The Government has given up all hope of its European Nato allies sending more troops to fight in Afghanistan, it can be revealed.
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
Published: 9:00PM BST 05 Sep 2009
Defence sources have said that both the US and British governments no longer expect any of Nato's main partner nations to send more troops to serve in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgency is most fierce.
Despite high level lobbying by Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, and senior diplomats no country has come forward to share more of the war fighting burden being felt by British and US troops in the south of the country.
Sources have also indicated that both Britain and America may have to commit extra forces to the campaign if Canada withdraws all of its 2,800 troops in the next 18 months from the troubled Kandahar Province.
Britain has continuously called upon its partners to commit more troops and resources to the war since the insurgency began to gain momentum in southern Afghanistan.
But the only country to make a significant response was France when it sent around 1,000 extra troops to Afghanistan last year.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6143065/Government-gives-up-hope-of-more-European-Nato-help-in-Afghanistan.html