US Vice-President Dick Cheney made surprise visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan Monday to discuss a planned spring offensive against the Taliban after the most violent year since the group was ousted in 2001.

Cheney pressed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to step up efforts to combat the resurgent Taliban and Al-Qaida.

"He asked President Musharraf that Pakistan should do more," a Pakistani official said after the meeting between Cheney and Musharraf at the presidential palace.

Cheney arrived in the Pakistani capital from Oman, and after a one-on-one lunch with Musharraf flew to Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. He was due to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai later in the day.

"Cheney expressed US apprehensions of regrouping of Al-Qaida in the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the threat," the Pakistani president's office said in a statement.

"He expressed serious US concerns on the intelligence being picked up of an impending Taliban and Al-Qaida spring offensive against allied forces in Afghanistan," it said.

Cheney's visit to Islamabad coincided with one by Margaret Beckett, Britain's foreign secretary. Beckett also held talks with Musharraf Monday morning.

The United States is bolstering its troop presence in Afghanistan by 3,200 to help repel fierce spring fighting anticipated after the bloodiest year there since the Taliban were ousted by US-led forces in 2001.

The harsh Afghan winters usually lead to a temporary lull in fighting but the violence is expected to increase again soon with the arrival of warm weather.

Tough message from US

The New York Times reported Monday that President George W. Bush had decided to send an unusually tough message to Musharraf, warning him that the newly elected Democratic US Congress could cut aid unless his forces became more aggressive in hunting down Al-Qaida operatives.

Pakistan has been fighting Islamist guerrillas based in its tribal lands, but while hundreds of Al-Qaida fighters have been arrested and handed over to the United States, barely any Taliban leaders have been caught.

Musharraf says Taliban fighters do operate from Pakistan, but says the militants' leaders are in Afghanistan, and most Taliban activity originates there.

UK to add 1,400 troops

Britain's Defense Secretary Des Browne said Monday he will deploy 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan to tackle a threatened Taliban spring offensive.

Browne's announcement will bring the total troop level in Afghanistan to around 7,700 until 2009, meaning Britain will have more forces based there than in Iraq for the first time since 2003.

The United States has about 27,000 troops in Afghanistan, of which about 15,000 are in the NATO force and the rest on missions ranging from counter-terrorism to training.

(China Daily via agencies February 27, 2007)