But the Americans want a “surge,” and the US general commanding NATO forces in the country said last month that he needed three more brigades, some 15,000 troops in all, and Gates has asked the Europeans either to send or pay for them. The Americans do recognize the importance of courting those Taliban leaders they believe to be motivated by tribal loyalties rather than religious ideology, but they oppose the latest Afghan policy of negotiating directly and officially with the Taliban.
但是美国却希望“增兵”，负责指挥北约在该国的部队的美国将军上个月表示他需要增加三个旅，总共大约15000名士兵，而盖茨已经要求欧洲国家要么派兵要么出钱。美国确实认识到与那些他们认为更多地受部族忠诚而非宗教意识形态所驱动的塔利班领导人示好的重要性，他们只是反对阿富汗最近直接与塔利班举行正式谈判的政策。