More US troops for Afghan force

More US troops for Afghan force

The US intends to send a "significant" number of extra troops to aid Nato's effort in Afghanistan in 2009, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said.

The unspecified increase will come regardless of whether US troop levels in Iraq are reduced later this year.

US President George W Bush had told Nato leaders about the anticipated troop boost during their summit in Romania, Mr Gates said.

The US currently has about 17,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan.

"The president indicated that he expected in 2009 that the United States would make a significant additional contribution," said Mr Gates.

He was speaking to reporters on his plane as he flew from the Bucharest summit to the Gulf state of Oman.

'Bipartisan support'

The defence secretary added combating Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan would remain a high priority for the next US president, regardless of their political affiliation.

"I believe this is one area where there is very broad bipartisan support in the United States for being successful and I think that no matter who is elected they will want to be successful in Afghanistan," said Mr Gates.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy had earlier said more French troops would be deployed to Afghanistan, easing fears of a crisis within the Western coalition there.

The US says the French move, expected to involve up to 1,000 extra soldiers, will free up some of its troops to move to southern Afghanistan, where Canada had demanded Nato reinforcements be sent.

Canada's parliament voted last month to extend its military mission in volatile southern Afghanistan to 2011 - but only if its allies sent reinforcements.