Pentagon pays to train, equip Afghan partners

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon pays to train, equip Afghan partners
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 1, 2010 8:36:24 EDT

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is pouring millions of dollars into equipment and training for its smaller partner nations in the Afghanistan war, a new effort that could encourage some countries not to abandon the increasingly unpopular conflict.

The money comes from a $350 million Pentagon program designed to improve the counterterrorism operations of U.S. allies.

While the funding cannot be openly used as an enticement for NATO nations to either send troops to Afghanistan or keep them in the country, the budding initiative sends the message that those who commit to the counterinsurgency fight could be rewarded.

The U.S. is committing more troops to Afghanistan to beat back a stubborn Taliban-led insurgency — and watching in dismay as allies, including Canada and the Netherlands, look to pull troops out of the 8-year-old war or remove them from combat duties.

Roughly 87,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan now, and about 100,000 are expected to be in place by late summer.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/ap_afghanistan_partners_040110/

[DrDan]

1. $350M - let see - how many teachers would that be? - 5,000 or so?

[Arctic Dave]

3. Building schools in Afghanistan so we can shut them down in America.

Catchy little phrase.

[DrDan]

4. just part of our little rebuilding strategy

[Lost4words]

2. How do I sign up to be an Afghanistan Partner?!

ok first I have to declare myself as a nation then I can get a share of that 350 million, I think I have a better chance of this than finding employment in this lousy economy.