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| US to add 30,000 to Afghan troops | US to add 30,000 to Afghan troops |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama is to announce that he is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, to deploy within six months, US officials have said. | President Barack Obama is to announce that he is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, to deploy within six months, US officials have said. |
| Mr Obama will make the much-anticipated announcement as part of a speech to the nation at West Point military academy. | |
| He is also expected to lay out a rough timeframe for how long the main US military mission will last. | |
| The US currently has 68,000 troops in Afghanistan, with foreign forces overall totalling more than 100,000. | The US currently has 68,000 troops in Afghanistan, with foreign forces overall totalling more than 100,000. |
| Mr Obama's announcement comes amid growing domestic concern over the eight-year-old Afghan war. | |
| The new troops are expected to focus on tackling the Taliban in the volatile southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan. | |
| The US president has briefed Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on the new military strategy. | |
| On Monday, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced he would send 500 more soldiers to the country. | On Monday, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced he would send 500 more soldiers to the country. |