The Afghan government and its international partners agreed today to significantly increase the country's security forces and outlined plans to lure Taliban militants from the fight in a bid to turn the tide of the war, according to AP. A joint panel of officials from Afghanistan, the U.N. and troop-contributing nations approved plans to train more than 100,000 more security forces by the end of next year. The decision comes ahead of a Jan. 28 conference in London, which is aimed at boosting international support for Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent Taliban and complaints about runaway corruption in President Hamid Karzai's government. The London conference will endorse the decisions and solicit international funding for the programs, U.N. spokesman Aleem Siddique said. Britain's ambassador to Kabul, Mark Sedwill, told reporters in London on Wednesday that the conference will likely set out a tentative timetable for handing over security to local forces and also discuss funding for a program to reintegrate Taliban and other militants who agree to lay down their weapons. Meanwhile the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board agreed to increase the size of the Afghan National Army from the current figure of about 97,000 to 171,600 by the end of next year, officials said. The Afghan National Police will be boosted from about 94,000 today to 134,000.
