The head of the NATO alliance publicly took to task the Afghan government blaming it for the current resurgence of the Taliban. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary general of NATO, said that the Afghan government was plagued by corruption and lacked efficiency in solving problems. “The basic problem in Afghanistan is not too much Taliban; it’s too little good governance. Afghans need a government that deserves their loyalty and trust; when they have it, the oxygen will be sucked away from the insurgency, de Hoop Scheffer said. Between 60,000 and 70,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, about three-quarters of them under NATO command, to help the government of President Karzai tackle the mounting Taliban-led insurgency. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) comprises just over 51,000 troops from nearly 40 countries. Most of them are deployed in the south and east of the country, where Taliban militants are most active, to help bring security and extend the government’s authority to allow reconstruction and development.
NATO CASTIGATES AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
The head of the NATO alliance publicly took to task the Afghan government blaming it for the current resurgence of the Taliban. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary general of NATO, said that the Afghan government was plagued by corruption and lacked efficiency in solving problems.
