Suzanne Goldenberg | guardian.co.uk,

George Bush는 오늘 이라크에서 부대 철수의 상태 무엇이건, 백악관에서 그의 출발 후에 아프가니스탄에 부대를 더 내년에 보내고 약속했다.

부카레스트에 있는 북대서양 조약기구 정상에 전달된 서약은, 2009년에 아프가니스탄, 펜타곤 장, 로버트 문에 있는 부대의 "뜻깊은" 수를, 말했다 취재원을 추가할 것입니다.

문은 그가 다음 대통령을 - 민주당원 또는 공화당원 - 투입을 지키는 기대했다는 것을 밝혔다. "나는 선임된다 비록 누가 해도 그들은 아프가니스탄에서 성공적이고 싶을 것이라는 점을," 문을 말했다 생각한다. "나는 이것이 말할 그를 위한 매우 안전한 것."이었다는 것을 생각한다

문은 얼마나 많은 부대가 아프가니스탄에서 배치될 것입니다지에 더 상세히 설명하지 않았다. The US has about 31,000 troops in the country.

The offer comes at a time when attention in Washington is focused on the US military presence in Iraq and there are renewed concerns about the effectiveness of Iraqi government forces.

General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, is to testify before Congress next week about security on the ground, and whether Iraqi forces are capable of taking over as US forces are reduced.

He is expected to call for a freeze on withdrawals from Iraq after July, which would mean maintaining at least 130,000 US forces there into early next year.

That could complicate the Pentagon’s efforts to meet requests from US commanders in Afghanistan for additional forces, as well as yesterday’s commitment from the president.

US commanders say there are not enough forces on the ground in Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban and train Afghan security forces. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, warned this week that it was impossible to consolidate security gains in Afghanistan without more troops.

Last week’s fighting in Basra has underscored the fragility of recent security improvements in Iraq, and the instability of the government of Nouri al-Maliki.

More than 1,000 Iraqi army and police deserted or refused to take part in last week’s offensive against followers of the rebel Shia cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, it emerged today.

Officials in Basra told the Associated Press that the mutiny in Basra involved a full infantry battalion belonging to the 4th Iraqi Division numbering about 500 soldiers and 400 police. The defectors turned over weapons and vehicles to Sadr’s militias, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the New York Times, quoting Iraqi military officials, reported that as many as 100 officers refused to join the fighting in Basra. However, it said the majority of deserters were new recruits.

Also today, Maliki appeared to retreat from Thursday’s threat of a crackdown against Sadr’s Mahdi army, renewing his offer of an amnesty to fighters who gave up their weapons.

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