December 3, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 27,1423

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BONN, Dec 2: Afghan Reconstruction Minister Mohammad Amin Farhang said on Monday that Kabul had agreed to the creation of a 70,000-strong national army to be trained by the Americans and the French.

“This has been decided that Afghanistan’s national army will be 70,000. It does not need more than that,” Farhang said, adding that a national army would save Afghanistan from dependence on factional forces for its protection.

Farhang, speaking before the start of an international conference here on Afghan security and reconstruction, did not specify when the army would be introduced.—AFP