Afghanistan and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are at a "critical juncture," he said at a hearing of the Senate's foreign relations committee.

Ahead of a NATO summit next month in Romania, Craddock bemoaned restrictions placed by some governments on their forces' operations in Afghanistan.

"These caveats, like shortfalls, increase the risk to every soldier, sailor, airman and marine deployed in theater," the US general said.

"NATO's level of ambition has exceeded its political will to support," he said, citing weak coalition governments in Europe as one drag on ISAF deployments.

The US government, which is deploying 3,200 more Marines to Afghanistan, has criticized nations including Germany, Italy, France and Spain for not doing more to pursue the Taliban and Al-Qaeda diehards on the Pakistan border.

ISAF commanders in Afghanistan want around 7,500 extra troops to be deployed in the battle-ravaged south, along with transport helicopters and intelligence resources.

Berlin last month agreed to a NATO request to deploy a rapid reaction force in northern Afghanistan, but again ruled out a fixed combat role in the south, where US, Canadian and British forces have borne the brunt of Taliban attacks.

Canada has warned that it could withdraw its 2,500 troops from Afghanistan if NATO fails to send reinforcements to the south.

Last week, US officials welcomed a "long-term commitment" to Afghanistan made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of the April 2-4 summit in Bucharest.

"It is clear that the French are thinking through their contributions in Afghanistan," Daniel Fried, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs, told the Senate hearing.

"President Sarkozy is looking at his options and we're working with the French," he said.

The Senate committee's Democratic chairman, Joseph Biden, was blunt in demanding that US allies step up to the plate.

"It's my belief that the future of NATO is at stake in Afghanistan as well as the future of Afghanistan," he said, while also attacking the US administration for diverting resources from Afghanistan to Iraq.

The NATO-led ISAF comprises more than 47,000 troops from 40 nations, including 19,000 from the United States, according to updated figures given by Craddock.

The US general said the Afghan government's national army was taking a much stronger role in ISAF operations, but bemoaned corruption and ineffectual leadership in the Afghan police.

"Having said that... NATO's efforts in Afghanistan are making a difference," he said, citing the enrollment of six million children in schools, a third of them girls, since the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001.

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