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US Envoy Outlines New Afghan Strategy to NATO


The United States' top envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan has met with NATO members to outline the Obama administration's new strategy for Afghanistan.

Richard Holbrooke met with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Monday in Brussels. Later, he briefed 26 NATO ambassadors.

Holbrooke told a security conference on Saturday that the U.S. is considering a significant increase in the size of the Afghan police force. He also said Washington is revamping plans to fight Afghanistan's opium trade which helps fund the Taliban insurgency.

On Sunday, President Barack Obama said in a television interview (with the CBS program "60 Minutes") that the United States must have an "exit strategy" in Afghanistan.

The president also said the top U.S. priority there is making sure al-Qaida can not attack the U.S., its interests, or its allies.

The administration will soon unveil its new policy for Afghanistan, which officials say also includes efforts to stabilize neighboring Pakistan.

President Obama has already authorized the deployment of an extra 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to help boost security.

Meanwhile, in southern Afghanistan, NATO says its troops have killed a senior insurgent and nine of his associates.

The international force announced Monday that Maulawi Hassan was killed Saturday in a raid on his compound in Helmand province.

Also Monday, Afghan officials say Taliban fighters ambushed a police patrol in neighboring Kandahar province, killing eight officers.

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