Biden urges funds, strong peacekeeping force in Afghanistan

Sen. Joseph Biden suggested freeing up the Taliban's frozen assets to help fund the new interim Afghan government.

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Immediate funds and a "robust, multinational military force" top the list of Afghanistan's needs for a stable government to survive, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman said Saturday while visiting Afghanistan.

"This interim government needs an infusion of a modest amount of capital in days, not weeks, not months," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware, at a news conference in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

"For a government to maintain any credibility, it has to have the ability to pay people's salaries, turn on the lights, be able to have desks, telephones ... etc."

Biden said one consideration is freeing up the Taliban's frozen assets to help fund the interim government.

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If the United States and the new Afghan regime agree to the measure, "there will be the ability to literally give some of the Afghans back their money to govern themselves in the near term," Biden said. "We're talking about more than $100 million."

The senator outlined his impressions of the war-torn country during a four-day visit, meeting with members of the new government. On Sunday, he will head to Pakistan and then on to India.

Biden said the international community, including the United States, has pledged $20 million to help the interim government get up and running, but the money is tied up because of bureaucratic difficulties.

Detailing his meetings with various Afghan ministers, Biden said that the main concern he heard was the need for a "robust, multinational military force to be in Afghanistan, not just in Kabul."

The Bonn, Germany, agreement that set up the parameters of a post-Taliban government had a provision for peacekeeping forces. Biden emphasized that the security forces should be armed.

"I'm talking about people ... who will come in here with guns and understand that they don't have to check with anybody before they return fire," Biden said.

"I'm talking about a multilateral force that can shoot to kill and makes it clear to everybody that without order, you are our enemy, whoever you are.

"Absent that, I for one don't see any shot for this country in the near term," he said. "They have no army; they have no police force; they have no ability to maintain order."

Hundreds of British, French, German and Dutch troops already are in Kabul as part of an international security force that will number 4,500 to 5,000.