Saceur Expects Nato Members To Shed Green Light To Additional Troops To Afghanistan

ISTANBUL - Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) U.S. General James Jones said that he hoped that Alliance heads of state and government would shed green light to dispatch of additional 2000 soldiers to Afghanistan before elections to be held in September during the NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul on June 28 and 29.
Jones who spoke to reporters at Kabul ahead of NATO Summit in Istanbul said that he believed that promise on NATO's expansion to regions excluding Kabul by expanding mandate of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan would be kept. Jones stated that they hoped that determined steps would be taken within the scope of the NATO Summit to fulfill duty of strengthening ISAF.
Gen. Jones noted that if necessary decisions were taken in the summit in Istanbul, additional troops could be sent to ISAF within 30 days.
Gen. Jones gave a message that he expected heads of state and government in the summit in Istanbul to take necessary steps for charging of at least five provincial construction teams in the north of Afghanistan.
(EÖ-AÖ) 27.06.2004