NATO to increase its civilian emphasis in Afstan/Building up the ANSF

Could be a good move--but will an appointment actually improve coordination of international civilian efforts and work effectively with the major UN effort?

KABUL—The North Atlantic Treaty Organization plans to create a new top civilian post in Kabul to flank the U.S.-led coalition's military chief in Afghanistan, and the British ambassador to Afghanistan is the leading contender, according to senior officials familiar with the matter.

The announcement could be made as soon as Jan. 28, the day of an international conference on Afghanistan to be held in London, the officials said.

The new appointee would head the civilian pillar of the U.S.-led coalition's work here, directing the flow of funds and aid to the provinces, and—if necessary—bypassing corrupt Afghan institutions. The official would play a prominent role in the effort to get insurgents to switch sides and to reintegrate them into society.

A British government official said the United Nations and European Union will also likely announce new special representatives to Afghanistan at or around the London conference. The British government wants the London meeting to result in a new strategy for reversing Taliban advances and for steering President Hamid Karzai's administration toward more efficient and competent governance.

American officials have long advocated for a senior international civilian figure to work hand-in-hand with the military on rolling back the insurgency and supervising economic development, in part through the existing network of military-run provincial reconstruction teams. The new position would help enact the so-called civilian surge, providing development and reconstruction to districts that have been cleared of insurgents. It would also create a civilian counterpart to U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander for all the 110,000 U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, making it easier for the alliance to oversee nonmilitary aspects of the counterinsurgency strategy...

While no final decision has been made, the plan backed by the U.S. and likely to be endorsed by other allies envisions giving the new job to the current British ambassador in Kabul, Mark Sedwill, according to senior U.S. and allied officials familiar with the discussions. A representative for the British Embassy in Kabul said: "It's up to NATO to agree on their appointments."

As for the ANSF:

Afghan forces to get big boost

The Afghan government and its international partners agreed Wednesday to increase significantly the country's security forces and outlined plans to lure Taliban militants from the fight in a bid to turn the tide of war.

A joint panel of officials from Afghanistan, the United Nations and troop-contributing nations approved plans to train an additional 100,000 more security forces by the end of next year.

The decision comes ahead of a Jan. 28 conference in London, aimed at boosting international support for Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent Taliban and complaints about runaway corruption in President Hamid Karzai's government.

The London conference will endorse the decisions and solicit international funding for the programs, UN spokesman Aleem Siddique said.

Britain's ambassador to Kabul, Mark Sedwill, told reporters in London Wednesday the conference likely will set a tentative timetable for handing over security to local forces and also discuss funding for a program to reintegrate Taliban and other militants who agree to lay down their weapons.

Meanwhile, the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board agreed to increase the size of the Afghan National Army by about 94,600, from the current 97,000 to 171,600, by the end of next year. The Afghan National Police, similarly, is to be boosted from about 94,000 today to 134,000.

The board set a long-term goal of expanding the Afghan security force to 240,000 soldiers and 160,000 police within five years if conditions require...

The Afghan government itself will certainly not be able to fund such forces.