The commander of Nato's training mission in Afghanistan says the coalition will spend $20 billion on developing the country's security forces during 2010 and 2011. He says Nato's training presence will continue through at least 2016.
However, US Lieutenant General William Caldwell also highlighted soaring illiteracy rates and a shortage of specialised trainers as major hurdles that must be addressed as Afghans prepare to take control of securing their nation in 2014 - the deadline for Nato to withdraw its combat forces. That compares with slightly over $20 billion spent between 2003 and 2009.