Salsa, karaoke out as U.S. eyes austere Afghan war

By Mohammed Abbas

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The United States is cutting back on luxuries and distractions such as salsa and karaoke nights to free up space for troops fighting an increasingly violent eight-year war in Afghanistan.

Kandahar airfield is the main air transport hub for the U.S.-led NATO mission in Afghanistan and is so cramped its sewage pool is almost overflowing. But the plan to cut recreational facilities is causing a bigger stink.

"I think it's pretty disheartening for all the soldiers, taking away what little morale they have here," said U.S. military driver Private First Class John Armstrong as he sipped gourmet coffee, one of several comforts that may be cut.

Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall, a senior adviser to General Stanley McChrystal, leader of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, said he expected some people would be upset over reduced recreational facilities.

But "frontline soldiers don't get that stuff and they don't need that stuff," he said in a statement.

Kandahar airfield, which the U.S. military shares with other NATO forces including Britain and France, can barely cope with the 20,000 soldiers and contractors already garrisoned there, and another 5,000 inhabitants are expected by mid-2010.

With U.S. President Barack Obama mulling a request from McChrystal for another 40,000 troops, raising capacity and cutting waste at Kandahar is critical.

"On one hand he (McChrystal) has a point. He doesn't want planes bringing coffee when they should be carrying troops and supplies," said a U.S. military official, asking not to be identified.

"On the other hand, troops come from battle and want to decompress, have a coffee and sandwich. We're not in prison."

Coffee and food are usually trucked in, but the U.S. military says it is trying to reduce overall logistical strain.

NATO allies are also required to identify inefficiencies under the review, but moves to seek cuts to recreational facilities are so far restricted to the U.S. military.

Salsa and karaoke nights have already been cut at Kandahar and fast-food restaurants closed at a base in Jalalabad.

The plan has critics among NATO allies, who fear their recreational facilities may be swamped with U.S. soldiers, who make up two-thirds of the 100,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan.

TRYING TO EXPAND

A massive expansion program is under way at Kandahar, but room for growth is limited by mines from the then Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, making land a premium.