December 16, 2001	Sunday	Ramazan 30, 1422

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LONDON, Dec 15: A British military team is arriving in Afghanistan for talks over peacekeeping deployments with the country’s new administration.

The small reconnaissance party, led by Maj-Gen John McColl, will meet ministers in Kabul in an attempt to persuade them to accept a significant foreign military presence on Afghan soil. The UN wants the lead elements of the force in place by Dec 22, when the new interim administration agreed at the Bonn talks assumes power, said the Guardian on Saturday.

The new Afghan defence minister, Mohammed Fahim, has stated publicly that no more than 1,000 peacekeepers are needed and they will simply provide security for the new administration.—APP