The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

US President George W. Bush on Wednesday acknowledged "a tough month" for NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan but insisted the war-fighting strategy there is working, despite increasing violence.

"It has been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it's also been a tough month for the Taliban," he said, after the coalition in June suffered its deadliest month since the 2001 ouster of the Islamist militia.

Forty-nine soldiers from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the separate US-led coalition died in combat, attacks or accidents in June, according to an AFP tally based on military statements.

June accounted for more than 40 percent of the 122 deaths of foreign soldiers in Afghanistan during 2008, according to the independent website Icasualties.org.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, confessed meanwhile to being "deeply troubled" by recent military challenges in Afghanistan, as Taliban troops ramp up their attacks on Western targets.

"I am and have been for some time now, deeply troubled by the increasing violence there," Mullen said.

"The Taliban and their supporters have, without question, grown more effective and more aggressive in recent weeks, and as the casualty figures clearly demonstrate," he said.

Bush nevertheless remained upbeat.

"I'm confident that the strategy is going to work," Bush said, sidestepping a question on whether he would send more US troops to Afghanistan by saying that he is constantly reviewing the needs on the ground.

"One reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy" deeply at odds with the United States, he said. "Of course there's going to be resistance."

"We're constantly reviewing troop needs, troop levels. We're halfway through 2008. As I said, we're going to increase troops by 2009," said the US leader.