Increasing militant violence in Afghanistan may prompt a change in US strategy there, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.
Mr Gates, who gave no details, was speaking before Car bombs kill 12 in Iraq as Gates visits ...
Pakistan bans Taliban after suicide bombings ...
Champions Trophy postponed by ICC ... Nato talks in London, after a visit to Afghanistan.
Last week, America's top general called for a new strategy to cover both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
However, recent cross-border US raids on militants have been condemned by Pakistan's new government.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Gates said: "You have an overall approach, an overall strategy, but you adjust it continually based on the circumstances that you find."
"We did that in Iraq. We made a change in strategy in Iraq and we are going to continue to look at the situation in Afghanistan," he added.
Asked for details, he would only say: "We're looking at it."
Casualty concern
On his visit to Afghanistan, Mr Gates said the US must do more to limit civilian casualties.
The issue has caused increasing anger in Afghanistan.
US forces have promised to review an inquiry into an air raid last month in the province of Herat which was blamed for the deaths of scores of civilians.
Figures released by the UN on Tuesday showed that there had been a sharp increase in the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan this year.
About 200 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year - about the same number as died during the whole of last year.
A bomb attack killed four US soldiers and an Afghan national in the east of the country on Wednesday.
New commander
Addressing a Congressional committee last Thursday, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm Mike Mullen, called for a new strategy in Afghanistan to deny militants bases across the border in Pakistan.
The US must work closely with Pakistan to "eliminate [the enemy's] safe havens", he said.
However, Pakistan insists it will not allow foreign forces on to its territory.
The strategy for Afghanistan is a priority for Gen David Petraeus, due to oversee US military operations throughout the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as head of Central Command from the end of October.
Speaking recently to the BBC, the former US commander in Iraq said he had to turn around the Nato mission in Afghanistan, where the trend was "in the wrong direction".
(BBC)
<< Back