The US is drawing up plans to send 7,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan to combat a resurgent Taleban and al-Qaeda, at a time when Nato countries appear unwilling to contribute further forces.

The increase is being considered by the Pentagon after President Bush returned from a Nato summit in Romania last month disappointed by few pledges of extra troops by his European allies.

The plans, which have yet to be formalised or sent to the White House, would increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan to about 40,000, the largest American presence since the war began more than six years ago.

Last week Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, said that America may consider taking over Nato’s command in southern Afghanistan, where British, Canadian and Dutch forces are concentrated.

Nato members have been reluctant to send more combat troops to the region, which is the centre of intensifying violence. Mr Gates said that the US was prepared to send extra forces in 2009, but did not specify how many.

The likely increase is being driven by several factors. The reduction in violence in Iraq after Mr Bush’s troop surge has allowed for a small drawdown in forces there. General David Petraeus, the US Commander in Iraq, will take over US Central Command this autumn and will have responsibility for both wars. He is expected to apply the same counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan that he executed in Iraq, as the Bush Admininistration has begun to focus more intently on the growing dangers in Afghanistan.

Mr Bush has been accused of failing to pursue al-Qaeda vigorously in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, because so many resources have been poured into the war in Iraq.

At a press conference last week, Mr Bush indicated that Afghanistan, called “the forgotten war” by some in the US, would receive more focus and troops. “I wish we had completely eliminated the radicals who kill innocent people to achieve objectives, but that hasn’t happened yet,” he said.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan said: “We haven’t heard anything concrete. As for the number of forces, certainly it would be nice to have some more forces here.

“If you compare here with Iraq, there’s a clear disparity. While Isaf does a good job at offensive engagements, we have some difficulty in maintaining ground. That’s why we’re focusing on training up the Afghan security forces.”

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