More still needed for Afghan force -NATO chief

NEW YORK, Sep 21 (Reuters) NATO countries have made significant pledges to boost the alliance's force in Afghanistan but still need to do more to aid the mission, Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said today.

NATO's top operational commander, US Marine Gen James Jones, called this month for reinforcements and more equipment to fight fiercer than expected resistance from Taliban militants after the alliance moved into southern Afghanistan.

''Allies are stepping up to the plate so I'm not unhappy about that. At the same time, I think we need more progress,'' de Hoop Scheffer said after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in New York.

Jones yesterday said NATO had now received pledges for about 2,000 of the 2,500 extra troops he appealed for on September 7, although some of those commitments had not been made public by member nations.

Poland has pledged to send 1,000 more soldiers, although they are not expected to be fully deployed until next year.

Romania has said it plans to send 200 troops to southern Afghanistan starting next month.

About 20,000 soldiers are part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. The United States has a separate force of similar size operating in Afghanistan under its own command to fight Taliban and al Qaeda guerrillas.

The NATO force is meant to protect development and reconstruction teams but has been engaged in pitched battles with Taliban fighters since moving south last month.

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO was still looking for members to lift national restrictions -- known as caveats -- on how and where their forces can be used in Afghanistan and also wanted more attack helicopters and transport aircraft.

''What is important is that ... nations do more than they have done to lift their caveats,'' he told a news conference.

Reuters DKS VP0235