop them spreading their reign of terror on innocent people.

"In 2010 there will be new momentum. The ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] mission will be much larger and the new forces are already flowing in. We will focus much more on protecting the population, protecting the roads and protecting development projects," he added.

The first of 500 extra troops from the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh recently arrived in Afghanistan to help defeat the Taliban.

Posted by Daniel Ohio