The current commander of the US Central Command, General David Petraeus, has acknowledged that violence in Afghanistan has become worse.
Speaking in London, General Petraeus said the Taliban had expanded their strength and influence.
However, he said the stakes were too high for international forces not to succeed in their Afghan mission.
Elsewhere, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said he wants to withdraw Italian troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, although such a decision would not be taken unilaterally.
Yesterday, six Italian soldiers and ten Afghan civilians were killed in a car bomb attack in the centre of Kabul.
