NATO Foreign Ministers Gather To Discuss Afghanistan, Kosovo
January 26, 2007
ISAF troops patrol in eastern Afghanistan (file photo) (epa)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to appeal for more NATO troops and increased reconstruction efforts across the country.
On January 25, Rice said that President George W. Bush will ask Congress to provide an extra $10.6 billion to fund security and development in Afghanistan. She said all but $2 billion of the funds are for security.
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, NATO announced that it carried out an air strike targeting a suspected Taliban base in southern Afghanistan.
A NATO statement said the strike on January 25 completely destroyed the compound in the Musa Qala district of Helmand Province.
It said a "senior Taliban leader and his deputies" were believed to have been killed in the strike. The statement did not identify the suspected Taliban leader, nor did it say how many Taliban many were believed to have been killed in the raid.
Staying In Kosovo
The NATO ministers will also address Kosovo, coinciding with the release today of a UN proposal on the province's future status.
Reports say the ministers will underline that the NATO-led Kosovo Force will maintain its current levels at around 17,000 troops.
(AFP)