Updated

NATO's new secretary-general says the alliance needs more troops in Afghanistan if the mission is to be successful.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the BBC that NATO has made progress fighting Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan. But he says that part of that is partially because troop levels in the region have increased.

The comments come only days after U.S. officials said that commanders were likely to ask for more troops after they complete a report on how to turn the war in Afghanistan around.

But Rasmussen warned Friday that the solution for Afghanistan could not rest in the military alone -- and that Afghans need opportunities for better lives.