BRUSSELS, Sept 13: Top NATO officers made no formal offer on Wednesday of reinforcements to combat a raging insurgency in southern Afghanistan but gave “positive indications” that they might, a spokesman said.

“In the discussions today, positive indications were given in terms of force generation, in terms of the forces to be provided by nations to fulfill the outstanding requirement,” spokesman James Appathurai told reporters.

“No formal offers were made at the table,” he added.

“The discussions are continuing, they are continuing in a positive manner,” he said in Brussels, some 60 kilometres from Mons, southern Belgium, where the senior officers from NATO’s 26 member states were meeting.

Appathurai said there had also been “positive indications” on the removal of restrictions that some countries have placed on the use of their forces, and which are making NATO’s mission in Afghanistan more complicated.

NATO military commander General James Jones urged the allies last week to find up to 2,500 extra personnel, to help the alliance deal with a surprisingly tenacious insurgency in southern Afghanistan led by the Taliban militia.

The reserve force would comprise a battalion of between 500 and 700 combat troops plus attack helicopters and reconnaissance staff, whose logistical backing would involve around 1,500 personnel.

As the officers met, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the allies were duty-bound to help forces suffering casualties, mainly British and Canadian, but also Dutch, troops in the south.

“NATO and NATO countries have got a duty to respond to that,” he said. “It is important that the whole of NATO regards this as their responsibility.”

Since taking control of troop operations in southern Afghanistan on July 31, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been confronted by an unexpectedly strong insurgency.

ISAF has some 20,000 troops from 37 countries including 8,000 confronting the Taliban.

Britain, the Netherlands and Canada are already stretched. Other major members France and Italy have made commitments to Lebanon, while Spain and Turkey have so far refused to send more.

Romania, which has already sent around 560 personnel, will probably double its contribution later this year but that offer was already taken into account before Jones made his call.

Estonia has 79 soldiers in Kandahar, Helmand and the capital Kabul and plans to increase its presence to 120 personnel at year’s end, and possibly 150 next year. Latvia plans to boost numbers from 36 to 56 personnel.

The NATO spokesman said that the combat battalion would ideally involve troops from just one or two countries, but that several members could provide back-up personnel.—AFP