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NATO states pledge 37,000 more troops for Afghanistan: Rasmussen

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Berlin, Dec 4, IRNA -- NATO countries have pledged to deploy at least 37,000 additional combat soldiers in Afghanistan next year, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced in Brussels on Friday.

"At least 25 countries will send more forces to the mission in 2010. They have offered around 7,000 new forces, with more to come. Counting the US contribution, that means ISAF will have at least 37,000 more in 2010 than it did this year," the NATO chief said after a meeting of NATO and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) foreign ministers.

That figure is expected to increase as several NATO countries, among them Germany, are to decide on troop reinforcements following an international conference on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in London on January 28.

NATO has been bogged down in the Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgency with no signs of being able to stabilize the war-stricken country.

Political experts who are familiar with Afghanistan, have urged a greater western focus on a political and diplomatic solution to the Afghan conflict rather than solely military means.