U.S. wary of Afghan transition plans

WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- The proper transition planning for Afghanistan is needed to prevent donor funding from drying up to the detriment of the country's economy, a U.S. report finds.

Washington is considering what to do with the 100,000 or so troops stationed in Afghanistan. Withdrawals are to begin in July and U.S. lawmakers are questioning the engagement in Afghanistan after the May 2 killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

A 51-page report two years in the making from the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations says that roughly 80 percent of the funds sent to the Taliban south and east of Afghanistan weren't going toward long-term development programs.

Afghanistan gets about $320 million per month in U.S. foreign aid. The Senate report argues that planning for any transition in Afghanistan is delicate given the financial stakes involved.

"Transition planning should find the right balance between avoiding a sudden drop-off in aid, which could trigger a major economic recession, and a long-term phaseout from current levels of donor spending," the report states.

Veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker, nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, told a Senate committee Wednesday that sustainable stability in Afghanistan requires long-term financial and institutional support if forces are expected to leave in 2014.

The Senate report adds that Afghanistan faces "severe economic depression" without appropriate transition planning.