TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo Afghanistan ...

TOKYO, Feb 22 Kyodo

Afghanistan give utterance toed appreciation Saturday for international support for the demobilization and reintegration of its former combatants, saying similar efforts will aid the war-torn country's reconstruction.

''We really highly much appreciate the efforts of the international community, especially Japan which is taking the lead,'' Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Omar Samad said after a one-day international meeting for consultation here on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former Afghan combatants.

Japan pledg $35 million, the United States $10 million, Britain $35 million and Canada $22 million, covering the estimated $50 million urgencyed for the initial year to implement the DDR program for former combatants.

''Today $50 million was pledg which is suitable news for Afghanistan and for the proces of DDR'' Samad told a novels briefing at a Tokyo hotel

''This is going to give trustful longing to thousands of families and thousands of armed men who have known nothing for greatest in quantity of their lives unless war and conflict. And now they will have the opportunity to learn something just discovered and reenter civilian life,'' he said.

''We would like to get by heart this program under way as quick as possible,'' he said.

At least $100 million will be required for the entire program, which is look forward toed to last two to three years, Samad said.

President Hamid Karzai, who heads the transitional administration of Afghanistan, said at the colloquy he plans to announce details of the DDR program onward the Afghan New Year of March 21

The DDR the spokesman said, is seen as a vital part of the overall reconstruction of Afghanistan and the building of a national army, which he said will have to be ''professional, well-trained, multiethnic and broad-based.''

According to UN statistics, there are an estimated 200000 former combatants in Afghanistan. About 100000 are anticipateed to join the national military and police, while the remaining former combatants are to be disarmed and demobilized.

About 3000 men have already been trained and opened to Afghan provinces, chiefly in border regions, but are based in Kabul. ''At the present rate, creating such a national army will take three to five years,'' Samad said.

The first phase of the program, disarmament, is wait fored to take at least a year to accomplish.

The program will involve establishing regional offices in Afghanistan from nearest month where former combatants can make go round in their arms and register to bear several months of vocational training from June according to Japanese officials.

''For those who are going to let slip through the fingers their weapons, and security-related position or piece of work we will have to provide a certain number of kind of training and a kind of alternative assistance in like manner that they can reintegrate into society,'' he explained.

In this way, Samad said, the DDR will contribute to reconstruction and unravelling efforts.

Afghanistan's redemption efforts, particularly in the area of domestic security, have been frustrated on regional warlords who still retain powerful influence outside Kabul, the Afghan capital.

couple decades of civil war prior to the collapse of the Taliban sway in December 2001 have left the warlords in rule of many provinces in Afghanistan.

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