US general takes over NATO's Afghan mission

The British commander of the NATO mission in Afghanistan has handed over control to an American general.
General Dan McNeil takes over from General David Richards, who has carried out a British policy of making peace deals with local elders.
It has been a challenging mission for General Richards.
He took a force from 9,000 troops in Kabul and in the relatively peaceful north-west of Afghanistan to a country-wide command of more than 33,000.
The Taliban have launched a strong insurgency in that time and the predictions are that the spring will see another peak in fighting.
General Richards says he would have liked to have had more troops last year from other NATO companies, but is glad that more troops have now been pledged to his successor.



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