Afghan security worse, more police needed - U.N.

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Security in Afghanistan has worsened in recent months and the international community must redouble efforts to help build up the Afghan police, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan said on Thursday.

Some 3,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan this year, the worst violence since a U.S.-led invasion in 2001 ousted the Taliban government for refusing to hand over the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

"The security situation today is worse than it was three months ago," U.N. special envoy Kai Eide told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

As a result of the deteriorating security atmosphere, countries active in Afghanistan have been "distracted" from fulfilling commitments they made at a conference in Paris in June to support the rebuilding of Afghanistan's institutions and to promote sustainable economic development.

"Now is the time to return to the Paris agenda," he said.

Eide said there would be an annual lull in violence due to the harsh winter, which makes it difficult for militants to launch attacks. This will be a chance for the international community to redouble efforts to help rebuild Afghanistan.

"What we need most of all is a political surge," he said. Afghanistan needs a major boost in building up key institutions and some countries that had promised to help were not living up to their commitments, he said.

"I'm not saying that the next six months are decisive, but they're very important. ... It's a window of opportunity."