US president Barack Obama vowed last night to "finish the job" of an unpopular and costly eight-year war in Afghanistan, and officials said he could announce an increase of around 30,000 troops next week.
Mr Obama said he would soon end weeks of intense speculation about his plans for the way forward in Afghanistan, after a three-month strategic review that has drawn fire from Republican critics who accuse him of dithering.
"After eight years, some of those years in which we did not have, I think, either the resources or the strategy to get the job done, it is my intention to finish the job," Mr Obama said at a news conference with Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh.
"I will be making an announcement to the American people about how we intend to move forward. I will be doing so shortly," he said.
Mr Obama would not be drawn on specifics, but he is expected to unveil his troop decision on December 1st, and several US media outlets said it would be in a prime-time television address.
With the US deficit hitting $1.4 trillion, and the White House estimating it will cost $1 million per year for each additional soldier sent to Afghanistan, increasing troop numbers could be a politically risky move for Mr Obama.
He will have to convince Americans, already deeply worried about rising levels of government spending and weary after years of conflict, that Afghanistan is a necessary war or risk punishment in mid-term congressional elections due in 2010.
There are about 110,000 foreign troops, including 68,000 US soldiers, in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban. War spending in Afghanistan has more than doubled over the last year and reached $6.7 billion in June alone.
Reuters