De Hoop Scheffer comments on new Polish contingent to Afghanistan
(14 Sep 2006) 1. Flags of NATO member states in front of NATO building 2. NATO flag 3. NATO sign among flags outside NATO building 4. Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer standing next to each other 5. Photographer taking picture 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General "I think that the Polish decision is a very important one. We're talking about a battalion here, as was said yesterday in the media, in other allies there's also still an ongoing discussion, so I think in this respect that we're doing well. The question is always we can do more with more forces. So you'll never see a Secretary General say, well, here I am, as a one hundred per cent happy man, but this is, as far as the need for extra forces is concerned, a very important step." 7. Ukrainian delegation taking notes 8. Journalists taking notes 9. Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer shaking hands 10. Pan of flags of NATO members fluttering outside NATO building STORYLINE: Poland said on Thursday it would send 900 troops to Afghanistan next February, but NATO officials said the contingent was part of a previously planned rotation and would not alleviate the alliance's need for more troops. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, said the Polish contingent could potentially be used as a reserve force supporting operations across the whole of the country. "I think that the Polish decision is a very important one. We're talking about a battalion here, as was said yesterday in the media, in other allies there's also still an ongoing discussion, so I think in this respect that we're doing well. The question is always we can do more with more forces." Scheffer said. Polish officials have suggested that the troops would be sent to the east of Afghanistan, rather than the dangerous southern provinces but, speaking after a news conference, the Secretary General said the deployment was not linked to the north, south or east of the country. NATO's top commander of operations last week appealed for reinforcements of up to 2,500 troops to help alliance forces already there before the onset of the Afghan winter in a matter of weeks, but nations had failed at talks on Wednesday to respond with any firm offers. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
