US troop buildup in Afghanistan could be a defining moment

About 55,000 NATO troops are in Afghanistan now, about half of whom are Americans. The decision expands the total US force by more than 50 percent.

But even more US troops could be on their way. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has indicated the Pentagon ultimately may send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in the coming year or so.

"This is the beginning of an almost unending need," says one Pentagon official. Indeed, it is the first prong of a broader effort that will include nonmilitary efforts in Afghanistan and in neighboring Pakistan, the source of much of the insurgency.

The war for Afghanistan is increasingly being staged from across the Pakistani border. Although Pakistan's government claims to support the US, it is reluctant to take on the Taliban in tribal areas.

DEFENCE Secretary John Hutton slammed Nato last night for leaving British and US troops to die alone in Afghanistan — as two more Brits were killed.