Istanbul to host NATO meeting focusing on Afghanistan

On the heels of hosting last week's regional conference on Afghanistan, tomorrow and Friday Istanbul will host an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers focusing on the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the NATO-led international force in Afghanistan. The meeting under the auspices of Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will include NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. NATO's transformation will also be discussed. NATO spokesperson James Appathurai Appathurai last month stressed the unparalleled political and military role Turkey plays in Afghanistan. In Brussels, Rasmussen said earlier this week that he would urge allies at the Istanbul meeting to do more to meet a shortfall of up to 2,400 people to train Afghan security forces. Rasmussen said one way to make up for the shortfall would be for nations to reconfigure existing contributions to the ISAF. "But I would not exclude the possibility that we will need additional contributions," he said. "This training mission is of utmost importance to accomplish the strategy we all agree on. The more we invest in this transition now, the sooner the day when the Afghans can take responsibility themselves."