Afghanistan faces $4bn defence funding shortfall

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

Afghanistan's security forces face a $4bn (£2.5bn) funding shortfall after 2014 – when they are supposed to take over the main responsibility for fighting the insurgency – raising questions over whether the Kabul government will have the resources to keep the Taliban at bay, the Guardian has learned.

The Afghan army and police combined are now about 308,000 strong, and are due to reach their peak strength of 352,000 by the end of next year. The current western strategy is for the Afghan national security forces (ANSF) to take on an increasing share in the fighting, allowing the US, Britain and their allies to withdraw all their troops from combat by 2014 and focus on training and counter-terrorist operations.

However, a 352,000-strong ANSF is estimated to cost $8bn and US officials have told their European counterparts that Washington is only prepared to foot $3bn of that bill after 2014. Other donors are expected to come up with another $1bn, enough to finance a force of only 220,000 troops.

Foreign and Afghan officials in Kabul agree such force would only be able to hold the line against the insurgents if there was a breakthrough in peace talks, or a collapse in the Taliban, both of which currently look unlikely.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/01/afghanistan-faces-defence-funding-shortfall

[Arctic Dave]

1. Obvious result of houses built on sand.

Afghanistan was never going to able to field a western style military. That was an MIC pipedream who wanted another dumping ground for outdated equipment.

[hardtravelin]

2. Outdated?

When I was there last year (going back over in January) their shit was newer than ours! What a goddamn waste.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Just because it is new doesn't mean it is outdated.

The US never gives out the new stuff.

[Yupster]

4. We teach them how to fight war our style

and where will they get the rsources to do it once we leave?

We saw this story in Cambodia and Vietnam.

[freshwest]

5. I'm sorry; but I'd like to make that shortfall even larger. We're all outta IOU's, you know.

[ellisonz]

6. Reduce the size of the forces or get more donors.

Let's be clear though on our foreign policy in Central Asia. Seeing Afghanistan descend into chaos is in no one's interests. We need to be more aggressive and creative in our counter-insurgency strategy :hide: