British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that he intends to send more troops to Afghanistan, but only if NATO and the Afghan government do more to help fight the Taliban.
Brown said his government would increase British troop levels to 9,500 - an increase of about 500 - on the condition that President Hamid Karzai reduce corruption and
improve his government's performance.
He also pledged to send troops only if he can provide them with the proper equipment, and if NATO allies increase their contributions to the war effort.
"I have agreed in principle to a new British force level of 9,500, which will be put into effect once these conditions are met," Brown told lawmakers.
Britain has the second-largest force in Afghanistan after the United States, which has 67,000 troops there.
Brown also promised some £10 million in aid to both Pakistan and Afghanistan, arguing that Britain and its allies cannot go after al-Qaeda in Afghanistan without supporting the Pakistani fight against insurgents.
The prime minister said he had held discussions in recent weeks with US President Barack Obama and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as well as with US and British generals, to discuss future strategy in Afghanistan.
He said the key focus had to be on training the Afghan army and police to take responsibility for their own security.
Brown said Britain supported US Army General Stanley McChrystal's drive to accelerate the growth of the Afghan security forces so they can take shared responsibility for security, particularly in populated areas.
"This will be central to the new benchmarks and timelines we and General McChrystal will set out as part of a new framework for the transition to Afghan authority", he said.
The decision to increase troop levels comes after Brown's recently retired army chief accused him of turning down the military's request for more soldiers in Afghanistan.
General Sir Richard Dannatt said the prime minister turned down advice to commit an extra 2-thousand troops to the fight against the Taliban, an allegation the prime minister's office denied.
Brown's supporters have questioned the retired general's motives, noting that he has since been picked to become a senior adviser to the opposition Conservative Party.
In Afghanistan, Gulab Mangal, governor of Helmand province, praised the move.
"The British prime minister's announcement about sending an additional 500 troops is a good step because it will put more pressure on the Taliban," he said.
The spokesman for NATO's Secretary-General in Brussels on Wednesday praised the UK's decision to send more troops, but he said the military burden should be shared among all NATO allies.
"This has been a team effort until now, it must remain a team effort and that will mean that more than just the United Kingdom", he said.
He urged all NATO allies to consider what else they can contribute to training, equipping and financing Afghan security forces.
Anti War Campaigner Jonathan Reiss told Britain's Sky News that the troop increase would have no impact.
"This is really a fig leaf meant to convey to the Americans that we support them, when in actual fact it will make no military difference whatsoever", he said.
Britain's mission in Afghanistan has become increasingly unpopular with the British public as casualties mount.
A poll released on Wednesday found 36 percent of respondents thought British troops should leave Afghanistan, up from 29 percent in mid-September.
Pollster Populus interviewed 1,509 adults between October 9 and October 11. The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.
The increase in British troops is small, but it is likely to be welcomed by US President Barack Obama as his administration ponders difficult options in Afghanistan, including a possible increase in US forces.
Obama is also trying to decide whether it is worth backing an Afghan government that has lost much of its legitimacy through corruption and alleged electoral fraud.
General McChrystal has called on Obama to send up to 80-thousand more American troops to Afghanistan, US officials said on Wednesday.
A still-secret report by McChrystal requesting more troops was expected to be among the topics discussed on Wednesday when Obama meets with his national security team to work out a strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the report publicly.
Also on Wednesday, the British Ministry of Defence released a video claiming to show a British pilot taking action to avoid civilian casualties.
The aerial shots showed what the MoD said is a target moving away from what appeared to be a vehicle and some buildings, followed by an explosion taking place some distance away.
US and NATO authorities have been strongly criticised for an increase in civilian casualties, which has alienated many Afghans.
APTN