Chicago, Sept 7: The United States should "tilt toward India" to take over the US' leadership role in rebuilding Afghanistan following American troops withdrawal, US Senator Mark Kirk has said.

Kirk would India to take over the US' leadership role in rebuilding Afghanistan after the United States begins pulling out this year, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

"I think the United States should tilt toward India," said Kirk, who recently returned from a two-week stint to Afghanistan, serving as a US Naval intelligence officer.

After the US, the country with the second-highest amount of investment in projects in Afghanistan is India, he noted, adding that it would be a neighbour with a stake in keeping Afghanistan's government stable and a logical choice to take over the US role once it leaves.

The Afghan army costs about 11 billion dollars a year and the Afghan government collects only 1 billion dollars in taxes, Kirk pointed out, adding that some third party has to pick up that cost to prevent the Afghan military from dissolving. (ANI)