KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's interim defense minister said Tuesday an international peacekeeping force should be confined to only 1,000 troops with a ``very limited'' role guarding government meetings.
Mohammad Fahim also told reporters the Northern Alliance-led security forces now in control of the capital would remain, despite a pledge to ``withdraw all military forces'' from the city in an accord signed in Germany last week.
The comments appeared to pour cold water on talk in Western capitals of a much more robust international force.
Though governments have yet to say on the record how many troops they plan to commit, press reports have spoken of up to 5,000, led by 1,000 to 3,000 British soldiers.
``A small number of (international troops) will come and help maintain security, mainly in Kabul city,'' Fahim said.
``It won't be more than 1,000. The number is sufficient to ensure security during meetings of the interim government and meetings about the formation of a loya jirga (Grand Assembly) and this is all that is needed.''
The international force was high on the agenda of Secretary of State Colin Powell, on a visit to London, and of U.N. Special envoy to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi, who visited Kabul and met Fahim and other Alliance leaders.