Aid projects intended to product quick results planned for Afghanistan reconstruction effort

WASHINGTON – The international effort to rebuild Afghanistan will begin with projects designed to achieve results within 100 days, the State Department said Wednesday.

Projects could include agricultural development, demining, community development, education, health care and civil and social service development, department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

He said the plan emerged from an Afghanistan reconstruction meeting in Washington on Tuesday that was attended by representatives of more than 20 countries and international organizations.

The rebuilding process is expected to start once stability is restored to Afghanistan. Planning meetings will take place in a variety of places in the coming weeks.

Boucher said he has not seen a dollar figure attached to the reconstruction effort.

One encouraging sign that normalcy may be returning is the repatriation of an estimated 12,000 Afghans from Iran, he said. This represents a tiny fraction of the overall refugee population, much of which is located in Pakistan.

He suggested that some of the Iran-based Afghans many have opted for an early return because snow soon will close the passes between the two countries.

Boucher said their return also "is a sign that there are areas of Afghanistan now to which people are able to return and not fear the oppression of the Taliban."

APNP-11-21-01 1411CST