Australia to maintain Afghan troop level

CANBERRA, Australia, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Australia will not increase the size of its contingent in Afghanistan until other countries do, the defense minister said after meeting with his counterparts.

Joel Fitzgibbons promised to keep troops in Afghanistan and to work on a plan to coordinate military and other actions against the resurgent Taliban, The Melbourne Sun-Herald reported.

Fitzgibbons, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and ministers from the six other countries with troops in southern Afghanistan met in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Australia has about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan. The new Labor government supported military intervention there, although opposing Australian support of the Iraq invasion.

"We think this is an important campaign and we will, of course, stay the course," Fitzgibbon said. "I am concerned that a number of NATO countries are not taking up their share of the burden and on that basis we would have no intention of increasing our contribution."