NATO predicts tough year in Afghanistan, wants more from Karzai

Jan 19, 2009, 14:11 GMT

Brussels - NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Monday predicted another difficult year for the alliance's peace-keeping operations in Afghanistan and called on the local government to step up its fight against corruption and drugs.

NATO's secretary general said '2009 will certainly not be easy in Afghanistan.

'There will certainly be more violence, including because we put more forces on the ground,' de Hoop Scheffer said at an annual reception with the press in Brussels.

The year that has just ended marked the deadliest yet for Western forces since their arrival in Afghanistan in 2001, with a total of 294 casualties reported among soldiers operating under NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

NATO currently relies on a force of 55,100 troops in Afghanistan, a figure which also includes Afghan soldiers.

US president-elect Barack Obama has pledged to increase the presence of US forces, and the NATO secretary general said he also expected other NATO allies to do the same.

'The US decision to send in more forces should be met by all allies, be it in the military, be it in the civilian domain. We need more forces,' he said.

At the same time, de Hoop Scheffer also called on Afghan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai to do more to reduce corruption and illegal drugs trafficking in his country.

'We have paid a lot in blood and treasure to the Afghan people, and we will continue to do so ... we also need to demand more from the Afghan government,' he said.

'In the fight against narcotics and in the establishment of a stronger anti-corruption drive, more is necessary.'

ISAF's role in Afghanistan is set to come under scrutiny at a NATO summit in April marking the 60th anniversary of the transatlantic alliance.

Speaking to reporters, de Hoop Scheffer ruled out any NATO involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza and predicted a 'gradual' rapprochement with Russia following the controversial August conflict with Georgia.