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US defence secretary Robert Gates has said American military chiefs were in close contact with the new Pakistani leadership and the "most productive path" in dealing with al Qaeda, Taliban and other insurgents was in co-operation with that country, says a report in British media.
Gates was in the British capital for the Nato Defence Ministers meeting. The media said the US is seeking $20bn from its allies to help stabilise Afghanistan as it plans to send thousands more of its own troops to confront the growing insurgency in the country.
The Guardian has reported that according to Gates, the US was considering a fundamental review of its strategy and the America expected countries, which did not contribute troops to Afghanistan to contribute money instead.
General David McKiernan, the US commander in Afghanistan, has asked the Pentagon for three more American brigades in addition to the extra one already announced by President Bush and due to be deployed in January. This would increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan, at present numbering 30,000, to nearly 44,000.
According to the daily, it remains unclear, however, whether Britain will increase its military presence in the country after the bulk of the 4,000-strong garrison now stationed at Basra airport leaves Iraq, as expected, in the first half of next year.
There are now about 7,800 British troops in Afghanistan. Gates said "the UK may increase the size of its force in Afghanistan". But The Guardian said UK Defence Ministry was quick to deny there were any new plans to increase the number of British troops there. It quoted an MoD spokesman saying: "Force levels are kept under continual review and an uplift of approximately 230 personnel was announced on June 16."
The paper said the British government's priority is to get better and more equipment, notably helicopters and armoured vehicles for its troops in Afghanistan. Gates said he expected "substantial commitments" from other allies for other purposes one of which was to figure out a way to help pay for doubling the size of the Afghan army as its capability is the exit strategy. Admiral Michael Mullen told the US congress last week he was "not convinced we're winning it in Afghanistan".
But The Guardian said Gates distanced himself from the comment, referring instead to "increasing challenges" and a more complex conflict. It was not just a fight between foreign forces and the Taliban, he said. He referred to "a kind of syndicate working together" consisting of the Taliban, foreign fighters, and supporters of Gulbadin Hekmatiyar, an Islamist militia leader. In common with British counterpart Des Browne, Gates said Afghanistan would remain a "long-term" problem.
Gates disclosed he had issued new orders to US commanders in Afghanistan, instructing them to consider carefully the risks of civilian casualties. He added that the US had been "on the wrong side of strategic communications" - in future the US would apologise and compensate families first - and investigate afterwards.
"The issue of civilian casualties is very important to us. We try to make sure they do not occur and we work co-operatively with the Afghans and others like the UN should incidents occur." The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher has also been in London consulting British Foreign Office officials about developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan in advance of next week's UN general assembly session, which Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will be attending.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2008

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