U.S. Support for Afghanistan: Fact Sheet on Assistance Efforts

2007: A Pivotal Year for Afghanistan In 2007, the international community must redouble its efforts to help the Afghan people rebuild their lives, and enable the government of Afghanistan to extend sound and accountable governance.

Since 2001, the U.S. has provided over $14.2 billion in aid: nearly $9 billion in security assistance; $5.2 billion in reconstruction, humanitarian, and governance assistance. Because this is such a critical year for Afghanistan, Secretary Rice announced January 26 that the President would request from Congress an additional $10.6 billion in assistance over the next two years. The package includes:

• $2 billion for Afghanistan reconstruction, focused on the following key areas:

• Roads, especially at the district level; o Electricity grids and generating capacity;
• Rural development, irrigation, and agriculture; o Government centers, training personnel and meeting local needs through PRTs.
• Strengthening all five pillars of the Afghan counter narcotics strategy: education, interdiction, eradication, law enforcement, and rural development.

• $8.6 billion for Afghanistan's National Security Forces -- the army and police, including:

• Expanding the Afghan Army to 70,000 soldiers and providing them with better training and equipment;
• Expanding the Afghan Police to 82,000 and providing them with better training, equipment and support as they deploy throughout the country.

• On the stability side, the U.S. is considering increasing its military commitment by extending the tours of some of the troops currently deployed in Afghanistan and possibly deploying additional troops. Final decisions will be made based on a revised statement of requirements expected soon from SACEUR. Force levels will be among the topics discussed at the February 8-9 informal meeting of Defense Ministers in Seville, Spain.

The people and government of Afghanistan have made significant progress since 2001:

• Free and fair election of a president in 2004, and of a parliament in 2005;
• An educational system that features over 600 new schools, approximately six million students (including two million girls)
• Economy is growing -- $1 billion in private foreign investment in 2006, twice the investment in 2005;
• Creation of a multi-ethnic national army that is already producing results in the field;
• Creation of a police force; and
• Over 3,000 kilometers of roads around the country have been completed.

NATO is succeeding in Afghanistan:

• The NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), operating under a UN mandate and with wide popular support, is providing security throughout all of Afghanistan;
• 37 nations – all 26 Allies plus 11 non-NATO partners – are working together in a united effort;
• 32,000 soldiers in ISAF, including nearly 13,000 U.S. troops (additional 10,000 U.S. troops in Operation Enduring Freedom);
• 25 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) support stability and reconstruction throughout Afghanistan.