Brussels: NATO defenceministers will meet in Seville Thursday (Feb 8,2007) to step up preparations for an expected spring assault by Talibaninsurgents on alliance forces in southern Afghanistan.

With the Taliban reportedly gearing up for more attacks onNATO soldiers in the warmer months ahead, alliance governments are underpressure to increase troop and aid contributions to their 34,000-strong Afghanoperation.

"It is important we do our work nowto root out Talibansafe havens, strengthen (military) operations and border controls," said asenior USofficial, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Defence ministers must ensure that 2007 can be a 'better year' for Afghanistan,the USofficial insisted, referring to the massive death toll in the country last yearwhen 4,000 people - including 170 foreign troops were killed in battles withTaliban forces.

The call for a revised alliance strategy for battling Talibaninsurgents will be made by General John Craddock, the new supreme alliedcommander Europe, who has been to Afghanistan twice since taking overNATO command earlier this year.

The US isalso piling up the pressure for a stronger NATO effort in Afghanistan.

"If we do have a spring offensive, it must be by theAfghan government and NATO," the USofficial told reporters

"We are asking every ally to look at 2007as an opportunity...to turn a positive corner in Afghanistan,"he said.

The message is likely to be hammered home at the Seville meeting by USSecretary of Defence Robert Gates, attending his first NATO ministerialmeeting.

A similar plea for bolstering NATO's Afghan operation wasmade in Brussels last month by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice whocalled for a "comprehensive" alliance blueprint for Afghanistan, including a boost introop levels, more development aid and stronger counter-narcotics efforts.

Taking the lead, the UShas said it intends to spend $10.6 billion to beef up Afghanistan'sarmy and police forces and invest in infrastructure projects. US troop levels in the country arebeing increased by 3,000 soldiers.

But Washington'splea for more troops - and more assistance - for the war-racked country has metwith a mixed response in other NATO capitals.

Britainhas said it will add a further 800 troops to its contingent in the mostvolatile regions in southern Afghanistan.

But other major allies, including France,Spain, Italy and Turkey, with soldiers in the Afghanmission have signalled they will not send more soldiers to the country in theimmediate future.

Germanyhas said it plans to deploy Tornado jets for surveillance with NATO forces in Afghanistanbut the fighter aircraft will be barred from any combat activities.

If approved by the German parliament, Tornado pilots will beauthorised to provide intelligence for NATO attacks on Taliban formations butwill not be allowed to use their bombs or missiles to carry out attacks,according to German officials.

Germanyhas about 2,700 troops serving with the 35,000-member NATO force in Afghanistan.But German troops are mainly restricted to serving in relatively peacefulnorthern Afghanistan,and Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected calls for them to take part in fightingin the southern part of the country.

NATO insists that it has enough troops in Afghanistan to counter any Taliban springoffensive and that as such ministers in Sevillewill not be engaging in an effort to generate forces.

"However, any offer of more soldiers by allies would be welcomed with open arms", said a NATO official.

"The focus would also be on training and equipping the Afghannational army and police force and increasing efforts to fight drugtrafficking," the official added.

Separately, ministers are expected to voice the alliance'sdetermination to ensure stability in Kosovo during the months ahead, followingUN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal for a final status "settlementpackage" for the Serbian breakaway province.

In addition, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov islikely to use the meeting to voice Moscow'sconcern at US moves to widen its anti-missile defence system by locating a basewith 10 interceptor missiles in Polandand a radar system detecting threats in the neighbouring CzechRepublic.

US officials insist that the plan is not a threat to Russiansecurity but admit that they expected Ivanov in Seville to express his views with 'candour'.