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"Officials seek larger Afghan police effort"
BERLIN - Germany's foreign and interior ministers said the size of the European Union's police training mission in Afghanistan should be doubled, and offered in an article published yesterday to double Berlin's contingent. The EU has said the mission should be fully up and running by April after months of difficulties. Nearly 200 police trainers are due to be deployed.
"After a difficult initial phase, the European police mission, Eupol, is finally finding its feet," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wrote in a joint commentary for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper. "Beyond this, we advocate doubling the personnel of Eupol and will make corresponding proposals to our European colleagues," they added.
The EU started its police training mission last June to supplement 500 American specialists in the country training the Afghan police. NATO officials complain the weakness of the Afghan police force is undermining efforts to stabilize the country (AP February 25, 2008)."
