TALLINN, ESTONIA // The US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is expected to press other Nato nations to provide more trainers for Afghanistan's police and military forces as part of preparations to withdraw Western troops from there by summer 2011.
Mrs Clinton and representatives of 27 other Nato countries - all of which contribute to the war effort - are also expected to review broader plans for turning the conflict over to Afghan forces starting the middle of next year, a goal set by the White House.
Nato's assessment of its exit strategy comes just five months after the US president Barack Obama sharply escalated troop strength in the rugged mountain nation to challenge a resurgent Taliban movement.
Nato has struggled, in some cases, to co-ordinate military operations with Afghan civilian authorities and agencies.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato's top ranking civilian, said yesterday that an additional 450 trainers are needed for Afghanistan's security forces. Mrs Clinton aides, meanwhile, said she planned to appeal to the alliance to provide the required trainers.
The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because Mrs Clinton's plans were still being made, as Nato foreign ministers gathered here to discuss alliance nuclear policy, missile defence and other issues.
In a speech yesterday, before the two-day Nato meeting began, Mr Fogh Rasmussen called Afghanistan the most challenging military operation undertaken by Nato in its history.
Nato was founded 61 years ago this month with the signing of a treaty of collective defence against a feared land invasion by the Soviet Union.
Today, Mr Fogh Rasmussen said instability in places far from Europe can threaten Nato member states.
"We all want to see a stable and secure Afghanistan - an Afghanistan that is no longer a threat to its region and to the rest of the world," he said in his speech.
"We will stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes to achieve that goal.
"We want to continue to empower the Afghans. And gradually hand over to them greater responsibility for the security of their own country when conditions permit."
During yesterday's talks, Mrs Clinton ruled out an early withdrawal of about 200 short-range US nuclear weapons from bases in five European countries.
She said any reductions should be tied to a negotiated nuclear pullback by Russia, which has far more of the weapons in range of European targets.
No such talks are in the offing and Moscow has shown little interest thus far in bargaining away its tactical nuclear arms.
Mrs Clinton also said the Obama administration wants Nato to accept missile defence as a core mission of the alliance.
The US sees anti-missile systems as part of a broader effort to combat the dangers posed by nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and the rockets that can deliver them.
Some European members of Nato, including Germany, have said it's time for the US to withdraw its remaining Cold War-era nuclear weapons from Europe and cite Mr Obama's pledge in Prague last year to seek a nuclear-free world.
Late last year, Germany was joined by Nato members Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Luxembourg in requesting that the nuclear issue be put on the agenda of the Tallinn meeting.
But some newer Nato members in central and eastern Europe, which lay within Moscow's orbit during the Cold War, oppose a US nuclear withdrawal. They argue that the presence of the weapons is the surest guarantee of their territorial integrity.
Mr Fogh Rasmussen said that US nuclear weapons play a vital defensive role in Europe and should not be removed as long as other countries possess them.
"I do believe that the presence of the American nuclear weapons in Europe is an essential part of a credible deterrent," Mr Fogh Rasmussen said.
* AP
Company%20Profile
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BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
