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Afghanistan army on track for handover, Defense Ministry says
Published April 18, 2012
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan is on track to build up its army so it can take the lead along with other local forces in securing the country by the end of 2013, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said that the Afghan Army had already reached its target number of 195,000 troops, which will be part of a 352,000-strong Afghan National Security Force, including police and other security forces, by the end of this year.
"I am announcing now that the Afghan National Army has completed the number of 195,000," Azimi said. He said the government agreed with the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan that 352,000 should be the target number for the end of 2012.
Afghan security forces now number about 330,000. They are expected to take over much of the fighting as the U.S. draws down an additional 23,000 troops to reach 68,000 by the end of September. U.S. troop levels were at a high of about 100,000 last year.
The Afghan army and police are now in charge of security for areas home to half the nation's population, with NATO forces in a support role. The coalition hopes to keep handing over control until Afghan forces are fully in charge by the end of 2013, with foreign troops supporting and mentoring. All foreign combat troops are scheduled to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.
The U.S. may retain a small number of forces past that date to help train and mentor the Afghan army and help with counterterrorism efforts.
Source: Afghanistan army on track for handover, Defense Ministry says | Fox News
Panetta Seeks $1.3 Billion a Year From Allies for Afghan
The U.S. will urge NATO allies to pledge as much as 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) a year to help Afghanistan pay for its security forces as alliance combat operations wind down before ending in 2014, a U.S. defense official said.
The U.S. is making progress in getting commitments and will seek to line up more pledges when allied defense and foreign ministers meet in Brussels today and tomorrow, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made. The official declined to say how much money has been offered.
The U.S. estimates the cost of maintaining the Afghan army and police at $4 billion to $6 billion a year, depending on the size of the force. The goal is to raise the 1 billion euros a year from allies to supplement funding from the U.S. and the Afghan government as the coalition draws down its forces.
Allies will shoulder a “fair share” of the costs, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters before the meeting. “It’s a good deal to finance the Afghan security forces politically, because we will then give the defense of Afghanistan a strong Afghan face, and economically, because it is less expensive to finance Afghan security forces than to deploy foreign troops in Afghanistan.”
Afghan soldiers and police officers totaled about 337,000 in mid-March and are scheduled to reach 352,000 this year. The coalition has agreed with Afghan leaders to begin paring the force after 2014 to about 230,000.
NATO Chicago Summit
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plan to attend the two-day Brussels consultations to prepare for a NATO summit in Chicago next month. No concrete sums of money will be pledged today, Rasmussen said.
On the agenda in Chicago will be the pace for shifting security responsibility to Afghan forces in advance of the planned departure of most coalition troops by the end of 2014.
Defense ministers will also consult on the alliance’s need for technologies and weapons systems over the next 10 years as the U.S. and European nations wrestle with tight budgets. The goal is to pool resources and share capabilities such as airlift, munitions, intelligence and surveillance, missile defense and cyber-security.
Source: Panetta Seeks $1.3 Billion a Year From Allies for Afghan - Bloomberg
Published April 18, 2012
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan is on track to build up its army so it can take the lead along with other local forces in securing the country by the end of 2013, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said that the Afghan Army had already reached its target number of 195,000 troops, which will be part of a 352,000-strong Afghan National Security Force, including police and other security forces, by the end of this year.
"I am announcing now that the Afghan National Army has completed the number of 195,000," Azimi said. He said the government agreed with the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan that 352,000 should be the target number for the end of 2012.
Afghan security forces now number about 330,000. They are expected to take over much of the fighting as the U.S. draws down an additional 23,000 troops to reach 68,000 by the end of September. U.S. troop levels were at a high of about 100,000 last year.
The Afghan army and police are now in charge of security for areas home to half the nation's population, with NATO forces in a support role. The coalition hopes to keep handing over control until Afghan forces are fully in charge by the end of 2013, with foreign troops supporting and mentoring. All foreign combat troops are scheduled to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.
The U.S. may retain a small number of forces past that date to help train and mentor the Afghan army and help with counterterrorism efforts.
Source: Afghanistan army on track for handover, Defense Ministry says | Fox News
Panetta Seeks $1.3 Billion a Year From Allies for Afghan
The U.S. will urge NATO allies to pledge as much as 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) a year to help Afghanistan pay for its security forces as alliance combat operations wind down before ending in 2014, a U.S. defense official said.
The U.S. is making progress in getting commitments and will seek to line up more pledges when allied defense and foreign ministers meet in Brussels today and tomorrow, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made. The official declined to say how much money has been offered.
The U.S. estimates the cost of maintaining the Afghan army and police at $4 billion to $6 billion a year, depending on the size of the force. The goal is to raise the 1 billion euros a year from allies to supplement funding from the U.S. and the Afghan government as the coalition draws down its forces.
Allies will shoulder a “fair share” of the costs, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters before the meeting. “It’s a good deal to finance the Afghan security forces politically, because we will then give the defense of Afghanistan a strong Afghan face, and economically, because it is less expensive to finance Afghan security forces than to deploy foreign troops in Afghanistan.”
Afghan soldiers and police officers totaled about 337,000 in mid-March and are scheduled to reach 352,000 this year. The coalition has agreed with Afghan leaders to begin paring the force after 2014 to about 230,000.
NATO Chicago Summit
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plan to attend the two-day Brussels consultations to prepare for a NATO summit in Chicago next month. No concrete sums of money will be pledged today, Rasmussen said.
On the agenda in Chicago will be the pace for shifting security responsibility to Afghan forces in advance of the planned departure of most coalition troops by the end of 2014.
Defense ministers will also consult on the alliance’s need for technologies and weapons systems over the next 10 years as the U.S. and European nations wrestle with tight budgets. The goal is to pool resources and share capabilities such as airlift, munitions, intelligence and surveillance, missile defense and cyber-security.
Source: Panetta Seeks $1.3 Billion a Year From Allies for Afghan - Bloomberg
