Washington ? U.S. troops will begin training Afghan army soldiers to bolster security and guard borders in that still-unstable nation, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday.

The training will begin in four to six weeks and be led by 125 to 150 members of the U.S. Army’s special forces teams.

In a statement, the Pentagon said the training will start with 10-week courses emphasizing “basic soldier skills.”

More complex training involving a range of units  from small groups to battalions comprising several hundred soldiers  will follow.

“Training the Afghan army will serve as a positive step to help ensure that there is a better chance for peace and security in Afghanistan, and that the country is not used as … a terrorist haven in the future,” said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who accompanied Rumsfeld at his Pentagon briefing.

No additional forces will be sent in. The training will be conducted by troops already in the country when they are not engaged in other tasks, Rumsfeld said.

He added that no decision has been made about how large the Afghan army might eventually be, saying that was a decision to be made by the Afghans.

The United States will ask other governments to contribute money to help pay for the training and to pay individual soldiers. The Bush administration also might consider asking Congress for money to help with the training, the defense secretary said.

So far, British and German members of the international security force in Afghanistan have begun providing basic training for 600 or so Afghans in Kabul.

But thousands of other potential recruits have been waiting, idly and untrained, in tent camps or barracks blocks. So far, most are paid only with a daily plate of onion and potato, although some officers have had meager wages paid by local businessmen. All are so far without uniforms.

“What we’ve decided to do is to try to get it started, and be helpful with one piece,” Rumsfeld said.