FILES - Picture taken on August 15, 2008 sows German soldiers of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrolling the streets of Kabul. Germany plans to increase its military contingent in northern Afghanistan by up to 1,000 soldiers, German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said on June 24, 2008. The announcement follows months of pressure from Germany's NATO allies to step up its troop presence in Afghanistan and deploy soldiers in the south to help US, British and Canadian forces fight a tenacious Taliban insurgency. AFP PHOTO/ SHAH MARAI