NATO Secretary—General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday urged the alliance to contribute more experts to train Afghan police and soldiers.
The trainers were a “key element” in allowing the Afghans to take charge of their own affairs as soon as possible, Mr. Rasmussen said in a speech he gave in Madrid.
NATO had the right strategy and resources in Afghanistan, but it needed more people to train a total of 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police, he stressed.
The NATO—led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) might be able to start transferring responsibilities to the Afghans in 2011, Mr. Rasmussen said.
NATO supported the deadline set by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who wanted the Afghans to be in full control by the end of 2014, the secretary—general said.
Mr. Rasmussen was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos during his visit to Spain, which has about 1,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the ISAF.
He came to Madrid after a visit to Washington, where he held talks with U.S. President Barack Obama.
