German defence minister raises concern about likely drop in Afghan security forces The USA Times

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

German defence minister raises concern about likely drop in Afghan security forces

WASHINGTON - Germany's Defence Minister, Thomas de Maiziere, is raising concerns about how to manage a likely reduction of Afghan security forces after NATO ends combat operations in their country.

The issue reflects a debate within NATO. The Afghan army and police are scheduled to grow to more than 350,000 members by 2014.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet recently suggested the number could fall to 230,000 to reduce costs.

De Maziere said following a speech in Washington on Friday that such a precipitous fall would leave a large number of NATO-trained police and troops unemployed.

He said: "What are we going to do and who is paying for them?"

De Maziere discussed the issue in a meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta Thursday.