NATO 'losing' fight in Afghanistan

LONDON, England (CNN) -- NATO has lost the war in Afghanistan and success there is now unlikely, a former U.N. envoy warned Thursday, as Britain's prime minister met his Afghan counterpart and the U.S. defense secretary pressed for continued military commitment.

Paddy Ashdown, the former U.N. high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, warned major instability would be inevitable in the region if resurgent Islamic extremists gain the upper hand.

"We have lost, I think, and success is now unlikely," Ashdown told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"I believe losing in Afghanistan is worse than losing in Iraq. It will mean that Pakistan will fall and it will have serious implications internally for the security of our own countries and will instigate a wider Shiite-Sunni regional war on a grand scale," he added.

A NATO spokesman said he was baffled by the comments from Ashdown, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the proposed role of a new high-level international envoy to Afghanistan.

"I couldn't begin to understand what he's talking about," James Appathurai told CNN. "We are firmly committed to this, we feel we're on the right track, and we're going to keep going. There is no doubt."

U.S. commanders also believe NATO is winning in Afghanistan but say victory will still take years and requires a long-term commitment of more troops and equipment.

In a speech delivered Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said progress is "real but fragile."

"At this time, many allies are unwilling to share the risks, commit the resources, and follow through on our commitments to this mission and to each other," Gates said in prepared remarks to the Conference of European Armies in Heidelberg, Germany.

"As a result, we risk allowing what has been achieved in Afghanistan to slip away."

Gates said an ongoing problem among NATO member nations has been a lack of will and commitment to the Afghan campaign.

"Today, non-U.S. NATO nations have more than 2 million men and women in uniform, yet we struggle to maintain 23,000 non-U.S. troops in Afghanistan," he said, adding there are similar problems with equipment and other resources.

After talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he wants the international community to continue sharing the burden in Afghanistan while gradually giving more responsibility to the Afghan people.

"Is it time to leave Afghanistan? No. Is it time to add more responsibility to the Afghan people? Yes," Karzai said at a news conference.

Karzai said the international community's work in Afghanistan has produced "magnificent results" against terrorism, but he urged countries to stay committed.

Brown said he agreed with the idea of burden-sharing for a range of areas in Afghanistan.

"We know from the NATO commander that there are other countries prepared to do more," Brown said. "We know also that there are means by which burden-sharing can happen, but the military effort must be complemented by the diplomatic effort and by the development work that has been done." E-mail to a friend