米，稲 Ashdown recommended by 米国防総省 to be Afghanistan 最高の（外交）使節／代表

Last updated at 15:30 21 December 2007

A 最高の，を越す米国防総省公式の／役人 said today that he's 希望に満ちた the U.N. will 指名する a 退役軍人 British 外交官 as a いわゆる最高の（外交）使節／代表 in Afghanistan to 調整する international 開発成果／努力s here.

海軍大将マイク Mullen, chairman of the 共同の長，指導者s of Staff, said he thought 米，稲 Ashdown "really can make a difference" if he were 指名するd as （外交）使節／代表 in Afghanistan.

The former Lib Dem leader served 以前 as Bosnia-Herzegovina's international 行政官／管理者.

"To have somebody of his 技術 and 能力 and 評判 I think would bring a 広大な／多数の／重要な取引，協定 to the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, to 統合する the 非軍事の味方する, the political 味方する, the governance 味方する, all those things which he's been successful in his previous life," he said.

Mullen said the 決定／判定勝ち（する） was for the U.N. to make but that "I'm 希望に満ちた that it's a 肯定的な結果."

弁護長官 Robert Gates, in 証言 in Washington last week, said Afghanistan needs a strong 非軍事の代表者／国会議員 to 調整する work by international 政府s and 援助（する） groups.

Afghan 大統領 Hamid Karzai met with Ashdown in Kuwait earlier this week, two 公式の／役人s told the AP on 条件 they not be identified because of the sensitivity of the 事柄. The 公式の／役人s said Ashdown could be in place by spring.

Mullen is on a whirlwind 小旅行する to visit 軍隊s in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and Europe with 芸能人s from the USO.

コマドリ Williams, Lance Armstrong, comedian 吊りくさび黒人／ボイコット, Kid 激しく揺する and 行方不明になる USA Rachel Smith 成し遂げるd in Kabul on Thursday. The group was to entertain 軍隊／機動隊s in Kandahar, Bagram and Kyrgyzstan on Friday.

Mullen said traveling with the 星／主役にするs has been "広大な／多数の／重要な fun."

"It's been electric, it's been engaging and it's been incredibly 井戸／弁護士席 received by the 軍隊／機動隊s," h e said. "We try to bring a little bit of home into the theater for those who are going to be away from their families."

This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the 2001 U.S.-led 侵略, 誘発するing 関心s that the resurgence of the Taliban could 脅す the success of the international 使節団 and Karzai's fledgling 政府.

More than 6,300 people have died in 暴動関係のある暴力／激しさ this year, によれば an AP count.

Still, Mullen said in 証言 in Washington last week that the U.S. 軍の's 焦点（を合わせる） is on Iraq, and that "an economy of 軍隊" is 存在 used in Afghanistan.

"That does not mean that this theater, 特に Afghanistan, is not important and we are not 献身的な to success here 同様に," he said Friday.

"I think the next big steps 今後 here in Afghanistan are to 統合する the entirety of the political 過程, the 経済的な過程, the building of governance in 新規加入 to the 安全."

The U.S. has about 26,000 軍隊／機動隊s in Afghanistan - 14,000 under 北大西洋条約機構's International 安全援助軍隊 and 12,000 under the U.S.-led 連合, which trains the Afghan army and police and 行為／行うs special 軍隊s 操作／手術s.

全体にわたる Afghanistan has about 50,000 international 軍隊／機動隊s. Some 160,000 U.S. 軍隊／機動隊s are 駅／配置するd in Iraq.

Mullen 称讃するd Britain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands - countries whose 軍隊／機動隊s have been in 激しい戦う／戦いs this year - for their 出資／貢献s while calling for other countries to "step up as much as they かもしれない can."

Gates has 繰り返して called for 北大西洋条約機構 countries to 増加する their 軍隊／機動隊 and 器具／備品出資／貢献s in Afghanistan.

Mullen said there would be "肯定的な結果s" if the U.S. 追加するd 軍隊s in Afghanistan, but that 権利 now it was a 事柄 of 軍隊 rotation and 依存 on other 同盟（する）s.

軍隊／機動隊s from the 82nd 空輸の分割 are entering their 11th month in Afghanistan, meaning that under a 12-month （軍隊などの）展開，配備 they would be 準備するing to go home.

But the 米国防総省 e arlier this year 延長するd rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan to 15 months, an 付加重荷（を負わせる） on 軍隊／機動隊s.

Mullen said he supports moving 支援する to a 12-month rotation.

"That said, our 優先 is still to get these 使節団権利, so it's a very delicate balance," he said.

"(軍隊／機動隊s) are making 進歩, and at the same time 15 months is a long, long time and we need to come off that as soon as we can."