Pentagon may send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon may send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan in the coming weeks to beef up U.S. combat capabilities in advance of an expected spring offensive by the Taliban, senior U.S. military officials tell CNN.

U.S. Army General Dan McNeill, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, has made the request, and as of Wednesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is "giving it a hard look," according to Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell.

But in a signal that it is expected to be approved, Morrell told CNN "the request is based upon an anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban. They failed last time and they will fail again this time, but commanders are seeking additional forces to ensure that."

The Marines would be sent on a seven-month tour. There are currently about 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It is not known yet where the Marines would come from.

The proposal would involve sending the bulk of the ground and air troops to the south of Afghanistan, where British and Canadian forces have been in heavy combat for months.

Others may be assigned to train Afghan forces.

The request by McNeill has already been approved by Central Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gates could approve it very quickly, Pentagon officials say, after finishing discussions with his commanders.

NATO has been looking for a commitment of 7,000 additional forces for both combat and training of Afghans. But member countries of the alliance have failed to meet that goal, and it had been expected for the last several weeks that McNeill would be forced to turn to the Pentagon for more forces. E-mail to a friend

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