Countries lining up to support EUCOM's
efforts in fight against terrorism
By Gregory Piatt,
Stars and Stripes
STUTTGART, Germany — A "significant number" of countries in the U.S.
European Command area of operation have offered ground troops to bolster America’s
fight against terrorism, a senior U.S. military official said.
"Some of those have offered ground troops to do whatever is necessary, including
marching into Afghanistan," the official said in a briefing late Tuesday.
"Others have offered ground troops, if needed, in the Balkans or other places. But
there are a significant number of countries which have made offers of ground troops and
airplanes and ships. So it’s across the board, it’s more than just ground
troops."
There are 91 countries in the EUCOM area of responsibility, which includes Europe, most
of Africa and some countries in the Middle East. But so far, EUCOM’s only mission in
the current war in Afghanistan is to fly humanitarian food drops, between two and four a
day, the official said. But EUCOM still gets offers for military help.
"There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the NATO military members,
as well as non-NATO members," said the official, who declined to say exactly how many
countries have offered troops and equipment.
In the EUCOM area, NATO countries, such as Great Britain, France and others have
offered and are supplying troops. The alliance as a whole has deployed five of its AWAC
reconnaissance and control planes to the States to help with homeland defense and some
ships from its standing naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea are guarding U.S. ships
going to Central Asia as they pass through the Suez Canal.
But NATO Secretary-General George Robertson predicted on Monday that the alliance would
play a bigger role in the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan.
"I have no doubt that as this campaign goes on, because this will be a long
campaign, more will be asked of NATO and of NATO members and it will be willingly
given," said Robertson in Brussels, Belgium. "As the president of the United
States said the week before last, NATO is the cornerstone of the international
coalition."
The official said he was also pleased with the offers EUCOM was getting from
predominately Muslim countries.
"I’ve had very, very good support — whether it’s [from NATO’s]
Partnership for Peace countries like Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan in terms of basing rights
and overflight rights; or whether it is Turkey with tremendous support as a member of the
Alliance as well as the basing and all of the things that go with that," the official
said.
While countries have troops and equipment for the fight in Afghanistan, the United
States hasn’t taken up many of these offers yet, the military official said.
"Washington, I think, as a general principle would like to accept as much as they
can because if a nation goes to the trouble to offer up asset ‘X’ then the
United States would like to accept that," the official said. "It then becomes an
issue of how do you work that into the overall scheme of things."
There is a lag in planning because Washington is busy and hasn’t had a chance to
put all the pieces together, the official said.
"That will all get worked out, and it’s getting better," the official
added. "It’s not where it needs to be yet. There is still more work to do, but
it’s getting there."
Back to October stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from September, 2001
Stories from August, 2001
Stories from July, 2001
Stories from June, 2001
Stories from May, 2001
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home |
