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US has spent $53b funding Afghan forces

author avatar
19 Mar 2014 - 14:06
author avatar
19 Mar 2014 - 14:06

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States has spent around $53 billion funding the Afghan security forces, in addition to providing the Afghan National Army (ANA) with 160 aircrafts, a coalition spokesman said on Wednesday.

Col. Jane E Crichton, ISAF director of public affairs, told Pajhwok Afghan News during an exclusive interview that the US had given the Afghan forces the latest military gear over the past few years.

He said the equipment included power generators, logistics supply vehicles and tools used at military bases.

He said the $53 billion sum was used developing and training Afghan forces and purchasing military equipment for them.

Crichton also said the United States had provided the ANA with 160 different aircrafts, 100,000 military vehicles, 500,000 weapons and 200,000 other military tools, including communication systems and cameras.

He also said a final decision on the US Army’s mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles had not been made as whether to hand them over to the Afghan forces.

The Washington Post has recently reported that the US may dispose $7 billion in military equipment by handing it over to Pakistan.

Discussions on this issue have been taking place over several months between American and Pakistani officials. The report said the US does not want to pay to ship out leftover military hardware from Afghanistan.

Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said they would ask the US for the equipment to be given to the ANA, insisting the Afghan army had the capability to use such advanced equipment.

nh/ma

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