Japan preparing up to $5 billion in Afghan aid: paper

Japan is preparing new aid for Afghanistan of up to $5 billion to be used to help former Taliban fighters find jobs and build roads, a big increase from previous commitments, the Nikkei newspaper said on Saturday. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is expected to present the details to US President Barack Obama when he visits Tokyo on November 12-13, the Nikkei said.
A move that could deflect attention from a row over the reorganisation of US military bases in Japan. The aid package, which would be between $4 billion and $5 billion, would be spread out over five years starting in 2010, the Nikkei said.