After G20, Obama to discuss Afghan plans with NATO

By David Brunnstrom

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, after helping broker a deal to tackle the global economic crisis, heads to France on Friday to try to secure NATO backing for a new strategy to turn the tide in Afghanistan.

On his first major foreign trip since taking office on January 20, he called Thursday's accord at the G20 summit in London a "turning point" for the world economy.

He will be hoping for a similar breakthrough on the worsening crisis in Afghanistan and looking to other NATO leaders for support at the military alliance's two-day summit being held on both the French and German sides of the Rhine.

His new Afghan strategy was unveiled last week, and aims to try to get a grip on rising violence by Taliban militants driven from power in 2001 but never completely defeated.

It broadens the focus to include Pakistan and puts the highest priority on the defeat of al Qaeda militants who Obama says are plotting new attacks on the United States.

Having already announced plans to add 17,000 more U.S. combat troops to the 38,000 already there, Obama said he would send 4,000 more to help train the Afghan army and add civilian personnel to tackle problems such as the booming narcotics trade and government corruption.

He has stressed the need for international cooperation to turn the tide, with insurgent violence reaching its highest level since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban in 2001.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also said this week he needed regional cooperation to tackle terrorism.