Petraeus said Tuesday he had "already made recommendations" for an almost doubling of US troops in Afghanistan based on the requests by General David McKeirnan, the top commander of US and NATO troops there.

Petraeus is widely credited for turning around a Sunni insurgency in western Iraq with the 30,000 troop "surge" to secure Baghdad and its environs during his time as commander of the multi-national forces in Iraq.

Many hope that Petraeus will bring his counter-insurgency expertise to bear in Afghanistan.

The country has seen a spike in violence from a resurgent Taliban in the last two years, despite the presence of 70,000 NATO and US troops, including some 2,400 Italians.

McKiernan is seeking a total US force of 55,000 to 60,000 from the current 32,000, the US daily USA Today reported on Monday.

The United States is expected to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan next year, most to be diverted from Iraq.

On Tuesday Petraeus said the "situation remains fragile" in Iraq despite unquestionable progress.

"No one disputes at this point that there has been substantial progress in Iraq," he said at the American Studies Center in Rome. "But the situation does remain fragile."

"The level of violence went up where we went on the offensive," notably during last year's "surge," he told an audience made up largely of Italian military including Mosca Moschini, former chairman of European Union Military Committee.

"Today it's the lowest in five and a half years," he said at the start of a two-day visit to Rome, adding that the situation is "less fragile than it was in May."

"Sensational, high-profile attacks remain very much of concern for us," said Petraeus, 55, who took over the Central Command (Centcom) in October.

He is credited with turning around a Sunni insurgency in western Iraq with the 30,000 troop "surge" to secure Baghdad and its environs.

"The only way to (ensure security) is to live with the people. You have to live in the neighbourhood," Petraeus said. "Once they feel secure they will tell you where the weapons and explosives are."

Italy, which contributed 3,000 troops to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, withdrew its forces in December 2006.

Petraeus was to meet Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berusconi as well as Russian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa later Tuesday.

On Wednesday the US general was to meet Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

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