The Recipient of Nobel Peace Prize B.H.Obama Increases Number of Forces of Good and the Light in Afghanistan and Iraq

The US president Barrack Hussein Obama authorized sending of 13 thousand military men in Afghanistan in addition to 21 thousand soldiers whose sending he declared in March of the current year, newspaper The Washington Post informs. As a result the American military contingent in Afghanistan will be strengthened, in total, by 34 thousand people.

Increase in number of armies in Afghanistan confirmed by the US president who in the end of the past week was given Nobel Peace Prize led to that total number of military men in units placed in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeded their number in the maximum American military presence in Iraq in 2007 and the beginning of 2008.

Earlier White House and the Pentagon did not inform about placement of auxiliary divisions. When the former president George Bush declared increase in number of the American contingent in Iraq, he noted only fighting units numbered 20 thousand people not having mentioned 8 thousand military men of auxiliary divisions accompanying them, the edition writes.

From editorial board: Number of the American military contingent in Afghanistan will exceed 100 thousand, that is more than the Soviet military presence during the Afghani war. Thus Americans make war in Afghanistan for 8 years that is also close to the term of the Soviet presence in this country.

It is necessary to remind that besides Americans, military men of other 36 western countries mainly of NATO are present in Afghanistan. There is no exact data concerning representatives of the separate states participating in "the international forces" in Afghanistan. We will cite as an example the data about its German component from the German sources. So, television channel "Zuddeuche Fernzeen" informed on June, 1st, 2006 that there are 2850 German military men in Afghanistan and newspaper "Die Welt" from June, 9th, 2006 named the figure in 2800 people, taking into account those part of whom is now in Uzbekistan. "Spiegel" on September, 28th, 2006 resulted figure in 2884 soldiers of the German armed forces located in Afghanistan. Poland has in Afghanistan approximately 1100 people. The number of the Canadian and Danish contingents in 2007 made 2500 and 420 military men accordingly. As a whole, experts estimate grouping of satellites of the USA in Afghanistan in 50 thousand persons.

Local Afghani formations equipped and trained by NATO totaled up to 80 thousand people. Plus to it Pakistan military men execute auxiliary functions on the border and adjoining areas. Thus, military presence of the West in this country can be estimated in 230-250 thousand soldiers and officers. It is enormous figure if to compare it to the times of the Soviet military presence. Thus to say that the West achieved any result surpassing the one the USSR had is rather difficult.

Thus there is a military presence of the USA and allies in Iraq. The number of military contingent is similar to Afghani and it is possible to judge about intensity of situation there according to losses: as of October, 2nd, 2009 the loss of armies of the USA in the Iraq war were estimated in 4350 victims and 31 514 wounded (only fighting wounds). According to the site iCasualties.org, other military contingents (21 countries) lost 317 military men. Great Britain lost most of all - 179 military men.

The structure of the international coalition at various times (Wikipendia) included following countries (the maximum number of contingents, time of garrison and withdraw of armies are specified):

The USA - 250 000; Australia - 2000 (withdrawn in July 2009); Azerbaijan - 250 (since 2003 till December, 2008); Albania - 240 (since April, 2003 till December, 2008); Armenia - 50 (since January, 2005 till October, 2008); Bulgaria - 490 (the basic contingent was withdrawn in 2005, the rest - in December, 2008); Bosnia and Herzegovina - 40 (since June, 2005 till November, 2008); Great Britain - 45 000 (withdrawn in July, 2009); Hungary - 300 (since August, 2003 till March, 2005); Honduras - 370 (since August, 2003 till May, 2004); Georgia - 2000 (since August, 2003, the contingent was withdrawn in August, 2008 in connection with the conflict in South Ossetia); Denmark - 550 (since April, 2003 till December, 2007); Dominican Republic - 300 (the contingent was withdrawn in May, 2004); Iceland - 2 (since May, 2003, withdrawn); Spain - 1300 (since April, 2003 till April, 2004, contingent was withdrawn after acts of terrorism on March, 11th); Italy - 3200 (since July, 2003 till November, 2006); Kazakhstan - 30 (since September, 2003 till October, 2008); Latvia - 140 (since April, 2004, all contingent was withdrawn in June, 2007, final withdraw - November, 2008); Lithuania - 120 (since June, 2003 till August, 2007); Macedonia - 80 (since July, 2003 till November, 2008); Moldova - 20 (since September, 2003 till December, 2008); Mongolia - 180 (since August, 2003 till September, 2008); the Netherlands - 1350 (since July, 2003 till March, 2005); Nicaragua - 230 (since September, 2003 till February, 2004); New Zealand - 60 (since September, 2003 till September, 2004); Norway - 150 (since July, 2003, the basic contingent was withdrawn in June, 2004, the rest - by August, 2006); Poland - 2500 (since 2003 till October, 2008) and Portugal - 130 (since November, 2003 till February, 2005); Republic of Korea - 3600 (since May, 2003 till December, 2008); Romania - 730 (since July, 2003 till July, 2009); El Salvador - 380 (since August, 2003 till January, 2009); Singapore - 160 (since December, 2003, all contingent was withdrawn in 2004); Slovakia - 110 (since August, 2003 till January, 2007); Thailand - 420 (since August, 2003 till August, 2004); Tonga - 60 (from July, till December, 2004; since 2007 till December, 2008); Ukraine - 1650 (since August, 2003; the basic contingent was withdrawn in December, 2005, the rest - in December, 2008); Philippines - 50 (since July, 2003 till July, 2004); Czechia - 300 (since December, 2003 till December, 2008); Estonia - 40 (since June, 2005 till February, 2009); Japan - 600 (since January, 2004 till July, 2006).

So, Nobel Prize was given to B.H.Obama not for nothing...

А.B.

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