Norway to Send Troops to Southern Afghanistan

Norway has pledged to send soldiers to southern Afghanistan to help out NATO allies such as Canada, Britain, Denmark and the US. Now that France and Norway have answered NATO's call for easing restrictions on rules of engagement in Afghanistan lets hope Germany follows suit.

The Germans sure can fight plus they probably have the best gun too the MG3. Surely, Merkel won't let the French embarrass them.

OSLO -- Norway's defence ministry said on Wednesday it would allow some of its soldiers stationed in Afghanistan to go to the south of the country where battles against the Taliban and al-Qaeda have been the toughest and Canada has been pleading for more allied help.

Norway has about 500 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission there and has for months resisted pressure from its allies to send its soldiers to the volatile south.

But a group of 50 soldiers, to be sent to the war-torn state in October to help train the Afghan army, will be able to accompany Afghan troops into southern Afghanistan.

"This means that they can be sent throughout all of Afghanistan," ministry spokeswoman Solveig Dagfinrud said, when asked if troops would go into south Afghanistan.