This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6300855.stm

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Nato discusses Afghanistan boost Nato 'to step up Afghan support'
(about 6 hours later)
Nato foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss stepping up the campaign in Afghanistan, in advance of an expected offensive from the Taleban. Nato foreign ministers meeting in Brussels have agreed to step up their military and economic assistance to Afghanistan, officials have said.
The US says it will pour an extra $10.6bn (£5.4bn) into its Afghan effort and that 3,200 troops due to end their tour will remain an extra four months. The decision came as the US pledged an extra $10.6bn (£5.4bn) to bolster its Afghan effort and retain troops there.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Nato members to do more to help. On the even of the meeting, the US made it clear it expected other Nato members to bolster their commitment too.
Nato's top commander meanwhile has said his forces will mount a spring offensive against the Taleban.
Officials from the alliance have warned they expect Taleban fighters in Afghanistan to intensify attacks when the weather begins to warm up.
Separately, Nato said it may have killed a "senior Taleban leader and his deputies" in southern Helmand province.Separately, Nato said it may have killed a "senior Taleban leader and his deputies" in southern Helmand province.
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. 'Increased pledges'
class="bodl" href="#anchor">See map of Nato's Afghan deployments name="back">
But, he adds, the US is also genuinely worried that Afghanistan could slip backwards without more commitment from the international community. The BBC's Rob Watson in Brussels says the announcement of the new US aid package for Afghanistan was clearly intended to challenge Nato's European members to do more as well.
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. class="bodl" href="#anchor">See map of Nato's Afghan deployments
The money would be spent over the next two years. The strategy appears to have had some success, he says.
According to Nato officials, foreign ministers have signalled a willingness to provide more money and support for Afghanistan.
I think we will face a strong offensive and will have a difficult and dangerous and bloody spring Richard BoucherUS assistant secretary of state "Allies are going to step up their civilian, military and economic efforts, with increased pledges for funding... and more forces on the ground," AFP news agency quoted Nato spokesman James Appathurai as saying.
Speaking after the meeting, Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he was "relatively optimistic that other nations will step up to the plate".
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told the BBC the Taleban were expected to intensify their attacks in the coming months.
"I think we will face a strong offensive and will have a difficult and dangerous and bloody spring," he said.
"But we are also better set up to deal with it."
However Nato's top commander, Gen John Craddock, said the alliance planned to take the initiative against the Taleban.
"This year we can expect an Isaf [International Security Assistance Force] spring offensive. The preparation activities are ongoing right now... that will place Isaf in a very favourable position," the Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.
'Leading Taleban killed'
On her way to Brussels, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters the US planned to spend an additional $8.6bn on security, including training and equipping Afghan forces, while $2bn would go towards reconstruction.
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 Earlier the Pentagon said 3,200 men of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division would remain in the country for an extra four months after their tour of duty was meant to end next month.
"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 Afghanistan - more than other Nato nations put together.
Condoleezza Rice urged Nato members to do more to help
However on arriving at the talks, EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, indicated European countries were likely to continue funding at the same levels. "And that's a lot," he told reporters.
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.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. Meanwhile Nato said a "senior Taleban leader and his deputies are believed to have been killed" in an air strike in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province on Thursday.
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.
Some 4,000 people are believed to have died in 2006 in the insurgency - about a quarter of them civilians.
Nato said on Friday that a "senior Taleban leader and his deputies are believed to have been killed" in an air strike the day before in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province.
It has not named the man but said "precision-guided munitions impacted the target, completely destroying the compound".It has not named the man but said "precision-guided munitions impacted the target, completely destroying the compound".
Musa Qala is where an agreement has been reached for local leaders to have responsibility for security. However, the air strike occurred outside the designated area, Nato said.
In the same province last month, an air strike killed senior Taleban figure, Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Osmani.
Also on Friday a suicide bomber triggered explosives outside a US-funded aid office in Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah, killing himself and wounding at least one policeman, provincial officials said.Also on Friday a suicide bomber triggered explosives outside a US-funded aid office in Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah, killing himself and wounding at least one policeman, provincial officials said.
Police shot the man after challenging him outside the Alternative Livelihoods Programme office.
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 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