PRISTINA, Kosovo — NATO is suspending the training of Kosovo’s security troops after a military-style parade that broke the force’s agreement to focus only on civil emergencies, it said Sunday.

The alliance called off its support for the 2,500-strong Kosovo Security Force following the appearance of an armed honor guard at a parade Friday marking the 12th anniversary of the killing of the leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the ethnic Albanian rebel force that fought Serbia in 1998-99.

The parade appearance was “inconsistent with [its] non-military status,” NATO said in a statement. Kosovo’s force was set up last year with a role limited to civil emergencies as part of a plan that allowed Kosovo to secede from Serbia. It replaced a similar force made up mostly of former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

The alliance, which has pledged to provide training and supply weapons for the force, said the suspension would continue until it received an explanation of the incident, remedial action and guarantees that such incidents would be avoided in the future.

The move is likely to raise tensions at a crucial time: ethnic Albanians are striving to prove that Kosovo is a viable state as they seek more recognition of its contested statehood. Since its declaration of independence in 2008, Kosovo has been recognized as a nation by 65 countries, including the United States and most of the European Union, but Serbia vehemently opposes its independence, and its stance is backed by Russia, as well as Greece and Romania, which are also NATO members.

The formation of the KSF sparked anger among Kosovo’s Serb minority, who claim the force threatens them. They have vowed not to allow it to deploy in Serb areas.

The move also casts doubt on the aims of the tiny force to become a full-fledged army in the future, and comes as NATO prepares for the largest single downsizing of its peacekeeping presence since the end of the war.

The KSF is allowed light weaponry such as hand guns and rifles, but cannot use heavy weapons such as tanks or artillery. Its members were to be trained over time to take up a security role.

A spokesman for Kosovo’s prime minister encouraged both sides to discuss the matter.

NATO also protested the display of its flag at the parade. NATO says it is neutral to Kosovo’s independence.

NATO diplomats have said they plan to reduce their current troop presence from 10,000 to less than 4,000 in 2011.

Serbia has taken the issue of Kosovo’s statehood to the International Court, which is expected to rule on its legality in late spring.

FULTON, Texas — A former Air Force sentry dog handler in Vietnam has one last mission.

He’s working with others to honor military canines with a national monument.

“Our war dogs deserve recognition for the lives they saved,” said Larry Chilcoat, who patrolled the combat perimeter of Camp Cameron, Vietnam, throughout 1969 with a German shepherd named Geisha.

“It’s been 40 years, and I have a beautiful wife and granddaughter, but I don’t carry their pictures,” said Chilcoat, 62. “But I still carry a photo of Geisha; she changed my life.”

“I love my family,” Chilcoat said, “but Geisha was my lifeblood in a jungle nightmare, and we both relied on each other day and night to survive.

“She heard things I didn’t and let me know, and I knew she would die to protect me.”

Military dogs saved more than 10,000 lives in Vietnam, according to the U.S. War Dog Association. More than 200 of about 4,000 dogs that served in Vietnam died while on duty, Chilcoat said.

Chilcoat is one of three former military dog handlers who received Pentagon approval in January for a proposed Military Working Dog National Monument.

The veterans presented plans for a bronze pedestal with a soldier and four dogs, designed by Brian Rich of Fairfax Va. He’s the uncle of a Marine dog handler, Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee, who was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade March 21, 2007, in Fallujah, Iraq.

Lee’s bomb sniffing dog, Lex, wounded and later was adopted by Lee’s family, said Rich, 35, a graphic artist and former Marine.

“It’s helped my family with the loss of my nephew, and motivated me to design the monument,” Rich said.

Chilcoat said Pentagon officials loved the design.

Chilcoat, project founder John Burnam of Bethesda, Md., and Richard Deggans of Plano are taking back a clay model in mid-April being made by bronze sculptor Paula Slater of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif.

Chilcoat, Burnam and Deggans, who are among more than 10,000 Vietnam War dog handlers, met through the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association. Their push to honor their dogs led to President Bush signing legislation in 2008 for a monument, to be built and maintained with private donations. The location is tentatively planned for Fort Belvoir, Va. They have raised about $20,000 of an estimated cost of about $850,000.

Pigeons, dolphins, horses and other animals have served in wars since World War I, said Burnam, 62, who served in the Army from 1966-68. But no animal has done as much as the dog, which has served as sentries, scouts, trackers and patrol leaders, he said.

Burnam and his scout dog led infantry patrols.

Burnam knows first hand the dogs, like his scout dog that led infantry patrols, deserve recognition.

“We were the tip of the spear, detecting sounds and movement in the jungles that led to ammunition caches, underground tunnel complexes and entrenched enemies,” he said.

“If the dog’s body goes rigid, they cock their head, perk ears, fix their eyes, you know it’s dangerous,” he said. “You certainly don’t want to go where the dog doesn’t want to go. They saved my butt from enemy fire several times.”

In one incident, his dog alerted as they led a patrol into a clearing, he said.

“We hit the ground — ambushed by enemies in bunkers,” he said. “We laid behind a 10-inch diameter tree trunk, with enemies firing in front of us, and our guys firing over our heads. If we would have moved either direction, they would have blown the hell out of us.”

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai heard a litany of complaints Sunday from residents of Marjah, the town in the south that thousands of U.S., NATO and Afghan troops just seized from the Taliban.

“Today, I’m here to listen to you and hear your problems,” Karzai told about 300 elders in a mosque in the central part of the town.

The elders didn’t hold back.

They complained — sometimes shouting — about corruption among former Afghan government officials. They lamented how schools in Marjah were turned into military posts by international forces. They said shops were looted during the military offensive, and alleged that innocent civilians were detained by international forces.

Karzai’s high-profile visit with NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal was part of NATO’s new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, which aims to rout insurgents from population centers, set up a credible and effective civilian government and rush in aid.

The government’s task in Marjah is to convince residents of the Helmand province town that the civilian government can provide them with a better life than the Taliban, who were routed during a three-week offensive. Marjah is the first major test of the NATO counterinsurgency strategy since President Obama ordered 30,000 additional American troops to try to reverse the Taliban’s momentum.

In a message to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Yasouf Ahmadi said insurgents fired mortars into Marjah’s main intersection, but reporters traveling with Karzai and McChrystal did not witness any attack.

Karzai flew to Marjah and met the elders near the town’s main bazaar. McChrystal joined him on the floor of the mosque, but did not speak during the nearly two-hour meeting.

The elders expressed outrage over house searches conducted by the military and civilian casualties that occurred during the offensive. They told Karzai they want Afghan troops — not international forces or local policemen — searching houses. The elders — some gesturing to express their frustration — also said they wanted clinics and schools, and were losing patience with the central government’s inability to provide services.

The president, who has been dubbed “the mayor of Kabul” by critics who claim his authority doesn’t extend beyond the capital, said the central government intends to be more responsive to the people’s needs.

“Are you against me or with me?” Karzai asked the elders. “Are you going to support me?” The elders all raised their hands and shouted: “We are with you. We are supporting you.”

Karzai promised to provide them security, open schools, and to start building roads and clinics.

Marjah residents have heard promises from the central government before. International and Afghan forces have taken over Marjah at least three times before. In the past, local governments that were set up failed to deliver on commitments to build clinics and schools. Marjah residents told AP last month that the former police force sent in 2009 was so corrupt that locals rose up and drove them out — even before the Taliban returned.

Karzai told reporters he was not surprised that the people in Marjah were angry. Marjah has been “abandoned,” he said. Karzai said he was glad to have the chance to talk with residents who have suffered at the hands of the Afghan government and foreign forces.

They “told me of their problems with sincerity and clarity,” Karzai said. “Inshaallah [God willing], we will try to solve your problems. The promises that we have made of security and reconstruction, we will fulfill them.”

It was unclear whether Karzai or McChrystal discussed a controversy surrounding the newly appointed civilian administrator of Marjah, Abdul Zahir. Government authorities are investigating reports that Zahir, tasked with representing a new, credible government in the former Taliban stronghold, served part of a more than four-year prison sentence in Germany for stabbing his son in 1998.

While Karzai and McChrystal were in the south, fighting raged for a second day in northeastern Afghanistan.

Gunbattles between the Taliban and another Islamist faction left at least 50 fighters dead in Baghlan province as militants apparently fought over control of several villages where the government has almost no presence, officials said Sunday.

Fierce clashes were continuing Sunday, with militants using heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the provincial governor said.

Local police official Zalmai Mangal said the battles appeared to be a power struggle between local Taliban forces and the Hezb-e-Islami militia loyal to warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Violent clashes between anti-government Islamist factions are rare, although various militias have their own agendas and power struggles are relatively common.

Mangal, the province’s deputy police chief, said reports from the area indicate that at least 50 militant fighters were dead, 35 from Hezb-e-Islami and 15 from the Taliban. It was unclear how many total militants were involved, he said by telephone.

Police had not yet entered the area of the clashes as of midday Sunday, but were standing by with mobile hospitals to help any wounded, he said.

It was unclear what touched off the fighting, Mangal said. However, he said that Taliban fighters reportedly had moved into villages that traditionally were controlled by Hezb-e-Islami.

Provincial governor Mohammad Akbar Barakzai said the fighting centered around five to six villages west of Baghlan-e-Jadid district in the central part of the province.

“We don’t know yet about casualties among civilians or damage to civilian houses,” he said.

It was not immediately clear whether the clashes were a localized dispute or represented signs of a rift between Islamist insurgent groups that fight Karzai’s government and international forces in the country.

———

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul contributed to this report.

CAIRO — Al-Qaida’s American-born spokesman Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood.

In a 25-minute video posted on militant Web sites, Adam Gadahn described Army Maj. Nidal Hasan as a pioneer who should serve as a role model for other Muslims, especially those serving Western militaries.

“Brother Nidal is the ideal role-model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes,” he said.

Hours later, reports emerged that Gadahn was apprehended in recent days in Pakistan by Pakistani authorities.

Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki, was dressed in white robes and wearing a white turban as he called for attacks on what he described as “high-value targets.”

“You shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that military bases are the only high-value targets in America and the West. On the contrary, there are countless other strategic places, institutions and installations which, by striking, the Muslim can do major damage,” he said, an assault rifle leaning up against a wall next to him.

Hasan has been charged in the Nov. 5 shooting that killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas. The 39-year-old psychiatrist remains paralyzed from the chest down after being shot by two civilian members of Fort Hood’s police force.

“Nidal Hasan is a pioneer, a trailblazer and a role-model who has opened a door, lit a path and shown the way forward for every Muslim who finds himself among the unbelievers,” Gadahn said.

Gadahn grew up on a goat farm in Riverside County, Calif., and converted to Islam at a mosque in nearby Orange County. He has been wanted by the FBI since 2004 and two years later was charged with treason. There is a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

He has in the past posted videos and messages calling for the destruction of the West and for strikes against targets in the United States. His location is unknown, but he is believed to be somewhere along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In the latest video, Gadahn said those planning attacks did not need to use only firearms like Hasan, but could use other weapons. “As the blessed operations of September 11th showed, a little imagination and planning and a limited budget can turn almost anything into a deadly, effective and convenient weapon.”

Gadahn said fighters should target mass transportation systems in the West and also wreak havoc “by killing or capturing people in government, industry and the media.”

He recommended finding ways to shake “consumer confidence and stifle spending” and noted that even unsuccessful attacks, such as the failed attempt to bomb a U.S. airliner on Christmas day, can bring major cities to a halt.

“I am calling on every honest and vigilant Muslim in the countries of the Zionist-Crusader alliance in general and America, Britain and Israel in particular to prepare to play his due role in responding to and repelling the aggression of the enemies of Islam,” Gadahn said.

———

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef contributed to this report.

Related reading

• American-born al-Qaida member arrested in Pakistan

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s military threatened to use “merciless physical force” in response to annual military drills by the United States and South Korea that begin Monday, further raising tension on the Korean peninsula.

The North’s military also said Sunday it will no longer be bound to the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The threats come amid diplomatic efforts to revive stalled negotiations on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. North Korea quit the disarmament talks and conducted its second atomic test last year, drawing tighter U.N. sanctions.

North Korea wants the sanctions lifted and peace talks with the U.S. on formally ending the Korean War, which ended in a truce and not a peace treaty. The U.S., South Korea and Japan are urging the North to first return to the nuclear talks and make progress on denuclearization.

The North Korean military on Sunday condemned the U.S.-South Korean drills as preparation for an invasion. It said the process of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will come to a standstill and the North will bolster its nuclear deterrent.

“The revolutionary armed forces of [North Korea] will be left with no option but to exercise merciless physical force as the rival is set to do harm to the [North],” the military’s mission at the truce village of Panmunjom said in a statement carried by the country’s official Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea has escalated its threats against South Korea and the U.S. over the planned drills. Last week, the North vowed to strengthen its nuclear deterrent and its means of delivery — an apparent reference to missiles. Last month, the North also threatened a “powerful” — even nuclear — attack if the drills go ahead.

The U.S., which keeps about 28,500 troops in South Korea, plans to conduct the military exercises Monday as planned. The U.S. and South Korea say the maneuvers are purely defensive.

Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University, dismissed North Korea’s statement as rhetoric.

“The North’s strong protest is not unusual as it also protested during previous drills,” Koh said.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Even though the Navy and the Marine Corps were all but finished with their missions here in early March, local officials said the real work in Haiti is only just beginning.

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship Comfort had discharged its last patient. The Seabees, Navy divers and Army engineers charged with reopening the wrecked port were making their final repairs. While the dock landing ship Carter Hall was ordered home to Norfolk, Va., on March 1, the other ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the troops of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which spent a month delivering food and supplies, were on station awaiting orders back to the U.S.

Still, as Navy Secretary Ray Mabus used a visit March 1 to praise sailors and Marines for what he called an “astounding” performance, commanders and nongovernmental organizations agreed there was much more to be done.

“NGOs have to have a buy-in to stay here not for weeks or months, but years,” said Col. Gareth Brandl, commander of 22nd MEU, stationed in the district of Carrefour, south of the capital.

For example, Wally Amudson, director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, said aid groups somehow would have to help relocate about 70,000 displaced Haitians now living in temporary tent cities. One problem is that 80 percent of Haitians in Port-au-Prince were renters, officials said, so they have little power to clear away wreckage and rebuild their former homes.

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Read the full story in Navy Times on newsstands Monday and online for subscribers at NavyTimes.com.

SEATTLE — A pressing legal reality for the “don’t ask, don’t tell” standard for gays serving in the military is that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has already struck down the way it’s practiced in much of the Western United States.

The 2008 ruling, while largely overlooked, would force the military to apply a much higher threshold in determining whether a service member should be dismissed for being gay.

The government declined to appeal the ruling by the three-judge panel, which leaves it standing as law in the nine states covered by the court. That means gay military members at bases in the West technically have greater protections than their colleagues across the world.

Although it doesn’t appear that the military has ever applied the more stringent standard, the court case presents several problems for the Pentagon now that the Obama administration has embarked on a yearlong review of “don’t ask, don’t tell” which bars gays from openly serving in the military.

“It’s muddled things up for the military,” said Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. “They really haven’t started grappling with it yet, and I don’t think they know how to respond.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged in congressional testimony recently that the Pentagon must devise “new rules and procedures” in response to the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit’s decision.

At issue is a ruling in the case of an Air Force major from Washington state who was dismissed from the military after she was found to have been in a lesbian relationship.

The court ruled that for a gay service member’s discharge to be constitutional, the military must demonstrate that the firing promotes cohesion or discipline in the unit.

That is a much higher standard than what has been practiced since the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy took effect in 1993: The military simply has to show that the person has engaged in homosexual activity, made statements about being gay, or tried to marry someone of the same sex.

The two standards represent a thorny issue for the military, and officers are keenly aware of the dilemma.

The services say they haven’t changed how they go about issuing “don’t ask” dismissals in the states covered by the 9th Circuit — Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

But if the military is found to have been discharging people within the 9th Circuit without applying the higher standard, it could be forced to pay punitive damages in federal court, some lawyers say.

Furthermore, if the military cannot demonstrate a gay member’s discharge would hurt the unit, that person might end up serving openly — even as others around the globe continue to be discharged.

The military is currently in the midst of a 45-day effort to analyze how to apply “don’t ask, don’t tell” more humanely through administrative changes to the policy, and the standard is one thing being looked at.

Snyder suggested that the Defense Department cure the problem by making the venue for all “don’t ask” dismissals fall within the 9th Circuit, so that all service members would have the same rights.

The issue is typically referred to as the “Witt standard,” named after Air Force Maj. Margaret Witt. She was a decorated flight nurse at McChord Air Force Base who shared a house in Spokane with her longtime partner and was honorably discharged two years short of full retirement. She then sued.

A three-judge panel in the 9th Circuit upheld “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but granted constitutional protections to gay service members targeted for discharge, saying the military had to show that their firing furthered the goals of the policy, such as military readiness or unit cohesion.

The decision became law as soon as it was issued, but it wasn’t until last June that President Obama announced that the government would not appeal.

The ruling also reinstated Witt’s lawsuit against the Air Force, which is headed for trial in federal court in Tacoma.

Witt argues that her dismissal actually hurt troop readiness and morale. There was a shortage of flight nurses at the time, she says, and one of her colleagues, a sergeant, resigned in protest of her dismissal.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or engage in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off-base.

More than 13,500 service members have been fired under the law since 1994, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is lobbying for the law’s repeal.

Defense Department figures show 1,047 people were discharged in 2008 and 2009. It’s not clear how many of those were in the 9th Circuit or how many occurred after the Witt ruling came down. Spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said the department does not have a breakdown of dismissals by military base.

“Given the complexity of the legal issues involved and the ongoing litigation in the Witt case, DoD is working closely with the Justice Department to ensure that we are complying with our legal obligations in the 9th Circuit and elsewhere,” she said.

Discharged Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, an F-15 fighter pilot from Idaho, said the Air Force refused to apply the higher standard during his discharge proceedings last year.

“If the burden of proof was on the Air Force to prove that my presence was detrimental to good order, discipline, morale and unit cohesion, there would have been a different outcome,” he said. “If the Witt standard had been followed, I would be continuing to serve with no problems whatsoever.”

When gay service members sued over their dismissals in the first decade of the policy, courts historically accepted the military’s argument that having gays in the service is generally bad for morale and can lead to sexual tension.

But the judges in the Witt case said the legal landscape changed when the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 struck down a Texas ban on sodomy as an unconstitutional intrusion on privacy. The 9th Circuit said that the landmark decision opened the door for the courts to take a fresh look at the constitutional rights of gay Americans.

PETERSBURG, Va. — Fort Lee has suspended parachute training while authorities investigate conditions that may have led to a soldier’s death.

Pvt. Anthony Milo of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Thursday after becoming tangled in a power line near the base’s landing zone. The 24-year-old solider had parachuted from a UH-360 Black Hawk during training with the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade.

Lee officials say they’re investigating whether wind speed played a role. Base spokeswoman Sarah Trier says jump training is supposed to be canceled when winds reach 10 knots, or 11.5 mph. The National Weather Service says winds Thursday measured 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, at an airport 14 miles from the base.

MENOMONIE, Wis. — Most mothers would be stressed enough sending a son or daughter to fight for their country overseas.

For one mother, you can take that feeling — and multiply it by three.

In a few short weeks, Eau Galle resident Mary Lemke will help send sons Lance Lemke, 19; Greg Lemke Jr.; 21, and Curtis Anderson, 27, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, half a world away.

The brothers — Curtis has a different father than his younger brothers — are members of Company A, 724th Engineer Battalion, of the Wisconsin National Guard, based in Chippewa Falls. Curtis is with the headquarters unit in Chippewa Falls. Lance is a member of the 950th Engineer Company, based in Spooner, and Greg is with the 273rd Engineer Company of Medford.

The three men are part of nearly 400 Wisconsin Army National Guard soldiers who are set to be deployed this spring. The soldiers will train at Fort McCoy before shipping off for a one year tour of active duty.

“I’m nervous about it,” Mary said from her farm in southern Dunn County. “It’s going to be hard, but we’re all very proud of them.”

Mary and her husband, Greg Lemke Sr., stress the importance of family. Mary says it won’t be the same without “the boys” around.

“We usually have dinner together as a family every Sunday,” she said. “It’s going to be strange without them.”

Curtis, who lives in Rock Falls, has two young children, which will make his deployment even harder. Sophia, 5, and Carter Anderson, 3, are young enough, however, that they probably won’t remember much of their dad’s trip to Iraq as they get older.

“That’s going to be hard,” Curtis said. “The one thing is that they’re still young, but it’s still going to be difficult.”

Greg, otherwise known to family members as “Bud,” and Lance were the first of the brothers to sign up for the military. Greg graduated from Durand High School in 2007, while Lance attended Menomonie High School and graduated last year.

Curtis Anderson had the option of staying home from this deployment because he was enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, but he wasn’t going to let his two brothers go without him.

“It was something where it was a hard decision, but, really, it became an easy decision,” Anderson said. “I think it’s going to be better with family with me over there. Greg is two bunks down from me right now, so those things make it easier.”

All three seem to love what they’re doing.

“We’re all excited to go over there and help out,” Greg Lemke said. “I’m anxious to get over there. There will be some hardships, but we’ll have family [in Iraq], and I know we have a lot of support from back home. I’m doing what I want to be doing, though, and I know the others feel the same way.”

There will still be plenty of tears flowing during the official send-off for the troops, which will happen early in this month.

“Our family will be the one standing in a big puddle of tears,” said Danielle Lemke, the brothers’ 22-year-old sister. “Our family is pretty close and I’m sure it will be an emotional time.”

Before Greg Lemke left for basic training back in 2006, he was given a napkin by his youngest sister, Ashleigh, as a good luck gesture. Ashleigh Lemke was surprised to see the same napkin presented to her when Greg returned home several months later.

Now 9 years old, Ashleigh said she doesn’t know if she will give Greg another napkin this time around, but she will miss her older brothers.

“I kept that napkin in my wallet the whole time,” Greg said. “It was just a party napkin, but sometimes it’s the smallest things have the most sentimental value. It’s things like that that help you keep going when things get rough.”

Although leaving will be emotional, Curtis, Greg and Lance know they have a job to do and they all seem ready to help make a difference.

“Personally, I think it’s great that we’re going over there, and I think our efforts have been paying off [in Iraq],” Greg said. “We’re ready for this; we’re ready to help do our part.”

Mary knows the stresses of having her children in harm’s way will be present during the course of the next year, but she also knows her sons wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There will be some sleepless nights,” she said. “But it seems to be more stable over there, too, and I know they have each other. We’ll be waiting right here.”

The rest of the family will be waiting, too — until those Sunday dinners are complete, with the “boys” present.

KABUL — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised British troops 200 new patrol vehicles that can resist roadside bombs more effectively during an unannounced visit Saturday to southern Afghanistan.

Brown made the trip to Camp Bastion, Helmand province, to thank some of the 4,000 British soldiers who are involved in a three-week-old NATO offensive to wrest control of the Taliban haven of Marjah from the insurgents.

“We will do everything we can to support you with the equipment necessary and the resources you need,” he told the troops, according to the British Press Association.

Brown, who faces a difficult election campaign in the coming months, has been criticized by the British press and by some opposition politicians for failing to provide enough protection for soldiers in Afghanistan.

Critics have cited a shortage of helicopters — forcing soldiers to use dangerous roads — and the lack of strongly armored vehicles as factors that have left troops vulnerable to improvised explosive devices.

His visit came as Britain’s military said two of its soldiers died in Helmand. One soldier from the 3 Rifles unit was fatally wounded from an explosion on a foot patrol Friday, and the other was hit by small arms fire Saturday while on an operation against insurgents.

More than 265 British soldiers have died since the war began in 2001, with many perishing during roadside explosions as bombs used by insurgents have become more effective.

Brown’s remarks Saturday focused on the battle against improvised explosive devices and the need to bolster training of the Afghan police force.

British officials will be announcing a $151 million investment in new British-built vehicles to replace Snatch Land Rovers, blamed by troops for many of the deaths caused by roadside bombs. The new vehicles, which should arrive in Afghanistan by late 2011, have better armor and more maneuverability.

Another $27 million will be spent on metal detectors and training for Afghan forces to help them combat the roadside bombs. Britain also is sending 150 new police and army trainers to help train Afghan police.

Brown toured a police training center in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, where he saw 150 recruits who will be graduating this coming week.

He also visited enemy bases seized by international and Afghan troops during their massive offensive, involving a total of 15,000 allied and Afghan forces. Four British soldiers were among 15 NATO troops killed during the campaign in Marjah.

The Marjah offensive is the largest combined allied operation of the war. The goal is for international and Afghan forces to secure the area to allow a credible, effective Afghan government to take root.

On Saturday, however, news broke that the man chosen to be the area’s new civilian chief has a violent criminal record in Germany. Western officials said they are not pushing to oust him.

Court records and news reports in Germany showed that Abdul Zahir, the man appointed as Marjah’s new civilian chief, served part of a more than four-year prison sentence for stabbing his son in 1998. Zahir denied he committed any crime.

Violence in Afghanistan has spiraled in the last year, as the Taliban’s hard-line Islamist fighters have reasserted their presence in much of the country they ruled for five years before being ousted in 2001 in a U.S.-led invasion.

In eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked the convoy of a member of the Afghan parliament on Saturday, but she escaped injury.

Fauzia Khofi, who represents the far northern province of Badakhshan, said insurgents fired on her seven-vehicle convoy with rocket-propelled grenades as it was traveling east of Kabul, the capital.

Militants have also increasingly been targeting Kabul. On Feb. 26, a car bomb detonated and gunmen in suicide vests then stormed two residential hotels. A total of 17 people were killed.

India’s visiting national security adviser vowed Saturday that his country would continue all its aid programs in Afghanistan despite the attacks, which killed seven Indian citizens. The seventh Indian victim died Thursday of his wounds.

National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon said his meetings with President Hamid Karzai and other officials reassured him that proposed new security measures could protect the 3,500-strong Indian community in Afghanistan.

He declined to comment on an Afghan official’s accusation that Pakistan-based militia Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the assaults. Lashkar-e-Taiba is the same group India has blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people.

The Afghan Taliban have also claimed they carried out the Feb. 26 attacks.

Taliban attacks on schools are also preventing hundreds of thousands of children from getting an education, Karzai said Saturday.

Karzai said that 5 million children, or 42 percent of the school-age children in Afghanistan, are not in school. Poverty and fear of Taliban attacks are the main obstacles. Karzai said that a total of 442 schools are closed because of insecurity, denying 200,000 children and education.

“This is not acceptable for a nation,” he said at a ceremony with the minister of education.

Still, educational opportunities have improved.

During the Taliban rule, when the movement’s strict interpretation of Islam banned girls from education. Then, only about 1 million children — all male — went to school, the education minister said. Now, children in school total 7 million, 37 percent of them girls.