WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is considering sending as many as 7,000 more American troops to Afghanistan next year to make up for a shortfall in contributions from NATO allies, senior Bush administration officials said.

David Guttenfelder/Associated Press

Marines returned fire on Taliban positions on Friday in Helmand Province. The Pentagon is looking at plans to send up to 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan, to make up for a shortfall from NATO allies.

They said the step would push the number of American forces there to roughly 40,000, the highest level since the war began more than six years ago, and would require at least a modest reduction in troops from Iraq.

The planning began in recent weeks, reflecting a growing resignation to the fact that NATO is unable or unwilling to contribute more troops despite public pledges of an intensified effort in Afghanistan from the presidents and prime ministers who attended an alliance summit meeting in Bucharest, Romania, last month.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/world ... ry.html?hp