Obama wins NATO backing for Afghanistan

STRASBOURG, France | President Obama left France on Saturday having received commitments from allies inside and outside the NATO alliance to add about 5,000 more military personnel to Afghanistan, though most of them appeared headed for noncombat roles.

“What was pledged here today was significant,” Mr. Obama said after emerging from a day of meetings to talk with reporters, though he added that the pledges were “a down payment on the future of our mission in Afghanistan.”

“We’ll need more resources and a sustained effort to achieve our ultimate goals,” he said.

A senior administration official said the White House expects more announcements of troops and civilian resources from other countries in the near future.

“We believe that pledges and commitments will come in, not just today, but over the course of the next several weeks,” said the senior adviser, who spoke to reporters on the condition that he not be identified so that he could speak more frankly.

Mr. Obama, who came to France on Friday, recently announced plans to increase the U.S. troop commitment by 21,000, up to almost 60,000

The president issued strongly worded demands for Europe to follow the U.S. example and commit more resources - military and civilian - to the fight.

Britain, Germany and Spain complied, with Britain committing to add 900 more troops, and Germany and Spain promising 600 each.

These troops, along with 900 more from other nations inside and outside NATO, make up a force of 3,000 that is headed to Afghanistan to provide security for the country’s August elections.

They will not be offensive forces that go out on missions, but rather will play defensive roles in helping the Afghans secure polling places and other locations key to the election, a White House official said.

Mr. Obama said troops sent to Afghanistan to train police and soldiers “are no less important than those who are in the south in direct combat with the Taliban.”

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he did not know how long the election security forces would be in Afghanistan.

More than 10 other nations also committed to send between 1,400 and 2,000 troops with a specific training mission.

These forces will be teams of 20 to 40 paramilitary troops, “not unlike a special forces unit embedded in the field,” Mr. Gibbs said.

The French also promised 300 to 400 paramilitary troops to train Afghan police forces, and the Italians committed 100 police trainers, the White House said.

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