Obama would press Europe for more Afghan troops

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama will press European NATO partners for more troops for Afghanistan and to ease operational restrictions on those already there if he is elected president, a foreign policy aide said Thursday.

The Democratic presidential candidate is likely to discuss his plans to refocus US military efforts from Iraq to the battle against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan when he visits top European powers later this month.

"Senator Obama has been very clear that he believes that our NATO partners can and should contribute some additional forces," said Obama's foreign policy advisor Susan Rice on a conference call with reporters.

The Illinois senator also believes that NATO members should remove operational curbs which prevent some of...