Troops in Afghanistan

Here's the latest on NATO's ISAF force and command structure in Afghanistan. There are now over 50,000, NATO troops in Afghanistan, not including the approximately 15,000 U.S. troops not under ISAF command. Despite the increases - many of which have come from western European countries unwilling to send their troops to the most dangerous regions of Afghanistan - the burden of fighting still falls disproportionately on British, Canadian, Dutch, and American troops based in the volatile south and east. The withdrawal of American troops from Iraq will free some troops for southern Afghanistan; the U.S. plans to send up to 30,000 additional troops by next summer, mainly to bolster ISAF's Regional Command South. As you may recall, one of the key recommendations from our report, Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan, was that security efforts should focus on southern Afghanistan and on Helmand and Kandahar provinces in particular.  - Post courtesy of PCR alum Steve Ross