It was too early to say whether recent moves by the new Pakistani government, including sending army forces into tribal areas near the Afghanistan border, were having an effect, McKiernan said. Attacks are down along the border but on the rise deeper in the country.
"Militant groups have been able to create freedom of maneuver into Afghanistan and been able to resupply the insurgency, and been able to send an increasing number of foreign fighters into Afghanistan," he said.
To counter the increasing violence and speed progress in the war, McKiernan said, he needs a permanent increase in troop levels and other assets such as reconnaissance planes.
Although President Bush has said he will send an additional brigade, McKiernan said he needs three brigades beyond that. There are about 33,000 U.S. troops in the country.
McKiernan said the brigade arriving early next year, roughly 3,500 troops, would be sent to eastern Afghanistan to counter an increase in violence there. The need for the three other brigades requested by his predecessor, Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill, still exists, he said.
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julian.barnes@latimes.com
