NATO to train Afghan police

BRUSSELS, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- NATO, in an effort to have Afghans take more responsibility for their country's security, will soon start training the local police, the alliance leader said.

"The training mission is absolutely crucial," Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, told The New York Times in an interview at the alliance headquarters in Brussels. He said the training, which will begin in a few weeks, will transfer "the lead responsibility for security to the Afghans themselves."

The alliance will also raise its training of the Afghan army to ease the burden of the United States.

The Times said until now NATO had stayed away from civilian training projects so as not to affect its military role.

"We should acknowledge and recognize the huge efforts the Americans are making and in exchange, we need to ensure that the European side of NATO also makes a balanced effort," Rasmussen said.

The Times reported the NATO training missions will be under the command of a soon-to-be appointed three-star U.S. general and that the United States will bear most of the cost, which this year has been estimated at $7 billion.

Rasmussen, who is in Brussels after a U.S. visit during which he met President Barack Obama and other officials, told The Times the goal is to increase the number of Afghan soldiers to 130,000 by 2011 from about 93,000 currently, and the police force to 84,500 from about 77,000 now.