US forces chief: It will take 18 months to turn tide against Taliban

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made it clear there could be a fresh surge of troops in a bid to combat the growing insurgency by the Taliban.

A record 44 US troops were killed in Afghanistan last month and a new Washington Post-ABC News poll showed a majority of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting. Only a quarter say more troops should be sent there.

"I think it is serious and it is deteriorating, and I've said that over the past couple of years — that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated," Admiral Mullen said. "Certainly the numbers are of concern," he told NBC's Meet the Press. Later he added: "This is the war we're in."

Adml Mullen said the new commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, was "wrapping up" his assessment and would submit it in a couple of weeks. "We'll see where that goes once the assessment is in here," he said. "And I've had this conversation with the president, who understands that whatever the mission is, it needs to be resourced correctly."

Gen McChrystal's report, originally due about now, is expected after the Afghan election process is completed. Counting is continuing after Thursday's poll, which drew allegations of vote-rigging from Afghan President Hamid Karzai's main challenger.

President Obama plans to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan to about 68,000 by the end of the year, more than double the 32,000 the US had there at the end of 2008. Adml Mullen refused to comment on reports that Gen McChyrstal might recommend additional increases of 15,000, 25,000 or 45,000 troops.

"I don't see this as a mission of endless drift. We've learned a lot of lessons from Iraq, focusing on the Afghan people," Adml Mullen said.

Asked about an exit strategy, he said: "I believe we've got to start to turn this thing around from a security standpoint in the next 12 to 18 months.

"And I think after that we'd have a better view of how long it's going to take and what we need to do."

A secret Ministry of Defence report has concluded that the department's systems for acquiring new equipment are so inefficient they should be privatised. The report by Bernard Gray, a former adviser to Labour defence ministers, said the MoD's equipment programme was £35 billion over budget and five years behind schedule.