KABUL (Reuters) - A British army general said on Sunday he had arrived in Kabul to discuss the size and composition of an international peacekeeping force, even as Afghan leaders have voiced doubts about the need for the troops.
Major General John McColl arrived at Bagram air base Saturday night and met leader designate Hamid Karzai Sunday and was expected to see defense minister Mohammad Fahim and foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah Monday.
Arrangements might be finalized in time for the first foreign troops to be in place when the Afghan interim administration takes office on December 22.
The 12-strong visiting team will assess the situation and make a recommendation on troop numbers for an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The United States is cautious about committing its troops as peacekeepers while the military campaign against Afghanistan's former Taliban rulers is in full swing.
However, the Americans did sit in on one meeting between military officials from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Jordan in London Friday. It is believed the force would operate under the auspices of the United Nations.
The size of the force is controversial, with some contributors putting potential numbers at around 8,000 but Afghanistan's interim Defense Minister Mohammad Fahim insisting it should not exceed 1,000.
Speaking on an unannounced trip to Bagram Airbase to the north of Kabul, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he expected an international peacekeeping force for Afghanistan would number 5,000 at most.