Kathianne
01-15-2009, 04:50 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4240957/John-Hutton-says-Europeans-are-freeloading-on-Britain-and-US-in-Afghanistan.html
John Hutton says Europeans are 'freeloading' on Britain and US in Afghanistan
European members of Nato are "freeloading" on the military sacrifice and commitment of countries like Britain and the United States, John Hutton, the Defence Secretary will say.
By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 5:40PM GMT 15 Jan 2009
In an escalation of British criticism of Nato members' uneven contributions to the mission in Afghanistan, Mr Hutton will warn that the failure of countries like France, Germany and Italy to send more troops will undermine European relations with Barack Obama's US administration.
"Freeloading on the back of US military security is not an option if we wish to be equal partners in this transatlantic alliance," Mr Hutton will say, pointedly telling European allies: "Anyone who wants to benefit from collective security must be prepared to share the ultimate price."
In a speech to European and American security experts and diplomats at the Wilton Park conference centre in Sussex, Mr Hutton will suggest that the reticence of some Nato members has left a small group of countries including Britain, the US and Canada to do an unfair share of the fighting and dying in Afghanistan.
He will say: "It isn't good enough to always look to the US for political, financial and military cover. And this imbalance will not be addressed by parcelling up Nato tasks - the 'hard' military ones for the US and a few others and the 'soft' diplomatic ones for the majority of Europeans."
...
John Hutton says Europeans are 'freeloading' on Britain and US in Afghanistan
European members of Nato are "freeloading" on the military sacrifice and commitment of countries like Britain and the United States, John Hutton, the Defence Secretary will say.
By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 5:40PM GMT 15 Jan 2009
In an escalation of British criticism of Nato members' uneven contributions to the mission in Afghanistan, Mr Hutton will warn that the failure of countries like France, Germany and Italy to send more troops will undermine European relations with Barack Obama's US administration.
"Freeloading on the back of US military security is not an option if we wish to be equal partners in this transatlantic alliance," Mr Hutton will say, pointedly telling European allies: "Anyone who wants to benefit from collective security must be prepared to share the ultimate price."
In a speech to European and American security experts and diplomats at the Wilton Park conference centre in Sussex, Mr Hutton will suggest that the reticence of some Nato members has left a small group of countries including Britain, the US and Canada to do an unfair share of the fighting and dying in Afghanistan.
He will say: "It isn't good enough to always look to the US for political, financial and military cover. And this imbalance will not be addressed by parcelling up Nato tasks - the 'hard' military ones for the US and a few others and the 'soft' diplomatic ones for the majority of Europeans."
...