Kabul: The vanguard of the US surge to
Afghanistan will arrive this week amid growing concern about
collusion between Taliban and al Qaeda with militants in
Pakistan, the top US military officer said on Monday.
Admiral Mike Mullen spoke during a visit to Kabul
after US President Barack Obama ordered an extra 30,000
American troops into the war in a bid to reverse the Taliban
momentum, deny al Qaeda a safe heaven and train Afghan forces.
"The key part of that strategy was the decision to
surge an additional 30,000 United States troops in
Afghanistan," Mullen told reporters.
"Marines from Camp Lejeune will arrive this very
week," he added, referring to the largest US Marine Corps base
on the US east coast.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed
concern about "growing" collusion between Afghan Taliban and
al Qaeda and other extremist groups sheltering in neighbouring
Pakistan.
"I remain deeply concerned about the growing level of
collusion between the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, and other
extremist groups taking refuge across the border in Pakistan,"
he said.
"Getting at this network, which is now more
entrenched, will be a far more difficult task that it was just
one year ago," he said.
PTI
