US to Send 30,000 Extra Troops to Afghanistan As War Hits Setbacks

The United States is to deploy up to 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan by next summer, doubling its military presence in the country. The figure – a third more than had been anticipated – was announced by the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and represents the highest figure mentioned publicly by a senior US official.

The confirmation of the scale of the troop surge – along with the increase in the upper limit of envisioned new forces – reflects concern over the course of the war in Afghanistan, which has been hit by numerous setbacks as security across the country has deteriorated in the face of Taliban advances.

In recent weeks Taliban attacks have severely disrupted the main supply line for US and Nato troops into the country from Pakistan, a route that carries up to 75% of supplies to foreign forces.

Washington is already sending around 3,000 extra troops to Afghanistan in January and another 2,800 by spring. However, previously officials have said that the number would be increased to 20,000 in the next 12 to 18 months, once approved by the new administration of President Barack Obama.

The increased scale of the commitment of US combat troops is bound to bring renewed pressure on the UK and other Nato partners to commit more troops: senior US military figures and officials have complained that America is shouldering too much of the burden in the war against the Taliban.

Last week prime minister Gordon Brown announced an extra 300 British troops for Helmand province after visiting troops in Afghanistan. Senior Downing Street sources then played down the prospect of further reinforcements in the spring. However, Brown will be under pressure not to jeopardize a fledgling relationship with Obama if the new US president requests more British troops.

Downing Street said no request had been received from the US for more British troops and there were no plans to alter the British presence in Helmand beyond last week's redeployment of 300 soldiers from Cyprus. Around 20 British officials have already been seconded by the Ministry of defense to work on General David Petraeus's review of strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, due to report to the new president, and are understood to have made clear the limits on Britain's ability to contribute further.

One MoD source said it expected any future request received from the US to be 'realistic' given the British involvement in the review.

"Some 20,000 to 30,000 is the window of overall increase from where we are right now. I don't have an exact number," Mullen said. "We've agreed on the requirement and so it's clear to me that we're going to fill that requirement. So, it's not a matter of if, but when."

"We're looking to get them here in the spring, but certainly by the beginning of summer at the latest."

Half of the new US troops are expected to be deployed to southern Afghanistan, where British forces are stationed.

US Army General David McKiernan has asked for the extra troops to halt a growing Taliban insurgency, particularly in the east and south of Afghanistan.

Obama has pledged a renewed focus on Afghanistan, where US-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001 after the 11 September terrorist attacks. The United States currently has some 31,000 troops in Afghanistan, with some operating independently and some operating as part of a 51,000-strong Nato-led security assistance force. After the January deployment, most of the reinforcements are to be sent to southern Afghanistan to bolster mainly British, Canadian and Dutch troops who have suffered heavy casualties in the past two years fighting in the Taliban heartland.

"That's where the toughest fight is," Mullen said. "When we get additional troops here, I think the violence level is going to go up. The fight will be tougher."

He said beefing up US forces in Afghanistan was linked to winding down in Iraq.

"Available forces are directly tied to forces in Iraq. As we look to the possibility of reducing forces in Iraq over the course of the next year, the availability of forces to come here in Afghanistan will increase," Mullen said.

He said at the same time, more must be done to boost economic development in Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest countries, and to make the Afghan government more effective.

"It isn't going to make any difference after those troops get here… if we haven't made progress on the development side and on the governance side. No amount of troops, no amount of time will provide a solution here without development," he said.