Afghan security funds may drop after 2014

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Afghanistan's security forces could face a $4 billion shortfall after 2014 when they assume the main responsibility for fighting insurgents, officials said.

The Guardian first reported Friday a 352,000-strong security force was estimated to cost to cost $8 billion, but U.S. officials said Washington is prepared to underwrite only $3 billion of the bill and other donors were expected to come up with $1 billion.

At a $4 billion funding level the force would have 220,000 members, the Guardian said. The Afghan army and police combined currently have about 308,000 and are expected reach peak strength of 352,000 by the end of next year, officials said.

"The Americans have told us that Congress is not prepared to give Afghanistan more military aid than Israel, which means no more than $3 billion," a European official said.

Officials said any effort to find agreement on how to fill the funding gap won't be attempted until the NATO summit in Chicago next summer. U.S. officials have said other countries will have to pony up more than the $1 billion they're now projected to contribute to the Afghan National Security Forces and have warned the Afghan government it may have a smaller force over the long term than originally planned.

"I don't think anybody would see the 352,000 figure as a permanent figure. It is the Afghan surge," a U.S. official told The Guardian. "I'm not aware of any plans not to reach it [in 2012], but it would be an open question how long it could be held at that level."