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BBC News, Washington
US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has urged Germany to send more troops to Afghanistan.
He has warned that without reinforcements the Nato-led force could lose credibility in the country.
Mr Gate's letter to the German Defence Minister has been described as "unusually stern" by a German newspaper which has seen the correspondence.
The German Defence Minister, Franz Josef Jung, is reported to have issued an equally stern response.
The Nato-led force has almost 37,000 troops in Afghanistan.
Mr Gates's letter asks for Germany to consider a new mandate which could allow thousands more troops to be sent to Afghanistan with some deployed to the more dangerous south.
This harsh exchange of letters comes amid growing concern that the Nato led mission in Afghanistan is failing.
Canadian ultimatum
It also comes amid growing signs of a strain in the Nato alliance itself.
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper has issued both US President George W Bush and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown with an ultimatum - that Canada will end its military mission in Afghanistan if Nato does not put more soldiers in the dangerous south of the country.
The US has already promised to send an extra 3,000 US marines - but is urging other Nato countries including France and Germany to do more.
So far most Nato members have refused to send significant numbers to southern Afghanistan.
Washington has tried to avoid a public row with Nato members.
But speaking to a senate committee a senior US diplomat stated that "we expect more from our Nato allies" adding that too few allies had combat troops fighting the insurgents in the south.
(BBC)
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