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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Nato to discuss Afghanistan boost | Nato to discuss Afghanistan boost |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Nato foreign ministers are in Brussels to discuss stepping up the alliance's campaign in Afghanistan, in advance of an expected offensive from the Taleban. | Nato foreign ministers are in Brussels to discuss stepping up the alliance's campaign in Afghanistan, in advance of an expected offensive from the Taleban. |
| The US has announced it would pour an extra $10.6bn into its Afghan effort. | The US has announced it would pour an extra $10.6bn into its Afghan effort. |
| The Pentagon also promised 3,200 of its troops would remain in the country for an extra four months after their tour of duty is meant to end. | The Pentagon also promised 3,200 of its troops would remain in the country for an extra four months after their tour of duty is meant to end. |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on other Nato members to do more to help Afghanistan. | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on other Nato members to do more to help Afghanistan. |
| The BBC's Rob Watson in Brussels says this latest push by Washington is motivated in part by a desire to show its Nato allies it is not abandoning Afghanistan despite its troubles in Iraq. | The BBC's Rob Watson in Brussels says this latest push by Washington is motivated in part by a desire to show its Nato allies it is not abandoning Afghanistan despite its troubles in Iraq. |
| See map of Nato's Afghan deployments | |
| But, he adds, the US is also genuinely worried that Afghanistan could slip backwards without more commitment from the international community. | But, he adds, the US is also genuinely worried that Afghanistan could slip backwards without more commitment from the international community. |
| We are looking for others to step up their effort with us - stepping up across the board Richard BoucherState department On her way to Brussels, Ms Rice told reporters $8.6bn of the extra money would be spent on security, including training and equipping Afghan forces, while $2bn would go towards reconstruction. | We are looking for others to step up their effort with us - stepping up across the board Richard BoucherState department On her way to Brussels, Ms Rice told reporters $8.6bn of the extra money would be spent on security, including training and equipping Afghan forces, while $2bn would go towards reconstruction. |
| The money would be spent over the next two years. | The money would be spent over the next two years. |
| It is a big funding increase over the $14bn the US has spent in Afghanistan since 2001. | It is a big funding increase over the $14bn the US has spent in Afghanistan since 2001. |
| Under strength | Under strength |
| "We are looking for others to step up their effort with us - stepping up across the board," said senior state department official Richard Boucher in Brussels on the eve of the meeting. | "We are looking for others to step up their effort with us - stepping up across the board," said senior state department official Richard Boucher in Brussels on the eve of the meeting. |
| The US has 24,000 troops in the country - more than other Nato nations put together. | The US has 24,000 troops in the country - more than other Nato nations put together. |
| Just under half the US force are part of the 32,500-strong Nato peacekeeping command - the rest are on a separate mission to hunt down al-Qaeda fighters. | |
| Nato commanders have said their forces were around 10% under strength due to some nations failing to make good on pledges to provide more troops. | Nato commanders have said their forces were around 10% under strength due to some nations failing to make good on pledges to provide more troops. |
| Bloodshed in Afghanistan last year returned to levels not seen since the fall of the Taleban in late 2001. | Bloodshed in Afghanistan last year returned to levels not seen since the fall of the Taleban in late 2001. |
| The southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, and Uruzgan, as well as the east of the country, are particularly hard-hit. | The southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, and Uruzgan, as well as the east of the country, are particularly hard-hit. |
| Some 4,000 people are believed to have died in 2006 in the insurgency - about a quarter of them civilians. | Some 4,000 people are believed to have died in 2006 in the insurgency - about a quarter of them civilians. |
| MAIN FLASHPOINTS IN AFGHANISTAN There are 32,500 Nato-led troops in AfghanistanMain troop contributors: US, (11,800), UK (6,000), Germany (2,700) Canada, (2,500) Netherlands (2,000), Italy, (1,800) and France (975) Return |