Germany to double Afghan training force

BERLIN, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Germany announced plans to double the size of its presence in Afghanistan by sending more personnel to train Afghan police forces.

German officials say they plan to increase their training personnel to as many as 120 police officers and other civilian experts as part of an effort to bolster the European Union's Afghan security forces training initiative, the German government reported.

Germany currently has about 60 officers in Afghanistan. The increase in German training personnel was prompted by a recent suggestion from Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The security conditions in Afghanistan recently have become more problematic as a result of an increase in the Taliban insurgency. Despite calls from U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others, many members of NATO have resisted contributing more troops.

While not increasing its military presence in Afghanistan, German officials called training the Afghan police force crucial.

"A well-trained Afghan police force is one of the pillars of the Afghan security sector," the release said.