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Show Sunday, September 4, 2005 OAILY AB BERALO. NATO takes on n bigger role in Afghanistan,‘seeks to win support US.invasion a monthlater to CIATEDPRESS KABUL,Afghanistan — As the NATOarmored car inches through a crowded Kabul market,its machine gun sweeping over the heads of shoppers, the Portuguese officer on board banters with street kids and traders, exchanging waves and smiles. It's that rapport on the groundthatis encouraging NATO commandersas they in- Crease their peacekeeping forc€s to protect the Sept. 18 legislative election from worsening violence that has claimed 1,100 lives in the past six months. “The people herearetired,” said the officer, Lt. Lee Chin, as his patrol moves on to a school thatwill serve as a polling sta- tion. “They had 20 years of war with the Russian guys, then with the Taliban. Now I think they wantpeace.” But the foreign troops face an even tougher challenge next year when their operations expand into the volatile east and south of Afghanistan overthrow the Taliban regime, US. forces are gradually handing primary responsibility for se- curity in the countryto the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The entire international security operation in Afghanistan\is to.comeunder the command of NATO,whichis sending more troops from Canada and European allies. Thatcould see NATOfor the first time taking on high-intensity combat missionsagainst centers to support reconstruction efforts and help Afghan “hie peopl sepiahes here are tired. They had 20 years of war with the Russian guys, then with the Taliban. Now | think they wantpeace.” authorities keep order. Thirty-five countries have troops here,including non- NATOnations such as Finland, Croatia and Ireland. Chin's commandounit has been in Kabulfor a month, and he says NATO'srole in helping reconstruction and security has paid dividends. Lt. Lee Chin ‘NATOofficer “The people are friendly to ISAF, they know we're here to help,” he said. ISAF stands for International Security Assis- remnantsof the Taliban and al-Qaida, a prospect that has tance Force. Theelections area crucial test. A successfulvote could set Afghanistan on a path toward Underthe plan, German raised concerns among some allies — notably Germany and France which are worried that merging the missions could underminethe alliance’s peace- keepingrole. But NATO'stop operational commander,U.S. Gen.James L. Jones,is convinced thealliance will completeits expansion “in the very nearfuture.” “It will bring a newagility and a newvitality to the effort, andI'm sure Afghanistan will be all the betterfor it,” Jones troops will take the lead role in the north,Italians in the west, Britishin the south and Americans under NATO commandin the east. French and Turkish troops will lead in democratic stability after decades of bloody chaos. However Taliban holdouts have vowed to disrupt the balloting. Kabul — working alongside Afghanistan's fledgling army and police. NATOhas boosted its pres- enceto 11,000,flying in 2,000 Using a conceptfirst devel- ago. when governments were morereluctant to contribute Jones said that's ample to meetthe Taliban threat. “1 his is not a coordinated threat that —a shift NATO officials attribute partly to Afghanistan's presidentialelection last October that passed off peacefully. we think could lead to any greater degree of insurrection,” Jonessaid the decision by he told reporters. Lithuania to take ona difficult But some wonder whether the NATOallies have the stom- posting in the remote western province of Ghor just a year after joining NATO was a “defining moment” that inspired stronger, more established NATO members to increase ach for the more dangerous combatzones “It's a hugedecision for them to take;there will obviously be some thatare averseto shifting the role,” said Samina Ahmed, their role. south Asia project director with the International Crisis Group think tank. “Therearerealissuesof security here; thereisn’t really as Oe ais Mascot Financial yet on the part of any NATO helping people rae dojust that State an intention to expand the numbersdrastically,” she said by telephone from the Pakistani extra troops, mostly from Romania, Spain and the Nether- lands, as well as more airpower capital, Islamabad. Jonessaid the violence was having no impact on NATO's teams oftroopsin provincial spearheaded bysix French expansionplans, noting thatal- JAMESFRE! 801-787-2472 or 435+ 462-9225} FOR A LIMITED TIME: told reporters onavisit to Ka- Four years after 9/11 and the also has reinforced its coalition force of 19,000. oped by the Americans, the NATOtroops haveset up small lies were nowoffering troops to the mission, unlike a year Miragejet fighters. The U.S. bul this week. Utah Valley Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society invite you and yourfamily to join 50”off origination fee | CAN COPE 1* Mortgage Payment Cancer Education (Based on 5.8% APR*) Thisseries offree classeswill begin Sept 6 Eachclass will be hosted from 3 to 5 p.m .in the American Cancer cutYour Society ResourceLibrary in Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. 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