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No extra troops in Afghanistan - Smith

AAP

AUSTRALIA is not considering increasing troop numbers to Afghanistan, the Federal Government says, despite the top US general on the ground calling for a military boost.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a surprise visit to the war-torn nation this week, where he was briefed by US Army General Stanley McChrystal.

General McChrystal has been calling for a surge in force numbers following a review of operations in Afghanistan.

But Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia wouldn't be contributing any more troops at the moment.

"We certainly have not received any requests from the United States or from the International Security Assistance Force to increase the combat contribution that we have made," he told Sky News today.

Mr Smith said Australia maintained a presence in Afghanistan because it was in its national interest to do so.

"The Afghanistan-Pakistan border area is the current hotbed of international terrorism," he said.

"Just as our casualties in Afghanistan in the field are terrible and tragic, so are those attacks where Australian (civilian) lives have also been lost."

Mr Smith said Australia needed to train the Afghan army and police force to handle terrorist threats by themselves before troops could begin to be withdrawn.

"We want to leave the Afghan nation in the position to manage these matters themselves," he said.

"We don't want to be there forever, but there is an important job to be done."