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Bush calls for more Afghan troops Bush praises Nato Afghan pledges
(29 minutes later)
US President George W Bush has urged Nato allies to send more troops to Afghanistan ahead of the alliance's biggest-ever summit in Romania. US President George W Bush has said he is pleased by Nato allies' responses to calls to send more troops to support the government of Afghanistan.
In a pre-summit speech in Bucharest, Mr Bush said "we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan... we must win". "I feel good about what I'm hearing from my fellow leaders about their desire to support Afghanistan," he said in Romania in advance of a Nato summit.
Romania and France are due to send more troops and Mr Bush asked other nations "to step forward". Earlier, he said "we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan" and urged more Nato states to "step forward" with troops.
He also renewed calls for Nato membership to be open to any European democracy that sought it. Romania and France have already undertaken to send extra forces.
"If tomorrow we get clarification on troop support, the people of Afghanistan are going to be more than grateful," said Mr Bush before the Nato discussions.
He also renewed calls for Nato membership to be open to any European democracy that sought it, and said Ukraine and Georgia should be offered "a clear path" towards membership - a plan which has aroused strong Russian opposition.
The Nato-led force in Afghanistan currently numbers 47,000 troops from 40 nations. Commanders have called for a further 10,000 soldiers to be deployed.The Nato-led force in Afghanistan currently numbers 47,000 troops from 40 nations. Commanders have called for a further 10,000 soldiers to be deployed.
Nato allies want the Bucharest summit, starting later on Wednesday, to send the message that it will stay in Afghanistan for as long as necessary.
'Circle of freedom'
In a speech hours before the two-day summit of the 26-nation alliance, Mr Bush said: "As [French] President Sarkozy put it in London last week, we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan.
If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil President Bush Ashdown's Afghanistan warningIf we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil President Bush Ashdown's Afghanistan warning
Nato allies want the Bucharest summit, starting later on Wednesday, to send the message that the alliance will stay in Afghanistan for as long as necessary.
In a speech before the summit of the 26-nation alliance, Mr Bush said: "As [French] President Sarkozy put it in London last week, we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan.
"Whatever the cost, however difficult, we cannot afford it, we must win."Whatever the cost, however difficult, we cannot afford it, we must win.
"If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil.""If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil."
His attempts to rally new troops came as Lord Ashdown, the former UN envoy to Bosnia who was blocked from being UN envoy to Afghanistan by President Hamid Karzai, warned the Nato-led alliance was "getting pretty close" to losing control of the country.His attempts to rally new troops came as Lord Ashdown, the former UN envoy to Bosnia who was blocked from being UN envoy to Afghanistan by President Hamid Karzai, warned the Nato-led alliance was "getting pretty close" to losing control of the country.
On the eve of his last Nato summit, Bush set out his agenda in a wide-ranging, half-hour speech. On the eve of his last Nato summit, Mr Bush set out his agenda in a wide-ranging, half-hour speech.
In addition to asking for more troops, he also pushed for Nato's eastern expansion and appealed to Russia to drop opposition to US plans to establish missile defence installations in Nato members Poland and the Czech Republic. He appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept US missile shield installations in Europe.
He also pressed the alliance to support Membership Action Plans for both Ukraine and Georgia - a move opposed by France and viewed with extreme caution by Germany.
He appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept the US missile shield installations.
The US says they are needed to counter a potential threat from Iran, though Moscow fears they could be used against Russia.The US says they are needed to counter a potential threat from Iran, though Moscow fears they could be used against Russia.