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| US 'adds 30,000 to Afghan troops' | US 'adds 30,000 to Afghan troops' |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama is to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and deploy them within six months, US officials have said. | President Barack Obama is to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and deploy them 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. | Mr Obama will make the much-anticipated announcement as part of a speech to the nation at West Point military academy. |
| Officials in Brussels say Mr Obama is also asking Nato allies to provide up to 10,000 extra troops. | Officials in Brussels say Mr Obama is also asking Nato allies to provide up to 10,000 extra troops. |
| 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. |
| The additional American soldiers are expected to focus on tackling the Taliban in volatile southern and eastern Afghanistan. | The additional American soldiers are expected to focus on tackling the Taliban in volatile southern and eastern Afghanistan. |
| Allaying fears | Allaying fears |
| President Obama is also expected to lay out a rough timeframe for how long the main US military mission will last. | President Obama is also expected to lay out a rough timeframe for how long the main US military mission will last. |
| His prime-time speech to the nation on Tuesday comes amid growing domestic concern over the eight-year-old Afghan war. | His prime-time speech to the nation on Tuesday comes amid growing domestic concern over the eight-year-old Afghan war. |
| The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says Mr Obama will seek to allay fears that this could be an open-ended mission. | The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says Mr Obama will seek to allay fears that this could be an open-ended mission. |
| For all the sense of deeper engagement, this speech will also be about how the US president intends to get out of Afghanistan, our correspondent adds. | For all the sense of deeper engagement, this speech will also be about how the US president intends to get out of Afghanistan, our correspondent adds. |
| Both the rise in foreign troop deaths and the chaos that followed August's discredited elections in Afghanistan have fanned mounting American opposition to the mission. | Both the rise in foreign troop deaths and the chaos that followed August's discredited elections in Afghanistan have fanned mounting American opposition to the mission. |
| Earlier this year, however, the US military commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, warned that America risked failure in Afghanistan unless troop numbers were increased. | Earlier this year, however, the US military commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, warned that America risked failure in Afghanistan unless troop numbers were increased. |
| He requested 40,000 more soldiers. | He requested 40,000 more soldiers. |
| Mr Obama has reached his decision after 10 top-level meetings advisers held over several weeks. | Mr Obama has reached his decision after 10 top-level meetings advisers held over several weeks. |
| The US president has briefed Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on the new military strategy. | The US president has briefed Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on the new military strategy. |
| European troops | |
| An unnamed Nato diplomat told AP news agency on Tuesday that President Obama is asking European members of the military alliance to contribute between 5,000 and 10,000 new troops to Afghanistan. | |
| Angela Merkel said she would make no decision on troops before January | Angela Merkel said she would make no decision on troops before January |
| On Monday, Britain confirmed it was sending 500 more troops to Afghanistan, taking the UK's total deployment there to 10,000. | On Monday, Britain confirmed it was sending 500 more troops to Afghanistan, taking the UK's total deployment there to 10,000. |
| Italy has also said it will increase its force, but without saying by how many. | Italy has also said it will increase its force, but without saying by how many. |
| But President Nicolas Sarkozy said last month that France - which has about 3,400 troops in Afghanistan - would "not send a single soldier more". | But President Nicolas Sarkozy said last month that France - which has about 3,400 troops in Afghanistan - would "not send a single soldier more". |
| In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference on Tuesday Germany would wait until after a 28 January conference in London on Afghanistan before deciding on any troop increases. | In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference on Tuesday Germany would wait until after a 28 January conference in London on Afghanistan before deciding on any troop increases. |
| "We hear the wishes of the United States but we will not decide in the coming days, but after the conference," she said. | "We hear the wishes of the United States but we will not decide in the coming days, but after the conference," she said. |
| Germany currently has around 4,300 troops in northern Afghanistan, the third largest contributor to the international force in the country. | Germany currently has around 4,300 troops in northern Afghanistan, the third largest contributor to the international force in the country. |
| Watch Barack Obama's address live on the BBC News wesbite at 0100 GMT |