Yesterday, the Financial Times reported that Gordon Brown, prime minister of the UK, Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany and Nicholas Sarkozy, president of France have sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, asking the UN to sponsor a meeting of allies engaged in the war in Afghanistan to discuss coordinating resources and support for the U.S.-led  effort, once the next government is formed.

Brown and Merkel face considerable opposition at home for their armies’ participation in the Afghanistan war.  Britain and German military forces are the second and third largest of NATO participants in the Afghanistan operation.  It is not merely Americans who are dying in Afghanistan.  Fifty British soldiers have died over the last four months; as a result, Brown faces increased opposition not only from the Tories but also within his own party — one junior minister already has resigned in protest.

The NATO airstrike called by a German general officer last Friday has generated considerable outrage in Germany. Speaking before the German Bundestag today, Merkel strongly defended the German military who called in the airstrike resulting in approximately 70 to 100 persons killed, while urging patience and called for a full investigation saying that “any innocent life lost in Afghanistan is one too many.”

The Financial Times also reported that

Ms Merkel on Sunday came under fire from opposition parties over her government’s military deployment in Afghanistan, which is opposed by most Germans. Gregor Gysi, parliamentary head of the radical Left party, criticised the air strike against hijacked tankers ordered by German troops in Kunduz province on Friday. Mr Gysi called the resulting deaths of civilians “unjustified and inexcusable.”

No doubt the Social Democrats and Greens also will make the NATO air strike an issue in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan has assigned Canadian Maj. Gen. C. S. Sullivan to lead the formal investigation along with an U.S. Air Force Officer and a German legal advisor.  Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Prime Minister of Denmark, who assumed the NATO secretary general position last month, also called for an investigation.

The timing of the Europeans’ announcement is no coincidence.  U.S. allies in Europe want to know what the Obama Administration’s plans are to “fix” Afghanistan, and will continue to withhold their full support until they have an answer.  Meanwhile, the Administration is weighing a new report from McChrystal that in all likelihood includes a request for more troops.  Although Obama will be focusing on health care over the next few weeks, Afghanistan is also likely to remain on the front burner, especially given the reported disagreements within Obama’s national security team.

As Merkel and Brown continue to face growing domestic opposition to continued participation in ISAF,  they will continue to push the Obama Administration to make its priorities clear and chart a way forward that will benefit the Afghan people — and in the process, make it easier for U.S. allies to convince their electorate of the need for continued engagement.

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