The United States and its NATO allies have begun reviewing Afghan mission from security and counter terrorism to political consolidation and economic development, the New York Times reported Sunday.

The reviews are reported to be an acknowledgment of the need for greater coordination in fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, halting the rising opium production and trafficking that finances the insurgency and helping the Kabul government extend its legitimacy and control.

These efforts reflect a growing apprehension that one of the Bush administration's most important legacies -- the routing of Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- may slip away, the newspaper quoted unidentified senior administration officials as saying.

The U.S. is now committed to finding an international coordinator, described as a "super envoy," to synchronize the full range of efforts in Afghanistan, and to continue pressing for more NATO troops to fight an insurgency that made this the most violent year since the Taliban and Al Qaeda were routed in December 2001.

"We are looking for ways to gain greater strategic coherence," an unidentified senior government official, who was involved in the review process, was quoted as saying.

Editor: Donald