Afghanistan may double police force

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-20-2009 13:42

Afghan Interior Minister Hanif Atmar says the country may expand the 86 thousand member police force to 95 thousand.

He says they will also train 15 thousand new recruits in time for the presidential election on August 20th.

An Afghan policeman keeps watch as colleagues inspect the site of a suicide attack in March 2009.(AFP/File/Shah Marai)

More than 70 thousand foreign troops are in Afghanistan and the United States is to send four thousand police trainers this year.

The Afghan government intends to double the number of military, police, and intelligence agents to around three hundred thousand.

The increase is required to try to reverse the deteriorating security situation since last year, which has killed some five thousand people in one year.