Afghanistan to raise its own Air Force by next year
Kabul, Feb 20 (UNI) Afghanistan plans to increase the strength of its army to 70,000 personnel by 2006 from about 20,000 at present and will raise its own Air Force by next year in an attempt to gradually take over the security of the war-ravaged country, Afghanistan Defence Minister Gen Abdurrahim Wardak said.
The Army--Afghan National Army (ANA)--will have representation from all ethnic groups and will include people from all ideologies to make it truly representative, Gen Wardak told UNI here.
''It will be an ethnically-balanced army. The idea is to make it truly representative so that all the people in the country are able to contribute to the country's security...We are trying to make it more balanced and operationally cohesive,'' he said.
Asked whether there was a move to involve 'moderate Taliban' in the national reconstruction process, the Defence Minister said the process had not actually started.
To a question on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the Defence Minister said they were ''certainly'' on the move ''back and forth'' and very elusive even though the activities of Taliban and Al Qaida had declined over the past two years.
Gen Wardak said there was now more cooperation from Pakistan against terrorism and consequently, the situation was much better.
He said there was a proposal that the US led-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would gradually handle security outside Kabul also, where some warlords have started becoming active. This would be started sometime in March-April.
Presently, the ISAF, the multi-national force with Turkey as its current leader, is incharge of security operations in Kabul.
The entire 'Golkhana complex' housing the President's Palace and the residence of former King Zahir Shah, is also being protected by the ISAF. ISAF personnel, maialy from the US and Britain, are incharge of the personal security of President Hamid Karzai and King Zahir Shah.
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"To secure the peace is to prepare for war." George Washington and later Metallica.
