Top NATO commander in Europe says hundreds more trainers in Afghanistan needed

Hundreds more trainers in Afghanistan needed

WASHINGTON — The top NATO commander in Europe says hundreds of more trainers will likely be needed for Afghan security forces through early next year.

Adm. James Stavridis (STAH-vree-dahs) told reporters on Monday that on top of the 450 trainers needed now, “a few hundred more” will probably be needed in early 2011.

Earlier this year, U.S. officials pressed European allies to send more troops to Afghanistan and argued the war won’t end until the Afghan security force can take over.

NATO countries have agreed to send some trainers, but the program is 450 short of the 5,200 people needed this year. The program trains 30,000 Afghan security forces at a time.