Britain Rebuffs Afghans’ Troop Plea

LONDON — Prime Minister Tony Blair told interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai on Thursday that Britain could not commit more troops to an expanded international force requested by Afghanistan’s people.

Britain is leading the force, which is deployed in Kabul, the Afghan capital, but wants to end its command of the 17-nation mission by the end of April.

Karzai, in Britain for one day, told a meeting of Blair’s Cabinet, “The Afghan people keep asking for more and more security forces in Afghanistan.”

At the United Nations on Wednesday, Karzai asked the Security Council to approve the deployment of peacekeeping troops throughout his country, a request opposed by Washington and the European powers leading the small U.N.-backed force.