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The US mission in Afghanistan will “likely result in failure” unless troops are increased within a year, the top general there has said in a report. General Stanley McChrystal made his assessment in a copy of a confidential report obtained by the Washington Post. He recently called for a revised military strategy in Afghanistan, suggesting the current one is failing. More than 30,000 extra US troops have been sent to Afghanistan since May – almost doubling the US contingent. The number of US troops in Afghanistan is already set to rise to 68,000 by the end of the year. Laura Lynch reports.

• BBC coverage
• Washington Post article
• American Influence podcast: Tough Choices for US in Afghanistan
• Background Brief: Taliban insurgency