The proposal recommended by US commanders in Afghanistan will go before Gates on Friday, although a final decision was not expected at that time, said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell.

Morrell said Gates' thinking "has evolved on this such that the commander needs additional forces there, our allies are not in a position to provide them, so we are now looking at perhaps carrying a bit of that additional load."

The proposal is to deploy a Marine air-ground task force with helicopters and some 2,200 combat troops by April when insurgents are expected to mount a spring offensive, officials said.

An additional Marine battalion also would go to train Afghan security forces under the proposal, according to Morrell, who said it would add up to a brigade-size force of 3,000 troops or more.

Currently, there are 26,000 US troops in Afghanistan, most of them under the 40,000-strong NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

Commanders have complained that they are short 7,500 troops that were promised but not delivered by NATO members even as a classic insurgency has developed in Afghanistan.

"People are suggesting it reflects a deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan, and I would argue that it is more a move of anticipation of what we expect to be another attempt at a Taliban spring offensive," Morrell said.

"The timing is that they would be in place by April, for a one-time seven month deployment to have them in place in RC-South to beat back another attempt at a Taliban offensive," he said.

A Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the marines would go to Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, if the plan is approved.

The proposal was recommended by General Dan McNeill, the commander of the NATO-led force, and has gone up through the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gates "will consider it thoroughly before approving it," Morrell said.

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