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THE HEAVYWEIGHTS—THE TOP FIVE
United States
Troops currently in Afghanistan: 29,000, with about 19,000 serving in NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) effort and the rest serving under U.S. command
Fatalities: 419 (includes deaths in Pakistan and Uzbekistan)
What they’ve done there: Worked to clear the country of insurgents, hunted down Taliban and al Qaeda leaders, and trained the Afghan Army
Outlook: Last month, the United States announced plans to increase its contingent by 3,200 Marines, 1,100 of whom have now arrived. By this summer, the country expects to have 32,000 pairs of U.S. boots on the ground, an all-time high.
Britain
Troops currently in Afghanistan: 7,800
Fatalities: 89 (includes civilians from the Ministry of Defense)
What they’ve done there: The British navy and air force provided support during initial attacks in October 2001. Currently, Britain’s troops are concentrated in the southern province of Helmand, where they have fiercely fought to clear out insurgents. The Provincial Reconstruction Team they’ve led there has implemented various projects, such as wind-powered wells and schools, water infrastructure, and emergency food distribution.
Outlook: It doesn’t look like the Brits are packing up anytime soon. Last year, British Defense Secretary Des Browne said of the British troop contingents in Afghanistan, “Some of them are commitments for decades; some of them may be commitments for generations.”
Germany
Troops currently in Afghanistan: 3,210
Fatalities: 26
What they’ve done there: German troops lead the ISAF effort in northern Afghanistan. Some are part of a reconstruction team that is providing security to aid agencies, and German reconnaissance planes have engaged in aerial surveillance of Taliban-occupied areas. German participation, however, comes with many restrictions. Last November, The Times of London reported that German helicopter pilots, who provide medical evacuation, have to return to their base everyday at “tea time” so they can be back before dark. In one instance, they abandoned Norwegian and Afghan soldiers in the middle of a daylong firefight against the Taliban.
Outlook: Half of Germans polled late last year supported a troop withdrawal, and the country’s defense minister recently rejected NATO’s requests for more troops. The United States has criticized Germany for restricting its troops to the relatively calm north, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a visit to Kabul last November, “We are concentrating on the north, and that is how it should remain.”
Italy
Troops currently in Afghanistan: 2,880
Fatalities: 12
What they’ve done there: Italian troops lead the ISAF effort in Kabul and the western province of Herat. In Herat, they’ve mainly engaged in patrolling and reconstruction activities. In Surobi, a district east of Kabul, they have used mules to bring rice, blankets, and medicine to villages.
Outlook: Earlier this month, Italy’s defense minister confirmed that his country’s troops will remain in Afghanistan at the current level. Italy’s presence in Afghanistan nearly brought down the government in February 2007. Doubts about engagement in Afghanistan again became a touchy issue in March 2007 when an Italian journalist was kidnapped by the Taliban and later released in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held by Afghan authorities.
Canada
Troops currently in Afghanistan: 2,500
Fatalities: 81
What they’ve done there: Canada’s troops are concentrated in the perilous southern province of Kandahar, where the Taliban is the strongest. They have been active in combat and are widely thought to have suffered a disproportionate fraction of deaths compared with other troop-contributing countries. Indeed, a report on casualty rates during the first year of operation in the Kandahar region found that Canadian troops died at 2.6 to four times the rate of British and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and at two to 2.6 times the rate of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Outlook: This month, Canada voted to keep its 2,500 troops in Kandahar until the end of 2011 if NATO countries provide an additional 1,000 troops. With public support for the mission waning, Canada has vowed to withdraw if reinforcements don’t arrive. The Pentagon has informally committed to provide those 1,000 troops if another country doesn’t step up, and in fact, 1,100 U.S. Marines have recently arrived as a stopgap measure.
