The United States has offered aid to Turkey to help offset its cost for taking command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. 

On Wednesday in Ankara, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney told Turkish leaders the White House will ask Congress to approve $228 million to defray Turkey's expenses. 

Turkey has volunteered to lead the peace force in Kabul when Britain's term expires next month. Turkey was Mr. Cheney's final stop on an 11-nation Mideast tour. 

In Kabul Wednesday, interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai urged European nations to extend Afghan peacekeeping operations beyond Kabul to control rival warlords, while his government builds a national police force and army. 

In an interview with VOA, Mr. Karzai said his government is currently attempting to negotiate with unruly tribal leaders, and says he will use force, if necessary, to bring them under control. 

However, it remains unclear whether the post-Taleban Kabul government will receive European support for an expanded foreign peacekeeping force outside the capital. 

In Wednesday's editions, the Washington Post quotes Western diplomats as saying the peacekeeping force will not be expanded beyond its current makeup of 4,500 troops from 17 nations. 

United Nations officials have declined to comment on the report, saying the peacekeeping debate will be taken up by the U.N. Security Council on March 27. 

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