BERLIN - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pledged today that U.S. military forces "will continue to play a strong role" in Afghanistan even after NATO allies expand their peacekeeping operation across the country next year.

At the conclusion of a two-day NATO meeting, Rumsfeld took reporters' questions about the American presence there but stoutly avoided getting into any specifics about force levels.

"U.S. forces will of course continue to play a strong role," he said.

Asked about reports the Bush administration wants to slash the U.S. military presence there by as much as 20 percent, Rumsfeld told a news conference that "the only people who are going to increase or decrease U.S. forces in Afghanistan will be the president of the United States or me."

Rumsfeld said that U.S. officials are constantly assessing and reassessing troop levels and said that they have been raising or lowering the U.S. military presence as required and necessary.

"If and when there's any decision to decrease forces," he said, "I will announce it."

Both The New York Times and The Washington Post reported recently that the administration was considering cutting the troop strength there by as much as 20 percent.

Rumsfeld said Tuesday that NATO should ultimately take over anti-terrorism operations and drug interdiction in Afghanistan, now handled by the U.S.-led coalition, but he refused to set a timetable for drawing down American troops.

More detailed talk was stifled by fears about increased violence accompanying parliamentary elections in Afghanistan scheduled for this coming weekend, as well as the upcoming elections in Germany, where some have openly opposed any increased combat missions for NATO.

Rumsfeld dismissed as "much ado about nothing" reported divisions among the alliance countries over whether NATO should work toward a unified peacekeeping and military command structure.