Allies to provide 5,000 troops for Afghanistan: NATO commander

Still, with the exception of new combat troops from Poland, the pledges of additional troops came in small numbers from small nations. European powers like France and Germany praised President Barack Obama's speech on his new strategy for Afghanistan but were noticeably silent on the offer of new troops.

Reacting to Obama's call for more help, a Polish official said the government will likely send 600 combat-ready reinforcements, mainly for patrolling and training to beef up its existing 2,000-strong contingent in Afghanistan.

Albania said it would look favorably on increasing its 250 member unit, while Spain's El Pais daily said the defense ministry was considering sending 200 more soldiers to its 1,000 contingent. Italy declared it would do its part and Finland confirmed that it had been asked to consider sending more troops and would do so next week.

However, the largest contributors — Britain, France and Germany — held off on new troop pledges, waiting for an Afghanistan conference in London planned for late January. French presidential spokesman Luc Chatel said President Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to “give himself some time.”

Earlier, Sarkozy commended Obama's speech as “courageous, determined and lucid.”

In neighboring Germany, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle praised Obama's speech as supporting Germany's position that a political solution for Afghanistan backed by military support was the only way forward.

Speaking just hours after Obama announced the deployment of 30,000 fresh U.S. troops to Afghanistan, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued the strongest words of support.

“In 2010, the non-U.S. members of this mission will send at least 5,000 more soldiers to this operation, and probably a few thousand more,” Fogh Rasmussen told reporters. “This is not just America's war, what is happening in Afghanistan poses a clear and present danger to the citizens of all our countries.”

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