NATO to send 7,000 troops to Afghanistan

BRUSSELS, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- NATO members will send at least 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan to support the U.S. surge, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels.

At least 25 countries will send more forces in 2010 and there would be "more (troops) to come," Rasmussen said during the NATO ministers' summit, the BBC reported Friday.

Italy's troop strength in Afghanistan will number nearly 4,000 by the end of next year, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said during the NATO ministers' meeting in Brussels.

In addition, Frattini said 200 more Carabinieri would be deployed to help train Afghan security forces, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Italy's current contingent in Afghanistan is 2,795.

Frattini said he had "cordial" informal talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also in Brussels, before the foreign ministers met. Diplomatic sources told ASNA Clinton thanked Italy for its contribution to help with U.S. President Obama's decision to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops.

Clinton called the response from NATO allies "positive," even though some major countries -- such as Germany and France -- haven't committed to sending additional troops.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. He also called on the 43 nations with a military presence in the country to send additional troops.

"With the right resources, we can succeed," Rasmussen said during a news conference after foreign ministers met with representatives of non-NATO countries with forces in Afghanistan.