U.S. Approves Training to Expand Afghan Army - Rod Nordland, New York Times.
The Pentagon has authorized a substantial increase in the number of Afghan security forces it plans to train by next year, in time for President Obama's deadline for United States combat forces to begin withdrawing from the country, military officials said Thursday. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber struck a marketplace in southern Afghanistan and killed 20 people, including children, and NATO officials reported that 23 soldiers had died so far this year. The new training goals would increase the size of the Afghan Army from its present 102,400 personnel to 171,600 by October 2011, according to Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the American officer who leads NATO's training mission in Afghanistan.
Addressing a group of Afghan National Army cadets on Thursday, General Caldwell said the Pentagon had made the decision to increase its training commitments at a meeting the night before in Washington. "The coalition forces want to grow the Afghan forces," General Caldwell told the cadets, in response to a question from one about whether the coalition should not give more responsibility to Afghan forces. "We want to do just what you're saying," he answered. "We are here as guests of Afghanistan. We want to support your army to take control." ...
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