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German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said government is proposing sending 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan, upping its contingent there to 4,500 soldiers, The New York Times reported. But it's likely the troops wouldn't be sent to southern Afghanistan, where most of the NATO contingent is battling a stubborn and increasingly deadly Taliban resistance.

The lower house of Parliament, the Bundestag, must first approve the deal and will likely demand the additional troops be kept in the calmer northern part of the country. Opponents of the troop increase pointed out that NATO casualties have steadily increased each year since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, including a record 6,000 deaths in 2007, the newspaper said.

Polls indicate the German public also opposes more troops. But the announcement seemed timed to coincide with a Berlin visit Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in Germany to attend a conference, the Times said. It also comes after President Bush earlier this month urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to contribute more to NATO efforts in Afghanistan and to tighten sanctions against Iran.

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