LONDON (AP) Britain's prime minister says NATO nations may contribute 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan offering key backing as the U.S. decides whether to increase troop levels.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched an impassioned defense of the controversial military campaign in Afghanistan during an interview Friday on the BBC, acknowledging that Britain needed to ''adjust our approach'' amid rising casualties.

But he insisted other NATO nations would step up to help share the burden. Brown says Washington and London ''need our other NATO allies to help'' and that ''we could probably get another 5,000 forces into Afghanistan.''