U.S. envisions troop surge in northern Afghanistan

Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:23pm EDT

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are drawing up plans to deploy about 2,500 additional troops and trainers to the country's north due to concerns about a growing Taliban presence there, defense officials said on Friday.

The reinforcements, part of the 30,000-troop increase ordered by President Barack Obama in December, could take part in military operations with German forces already in the area with the aim of protecting vital supply lines.

"They're getting more violence there than they're used to," a U.S. defense official said of the plan, which he called "tentative." American commanders are consulting with their German and Afghan counterparts about detailed timelines and force levels, he said.

A large portion of the 2,500 additional troops -- roughly half by some estimates -- is expected to be trainers to bolster the Afghan national army.

Long considered relatively peaceful, the north has seen a spike in violence in recent months and Washington is concerned that overland supply routes for NATO forces could be disrupted.

A senior U.S. military official acknowledged that any diversion of forces to the north could dilute the high-priority campaign in the south because of the limited number of forces available. (Reporting by Adam Entous; Editing by Peter Cooney)






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