US to send more troops to Afghanistan

Grappling with a record death toll, President Bush promised to send more US troops into Afghanistan by year's end.

More US and Nato troops have died in the past two months in Afghanistan than in Iraq, a place with triple the number of US and allied forces.

WASHINGTON // Grappling with a record death toll in an overshadowed war, US president, George W Bush, promised to send more US troops into Afghanistan by year's end. He conceded that June was a "tough month" in the nearly seven-year-old war. In fact, it was the deadliest month for US troops in Afghanistan since the conflict began. "One reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy, an enemy who doesn't like our presence there because they don't like the idea of America denying safe haven (to terrorists)," Mr Bush told reporters yesterday. "Of course there's going to be resistance." Mr Bush added that it was a tough month for the Taliban fighters too.

The former ruling Islamic militants have rebounded with deadly force since their overthrow more than six years ago by US-led troops. More US and Nato troops have died in the past two months in Afghanistan than in Iraq, a place with triple the number of US and allied forces. In June, 28 Americans died in Afghanistan. That was the highest monthly total of the war, which began in October 2001. For the full US-led coalition in Afghanistan the death toll was 46, also the highest of the war.

*AP