WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that its executive board would soon take into account the request for a fresh financial assistance for Afghanistan.
However, before the new economic program could be considered by the IMF Executive Board, Afghanistan needs to carry out certain actions over the next few months.

"Afghanistan has made substantial progress on a number of actions intended to safeguard financial and economic stability which, when completed, would serve as the basis for a new program," said Schimmelpfennig, who led the IMF team in talks with the visiting Afghan representatives on the issue.

Welcoming the progress achieved in Afghanistan, Schimmelpfennig said over the last few days, the Afghan authorities and an IMF team reached an understanding on the structural reform agenda of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies that could be supported by a Fund program.

"This will allow an IMF mission to visit Kabul shortly to update macroeconomic projections underlying a possible program," he said.

"The Afghan authorities have committed to complete a number of remaining actions over the coming month, and once these are done, the IMF's Executive Board is expected to consider the request for a new Fund supported program," Schimmelpfennig said.

The hammering the Taliban are receiving (over 7,000 dead this year) is largely due to more foreign (especially American) troops, and the movement of air recon and intel resources from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Recon sorties (by manned and unmanned aircraft) over Afghanistan have greatly increased over the last two years. "We have about an additional 800 people, trainers that are still coming."