N.Y. Times Editorial: Europe Isn't Doing Enough in Afghanistan

In a Monday editorial, the New York Times calls on European nations and NATO to make a more significant commitment in Afghanistan, which the paper says "is not and should not be just the United States' fight." The war on terrorism is "emphatically a common fight" in which the American people have so far been asked to make a disproportionate sacrifice for the rest of the world. Attacks masterminded by terrorists in Afghanistan have hit European cities, and NATO has "never fully shouldered the burden of this mission," the editorial said.

The Times specifically calls out France and Germany, neither of which has contributed to recent NATO reinforcements. "Democratically elected leaders cannot ignore public skepticism, but they should not surrender to it when they know better. Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy must educate their voters to the harsh reality that Europe will also pay a high price if the Taliban and al-Qaeda get to retake Afghanistan and further destabilize Pakistan."