Fledgling Afghan Army Threatened by Afghanistan Traditions

"If we can't do this in Kabul, what makes us think we will be able to do it in Baghdad?" By Martin Edwin Andersen, Insight Magazine, August 17, 2002 The backbone of Afghanistan s security a!!aratus, "#$# A%bassador &ohn '# (egro!onte to)d the "#(# $ecurity *ounci) on &u)y 1+, ,%ust u)ti%ate)y be the Afghan nationa) ar%y# The de-e)o!%ent of a co%!rehensi-e !)an for the de%obi)ization of regiona) %i)itias and the absor!tion of so%e of those so)diers into a nationa) ar%y is a critica) ste!#, It a)so a!!ears to be a -ery difficu)t one# .e))/!)aced sources te)) news alert! that "#$# efforts to he)! create a %u)tiethnic, a!o)itica) and batt)e/ready Afghan (ationa) Ar%y 0A(A1 are sta))ed and in serious disarray# These sources add that for weeks the A(A has been the to!ic of frantic, high/)e-e), interagency %eetings in .ashington, with the )ong/ter% goa) of creating a 20,000/ strong force in increasing 3eo!ardy# $ecretary of 'efense 'ona)d 4u%sfe)d, a 'e!art%ent of 'efense insider re!orts, is ,furious, at the de)ays and de%anding 5uick and thoughtfu) action to shore u! the assistance effort# The training !rogra% is seen as key to an order)y withdrawa) of "#$# forces fro% Afghanistan and a guarantee against a return to !ower of Ta)iban/su!!orted grou!s hiding in 6akistan# 4ecent news re!orts fro% 7abu) ha-e focused on continuing tension between Afghan 6resident 8a%id 7arzai, an ethnic 6ashtun, and Minister of 'efense Moha%%ed 9ahi%, who as head of the Ta3ik/do%inated (orthern A))iance a)so contro)s the country s $o-iet/ins!ired inte))igence network# 7now)edgeab)e obser-ers say that the 7arzai/9ahi% ri-a)ry threatens to wreck efforts to for% a -iab)e centra) go-ern%ent# The A(A training !rogra% // which is to create u! to 1: batta)ions of infantry so)diers // is seen as an essentia) cornerstone for the success of that go-ern%ent# ,$ecurity is e-erything,, says a %i)itary officer inti%ate)y in-o)-ed in the !)anning o!eration headed by the "#$# *entra) *o%%and 0*E(T*;M1# ,The )onger we re there, the %ore )ike)y our !resence wi)) beco%e !o)iticized, and the sooner A%erican so)diers wi)) beco%e targets once again#, According to re!orts, Afghan recruiters for the A(A o-erso)d the benefits of signing u!# Many recruits beca%e disi))usioned with the )ow !ay // <=0 a %onth during training, <>0 a %onth once in ser-ice# ;thers 3oined be)ie-ing that they were beco%ing !art of regiona) %i)itia forces // whose continuing e?istence is a %a3or headache for the 7arzai go-ern%ent // but refused to ser-e after )earning they cou)d be !osted far fro% their ho%es# ,I ha-e heard there ha-e been so%e %isunderstandings with indi-idua)s being recruited,, says (a-y *%dr# 'an 7eesee, a *E(T*;M !ub)ic/affairs officer stationed in Ta%!a, 9)a# .hi)e ad%itting that defections a%ong the recruits are a !rob)e%, a $tate 'e!art%ent officia) suggests that the nu%bers the%se)-es resu)ted in a certain e?aggeration# ,A )ot of the% ha-e )eft against orders to take their sa)aries to their fa%i)ies@ then they return,, he says# ;ther sources say interagency discussions ha-e focused hea-i)y on whether the !ay is sufficient# ,Thirty to fifty do))ars %ay not sound )ike %uch in the $tates,, one says, ,but in Afghanistan it is substantia)#, Another counteredA ,.e s!ent bi))ions winning the war, so why are we scri%!ing on !aying
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the%B, $ources say the *E(T*;M assu%ed !ay%aster duties for the training o!eration a%id concern that %oney gi-en to 9ahi% s defense officia)s )ike)y wou)d be si!honed off# 7eesee notes that a)) of the %oney s!ent fro% the <>0 %i))ion first/year "#$# budget has been ,!ay%ent in kind,, and another officia) said that there was a re)uctance to ,du%! -a)uab)e "#$# assets into !aying sa)aries#, Meanwhi)e, the "nited (ations re!orted)y is in the !rocess of setting u! a trust fund to %ake u! for the shortfa)) by the Afghan go-ern%ent, which origina))y !ro%ised to take care of the %i)itary !ay# 8eated interagency discussions in .ashington a)so ha-e focused on !ro-iding ser-iceab)e wea!ons for training and finding e5ui!%ent for an e%bryonic force that %ust co%!ete for resources with 9ahi% s 1:,000/strong !ersona) ar%y# ;ther !rob)e%s inc)ude obser-ance, in rigorous fie)d conditions, of strict ru)es go-erning "#$# !ay%ents to !ersons sus!ected of hu%an/ rights -io)ations or in-o)-e%ent in the drug trade# 4u%sfe)d is re!orted to re%ain high)y confident in the )eadershi! of *E(T*;M co%%ander Cen# To%%y 9ranks, who has won to! %arks for his !erfor%ance in a difficu)t situation# In an effort to address hu%an/rights concerns, news alert! has )earned, 9ranks not on)y has in-ited ins!ection -isits by the Internationa) *o%%ission of the 4ed *ross 0I*4*1 but is considering a))owing I*4* to train the Afghan ar%y in the )aw of war, as recognized by the Cene-a *on-entions# The )essons fro% Afghanistan, a di!)o%at says, are being carefu))y studied by !o)icy%akers who are wrest)ing with another sticky issue//the rebui)ding of !ost/$adda% Ira5# ,If we can t do this in 7abu), what %akes us think we wi)) be ab)e to do it in BaghdadB, Martin Edwin Andersen is a re orter for Insight maga!ine"