NATO halts training for Afghan police new recruits

The US will suspend training of Afghani Local Police (ALP) after a rise in the number of attacks against Nato officials by Afghani security personnel, US Special Operations Forces said Sunday. They will also conduct background checks on some of ALP's members due to suspicion of ties to Taliban. The suspension will be limited only to new ALP recruits. The US Special Operations Forces currently trains 1000 ALP officers, those trainings are set to continue. The decision came after the killing of more than 40 Nato by alleged Afghan police officers. Spokesman for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Colonel Thomas Collins said that the step was a temporary but necessary one to "ensure the quality indicative of Afghan Local Police." He also stressed the Nato and US full confidence in their "Afghan partners." Alongside suspending the program, ISAF will look to intensify an eight-step vetting program. It will also increase the number of its counter-intelligence team. Collins did not clarify when will the suspension start, or for how long will it remain suspended. An average of 7000 of Afghan soldiers and 3700 Afghan police were trained a month by ISAF and US Special Operation Forces, the BBC said today. There were currently 16,380 ALP members.