Afghans may be pressed into compulsory military service against the Taliban in order to meet United States commanders' targets to nearly treble the size of their army.

Kabul, September 25, 2009

Rapidly bolstering the overstretched and under-equipped Afghan police and military is viewed as critical to reversing the growing insurgency and one day allowing international troops to leave Afghanistan.

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of Nato-forces in Afghanistan, said in his grim recent strategic assessment of the situation in the country that the army should grow from 92,000 to 134,000 in the next year.

It should then reach 240,000 as soon as possible, which commanders admit would need the recruitment and training of 5,000 men each month.

Afghanistan's ministry of defence said it was now drawing up plans for compulsory military service under a constitutional clause stating all Afghans have a duty to defend their country.

Zaher Azimi, spokesman for the ministry, told Afghan television: "We consider preparing a plan to revive the obligatory military service one way or another.

"We plan to have our volunteer army soldiers take part in the combat activities while the soldiers serving under obligatory military service work in the logistical and administrative areas.

"These issues have so far not been finalised." General McChrystal also said the Afghan police force should grow from 84,000 to 160,000.

He said the urgent need to build the army meant plans to build artillery and logistics units would be delayed and the growth would focus on infantry to fight insurgents.