[00:00.00]The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to confirm
[00:04.60]that he is sending hundreds more troops to Afghanistan,
[00:07.09]bringing the total number of British troops there to about 9,500.
[00:10.76]Britain has the second largest NATO contingent in Afghanistan
[00:15.12]after the United States.
[00:16.92]Our defense correspondent Caroline Wyatt reports.
[00:19.41]In his statement on Afghanistan,
[00:21.90]it's believed Mr. Brown will say he's agreed in principle
[00:24.26]to send around 500 extra British troops to Helmand.
[00:27.74]The military advice says that extra forces are needed
[00:30.67]to help maintain progress
[00:31.97]and dominate the ground more effectively
[00:34.03]to keep the Taliban out of key areas.
[00:36.08]However, there will be caveats.
[00:38.50]The Prime Minister will want assurances from military chiefs
[00:41.37]that the extra troops will be properly equipped.
[00:44.10]But he'll also expect Britain's NATO partners to follow suit
[00:47.27]by offering more forces themselves.
[00:49.33]NATO defense ministers are likely to discuss troop levels
[00:52.69]on a meeting formally in Bratislava next week.

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to confirm
that he is sending hundreds more troops to Afghanistan,
bringing the total number of British troops there to about 9,500.
Britain has the second largest NATO contingent in Afghanistan
after the United States.
Our defense correspondent Caroline Wyatt reports.
In his statement on Afghanistan,
it's believed Mr. Brown will say he's agreed in principle
to send around 500 extra British troops to Helmand.
The military advice says that extra forces are needed
to help maintain progress
and dominate the ground more effectively
to keep the Taliban out of key areas.
However, there will be caveats.
The Prime Minister will want assurances from military chiefs
that the extra troops will be properly equipped.
But he'll also expect Britain's NATO partners to follow suit
by offering more forces themselves.
NATO defense ministers are likely to discuss troop levels
on a meeting formally in Bratislava next week.