NATO defense ministers meet amid worsening situation in Afghanistan

BRUSSELS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers meet in the Hungarian capital of Budapest on Thursday to discuss the NATO-led operations in Afghanistan as the security situation in the war-torn country is worsening and the win ability of the war against insurgency is questioned.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to ask for more troops and equipment from allies for Afghanistan.

Washington itself plans to send in reinforcement. But European allies are reluctant to follow suit.

Germany has announced to increase its troops in Afghanistan, but rejected Washington's request to station them in the south, where most of the combat action takes place.

Washington is also asking Japan and NATO's other partner countries to foot the bill for the planned growth of the Afghan National Army (ANA) from 7,000 to 13,400.

Support for the ANA is seen as a cost-effective way in the fight against the Taliban insurgency, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said Tuesday.

He admitted that support for and training of the ANA is a long-term commitment of the alliance.

The ANA takes part in 70 percent of the operations of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and leads in 60 percent of all operations, said Appathurai.

NATO is also seeking a counter-narcotics role in Afghanistan as the alliance sees the need to cut drug money that is funding the insurgency.

However, the alliance stressed that its troops will target labs and drug dealers instead of the eradication of poppy crops, which serve as source of livelihood for many farmers.

NATO's top military officer John Craddock labeled narcotics money, which is worth 100 million U.S. dollars per year, as "a cancer that fuels the insurgency."

The ministers' informal meeting is overshadowed by comments of a high-ranking British officer over the weekend that the war with the Taliban could not be won. At the same time, the Afghan government is showing willingness to talk to the Taliban, seven years after the U.S.-led war ousted the fundamentalist movement.

Britain's military commander in Afghanistan, Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, told the Sunday Times that a military victory over the Taliban was "neither feasible nor supportable."

Britain's ambassador to Kabul, Sherard Cowper-Coles, and UN envoy in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, echoed the remarks of the British commander.

NATO spokesman Appathurai played down Carleton-Smith's comments, saying there might be a "unfortunate use of words."

He argued that a military role is essential although the solution to Afghanistan cannot be exclusively military.

The NATO defense ministers will also discuss security needs for next year's presidential elections. NATO support for voter registration has already begun.

Apart from Afghanistan, the ministers will discuss ways of improving the deploy ability and sustainability of troops outside NATO member countries. They will also discuss funding for an initiative to update helicopters for expeditionary operations.