The US is to deploy up to 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan by next summer. The figure — a third more than had been anticipated — was announced by Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and represents the highest figure mentioned publicly by a senior US official.
The confirmation of the scale of the troop surge — along with the increase in the upper limit of envisioned new forces — reflects concern over the course of the war in Afghanistan, which has been hit by numerous setbacks as security across the country has deteriorated in the face of Taliban advances.
In recent weeks Taliban attacks have severely disrupted the main supply line for US and NATO troops into the country from Pakistan, a route that carries up to 75 percent of supplies to foreign forces.
Washington is already sending some 3,000 extra troops to Afghanistan next month and another 2,800 by spring.
However, previously officials have said that the number would be increased by 20,000 in the next 12 to 18 months, once approved by the new administration of US president-elect Barack Obama.
The increased scale of the commitment of US combat troops is bound to bring renewed pressure on the UK and other NATO partners to commit more troops: Senior US military figures and officials have complained that the US is shouldering too much of the burden in the war against the Taliban.
Last week, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced an extra 300 British troops for Helmand Province after visiting troops in Afghanistan. Senior British government sources then played down the prospect of further reinforcements this spring. However, Brown will be under pressure not to jeopardize a fledgling relationship with Obama if the new US president requests more British troops.
“Some 20 [thousand] to 30,000 is the window of overall increase from where we are right now. I don’t have an exact number,” Mullen told reporters. “We’ve agreed on the requirement and so it’s clear to me that we’re going to fill that requirement. So, it’s not a matter of if, but when,” he said.
“We’re looking to get them here in the spring, but certainly by the beginning of summer at the latest,” he said.
Half of the new US troops are expected to be deployed to southern Afghanistan, where British forces are stationed.
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS