Report finds that 152 Afghan trainees have gone Awol in the US since 2005

Investigators say at least 152 Afghans sent to the United States for military training during the course of the war against the Taliban have gone Awol.

They are considered a security risk in the US because they have military training and are of fighting age, with little apparent risk of arrest or detention.

The problem grew worse last year, and a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said it expects little or no improvement over the issue any time soon.

The report says investigators' interviews with Afghans currently in the US for training and with some who were granted asylum after going Awol show that they feared for the safety of their families in Afghanistan after receiving threats from the Taliban for co-operating with Americans.