| NATO on Wednesday began a long-awaited expansion of its peacekeeping forces into western Afghanistan Wednesday as part of efforts to rebuild the remote and rugged region, the commander of the force said. An initial deployment of Italian troops had started to arrive in the main western city of Herat, where they will later be joined by soldiers from Spain, Greece and Lithuania. "I am pleased to announce that the advance parties of NATO troops have already began to arrive in Herat," Turkish Lieutenant General Ethem Erdagi, the commander of the 8,300-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), told reporters in Kabul. |