Abdul Rahim Wardak

Defence minister on Afghan troop build-up

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• published: 23 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST Kabul - Recent 1. Wide of Afghan soldiers during a training session at Kabul Military Training Base 2. Various of US soldiers training Afghan National Army soldiers 3. Various of Afghan soldiers practicing on firing range Kabul - 05 December 2009 4. Setup of Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak in his office 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghan Defence Minister: "We are increasing our recruitment and there are ways to improve the retention (of recruits) and all that, so we have to go in a very fast speed because the 134 (134-thousand troops level) was planned for 2011, initially for 2013 and then it was brought to 2011 and now to 2010, October. So because of that, I think that is definitely a requirement on our part to increase the recruitment plus retention and also reduce attrition all together." 6. Mid of Wardak during interview 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghan Defence Minister: "When the international forces leave Afghanistan still there will be a requirement for a strong army and police forces to be able to defend this country against all the external and internal threats. Because so much has been invested by the international community and also by the Afghans in blood and treasure, so what we have accomplished and achieved should be safeguarded." Kabul - Recent 8. Wide of Afghan National Army soldiers during training session 9. Various of Afghan soldiers lining up bullets STORYLINE While US President Barack Obama unveiled Washington's new war strategy last week to much worldwide fanfare, Afghanistan's defence force has been quietly planning its own troop build-up to break the Taliban's tightening grip on swathes of the nation. The Afghan surge is the one to watch because the success of the US' new war plan is inextricably hinged to Afghanistan's ability to recruit, train and retain security forces that can eventually take the lead in defending the nation. Afghan Defence Minister, General Abdul Rahim Wardak told The Associated Press in an interview on Saturday that the need for a strong Afghan security force is more pressing, especially in the long-term, in light of Obama's plan. "When the international forces leave Afghanistan still there will be a requirement for a strong army and police forces to be able to defend this country against all the external and internal threats," Wardak said from his office at the Ministry of Defence. "Because so much has been invested by the international community and also by the Afghans in blood and treasure, so what we have accomplished and achieved should be safeguarded," he explained. Initially, the size of the Afghan army was scheduled to swell from 85-thousand to 134-thousand by 2013. That target now is expected to be reached earlier - by October 31, 2011. "We are increasing our level of recruitment and there are going to be improvements in retention," he said. "We are going to go at a very fast speed." Wardak also confirmed that he's already assigned one brigade to a new three-brigade seventh corps of the Afghan National Army. Corps 215 Maiwand is based in the Helmand capital of Lashkar Gah, where most of the 30-thousand US reinforcements will be deployed. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the Afghans have promised to send 5,000 members of the new corps to partner with British troops in Helmand. Wardak insists that will be achieved with ease. He said he's already begun staffing the command's second brigade. Moreover, he said nearly 44 additional companies of Afghan soldiers are being added to battalions in the south and east. Another Afghan commando battalion, which will graduate in January, is also headed to Helmand - the scene of a major weekend offensive by 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan soldiers. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c08d13c7b0e0323ae7c95e50ee3946c2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork