- EXTRA: US could push more NATO allies for more troops
by : dpa
Date : Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:10:13 GMT
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Washington - The United States will likely urge NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan if President Barack Obama orders thousands of additional American forces into the fight, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Obama is expected to announce a new strategy for Afghanistan next week that could include granting his top commander's request for 40,000 more US soldiers. US media reports say Obama is likely to sign off on an increase of 34,000. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. Obama said Tuesday he will outline his new strategy "shortly," while US media reported he will do so in a prime time address on December 1. Years of reluctance by NATO allies to contribute more soldiers to Afghanistan has frustrated Washington and other member countries more involved in the heavy fighting. Germany has 4,500 troops - the third largest from a NATO country - but restricts them to peacekeeping and training missions in relatively safe area in the northern part of Afghanistan, although violence has been on the rise there as well. European members of NATO are expected to discuss possible troop increases at an upcoming conference. Previous US efforts to get more from NATO have only produced marginal gains. Morrell expressed hope Washington could get a better picture of what other nations are willing to contribute following the December 7 conference. "There's a force-generation conference that NATO is hosting in early December. We may see something then," he said.