More money for Afghan army a tough sell

Washington Post:

The Obama administration has made an urgent appeal for international donors to pledge more money to pay for Afghanistan’s security forces after the departure of U.S. and coalition combat troops at the end of 2014. 

In formal diplomatic demarches sent to 64 countries this month, and in direct appeals by President Obama and top national security aides, the administration has outlined a $4.1 billion annual budget for the Afghan army and police, according to U.S. and foreign officials. 

At least $1.3 billion would come from existing foreign donors, triple the amount they currently spend. The Afghan government would contribute $500 million, and the United States would pay the rest. 

The request for indefinite commitments comes as the United States and its partners in Afghanistan are under pressure to cut costs and end an increasingly unpopular war. 

The administration hopes to secure the pledges before a NATO summit in Chicago in May. So far, however, there have been no specific replies to the funding appeals, an administration official said. 

“We’ve gotten a lot of questions and a lot of ‘We’re thinking about it,’ ” the official said.

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The recent outbreak of treachery within its ranks makes the Afghan army less likely to get much from NATO countries who have been victimized by it.  They might get some money from the Arab states because of their Muslim ties.