US to pledge $10 billion in Afghan aid

The United States is expected to pledge roughly $10 billion in aid for Afghanistan at a donor's conference to be held in Paris…

The United States is expected to pledge roughly $10 billion in aid for Afghanistan at a donor's conference to be held in Paris later this week, a Bush administration official said.

The official, who spoke on condition that he not be named because Washington has not yet unveiled its pledge, also said he expected the conference to garner more than $15 billion in total pledges, including the US contribution.

Donor states, military powers and regional players will seek a more effective strategy for Afghanistan's development and security as well as pledging funds at the conference on Thursday.

Afghanistan will ask officials from around 65 countries at the gathering to fund a $50 billion five-year development plan, for which donors will demand that Kabul do more to fight corruption in what is one of the world's poorest states.

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