Condoleezza Rice plans visit to UK

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The State Department in Washington said that the trip would take place next Wednesday and would probably also take in talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"I expect they will talk a little bit about Iran, talk some about Iraq, talk some about Afghanistan," said spokesman Sean McCormack.

The visit comes against a backdrop of heightened controversy over the role of multinational troops in Afghanistan, with the country's president Hamid Karzai raising doubts over the effectiveness of their presence.

Three separate reports published in Britain and the US suggested that an enhanced military and aid effort will be needed to see off the threats of insurgency, poppy cultivation and a looming humanitarian crisis.

The US, which recently announced it will send 3,200 Marines to join 29,000 troops already in Afghanistan, wants its European allies to step up their military commitments. Ms Rice has already raised the issue with Australia, France and Germany in recent talks.

The German defence ministry said on Thursday that the US has written a strongly-worded letter to Nato members including Germany pressing for combat troops to be sent to dangerous areas in the south of the country.

"I won't make a secret of the fact that we are encouraging all of our Nato allies to do everything that they can in terms of contributing resources," said Mr McCormack.

"We are in a fight in Afghanistan, against violent extremists, whether that's al Qaida or the Taliban or any other associated group."

Washington is also seeking a new high-level candidate to co-ordinate international activities in the country after Mr Karzai rejected former Liberal Democrat leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown for the job.