By P. Parameswaran
The European Union's Afghan envoy warned Taliban militants in Afghanistan to be prepared for a "bloody nose," as additional European NATO forces deploy in the insurgent-wracked country.
The envoy, Francesc Vendrell, said Western forces were prepared to "take the bull by the horns" in confronting the rebels and would not withdraw until they stabilize the security situation in Afghanistan.
"There is larger Taliban activity than it was a couple of years ago. It is not good news. If the Taliban persists in such attacks they will get a bloody nose," he told a news conference after meeting US officials.
There has been a spike in Taliban-linked violence this year and analysts believe the more organised and aggressive rebel force is making a stand before the impending expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces into the south of the country.
While the insurgency traditionally heats up as the weather warms, this year has seen some of the heaviest fighting since the Taliban were toppled in 2001, with nearly 300 people, most of them rebels, killed in a week of intense battles and suicide attacks.
Vendrell also cautioned that European NATO forces should be prepared to take bigger casualties with the stepped up attacks by the Taliban.
"I have to say that it is possible that there will be greater casualties in this coming summer than there there have been in the past," he said.
"We are going to have a difficult summer but I think it is important that European countries realize ... that when we send military forces to difficult or dangerous areas, there may be casualties -- much as we all try to avoid them."
The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in a report Wednesday that NATO forces were likely to come under increased attack as the United States withdraws some of its troops from Afghanistan.
"The Taliban, taking advantage of what they perceive to be an opportunity during the switch from US to NATO deployments, are likely to continue to increase their operational tempo -- not least because they know that casualties amongst European NATO member states may mobilise domestic opinion in those states against 'the war'," the report said.
Vendrell said "there is widespread but mistaken feeling" among the Taliban that the Europeans were going to be "softer" than the American troops and that "we will easily withdraw."
He said NATO countries, including Britain and the Netherlands, had decided to send their troops to southern Afghanistan "to take the bull by the horns."
"I think therefore that the good news is that at a time when in other post-conflict situations, the international community is looking for the exit, we are not looking for an exit in Afghanistan," he said, in an apparent reference to Iraq.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan currently numbers around 9,000 troops and is due to double to about 18,000 by the end of July when it takes over coalition operations in the south and absorbs the British, Canadian, Dutch and some of the US forces in the south.
ISAF is due to move into the eastern quarter of the country later this year, taking command of forces there and expanding to about 25,000 across the country.
Vendrell clarified that the NATO deployment in Afghanistan under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter required them to "use all means available" to restore order in the country.
"In UN terms, this means ISAF is not only a peacekeeping force but also (with) peace enforcement powers," he said, expressing regret that some had wrongly interpreted that ISAF could not use force if attacked.
"This probably is a mistake. We need to use robust means to achieve our task," he said.
