NATO forces not involved in drone attacks carried out in Pakistan: Rasmussen

Natos Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that NATO and ISAF forces are not involved in any kind of ongoing operation against militants in Pakistan. Today I told our allies that going forward the United States will be able to offer them more intelligence, training and equipment including jammers, route clearance robots, surveillance systems and ground-penetrating radars, Gates told a news conference. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the US offer was an important step and could help persuade NATO states to pledge more troops and trainers, urging them to dig deep. Some NATO states have linked additional force commitments to more help from Washington in countering the threat posed by so-called improved explosive devices (IEDs), which kill more Western troops than any other weapon in the Taliban's arsenal. The promised equipment is expected to come mainly from Iraq as US troops withdraw. The training programme for Afghan forces, particularly for the police, has been under-resourced for years but has become a more urgent priority since U.S. President Barack Obama in December set the goal of gradually handing over security responsibility to the Afghans and drawing down US forces starting in July 2011.