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| US 'adds 30,000 to Afghan troops' | US 'adds 30,000 to Afghan troops' |
| (10 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 the American president is also asking Nato allies to provide up to 10,000 extra soldiers. | Officials in Brussels say the American president is also asking Nato allies to provide up to 10,000 extra soldiers. |
| 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. |
| MARDELL'S AMERICA The danger for the president is that this middling figure will annoy hawks, while annoying those who think any new build-up is undesirable Read Mark's thoughts in full | MARDELL'S AMERICA The danger for the president is that this middling figure will annoy hawks, while annoying those who think any new build-up is undesirable Read Mark's thoughts in full |
| A senior Pentagon official told the BBC the new troops will be made up of 9,000 Marines and 21,000 regular soldiers, of which 4,000 will train Afghan security forces. | A senior Pentagon official told the BBC the new troops will be made up of 9,000 Marines and 21,000 regular soldiers, of which 4,000 will train Afghan security forces. |
| President Obama's prime-time address to the nation on Tuesday comes amid growing domestic concern over the eight-year-old Afghan war. | President Obama's prime-time address 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. |
| OBAMA's SCHEDULE 2100 GMT: Meets Congressional leaders at White House2230 GMT: Departs for West Point, New York0100 GMT Weds: Address to the nation0340 GMT Weds: Arrives back at the White House Obama's Afghan troop options Q&A: Causes of regional militancy | |
| 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 with advisers over three months. | |
| 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 allies | European allies |
| An unnamed Nato diplomat told AP news agency on Tuesday that President Obama is asking European allies to contribute between 5,000 and 10,000 new troops to Afghanistan. | An unnamed Nato diplomat told AP news agency on Tuesday that President Obama is asking European allies to contribute between 5,000 and 10,000 new troops to Afghanistan. |
| On Monday, Britain confirmed it was sending 500 more troops, taking the UK's total deployment there to 10,000. | On Monday, Britain confirmed it was sending 500 more troops, taking the UK's total deployment there to 10,000. |
| Angela Merkel said she would make no decision on troops before January | Angela Merkel said she would make no decision on troops before January |
| Italy has also said it will increase its force, although without saying by how much. | Italy has also said it will increase its force, although without saying by how much. |
| But President Nicolas Sarkozy said last month France - which has about 3,400 troops in Afghanistan - would "not send a single soldier more". | But President Nicolas Sarkozy said last month 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. |