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Afghanistan's troubled national army: Fixing the unfixable
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Problems that may be unfixable for the Afghan national army, and for which no increase in foreign trainers could make a difference. About 3% of the army recruits are from the Pushtun south, the main part of the country, where the Taliban are strongest. Officers from the northern areas have to use translators in the Pushtun south, a bad sign. And there is a shortage of officer talent. Gereral Caldwell who is working on training the army, says he was appalled at the emphasis on quantity not quality- the Afghan army has reached 134,000 in numbers. The ratio of instructors to recruits ranges from 1 to 80 to 1 to 466. It will cost $11 billion to maintain compared to an estimated $1 million per American soldier each year. Even if training problems are fixed, having 3% of recruits from the major Pushtun part of the country where the fighting is being done, simply makes the overall problem unfixable. See the group - Defense Department biannual report on Afghanistan, for related insight.
Afghanistan's national army and police force
08/21/2010
Conditions do not offer much hope of fixing the problems.
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A strategy that worked in Iraq may not work in Afghanistan.
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The Afghanistan war in mid to late 2010.
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Some successes in counterinsurgency do not make up for the lack of an alternative in governance that wins credibility in Afghanistan, among the people.
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A much diminished Al Quaeda in Afghanistan next to a growing Taliban focussed on local issues.
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This factors into whether it makes sense for the US to commit large forces in Afghanistan with no clear mission as General Powell suggests.
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April 2010 Defense Department biannual report on the war in Afghanistan.
04/29/2010
It shows little progress from the escalated effort, and the critical fact of the lack of acceptance of the Karzai government remains. Of 92 districts assessed in this report none are sympathetic to the Karzai government.
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Estimate by the Congressional Research Service.
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The view form Pakistan which discourages a large American footprint there and in Afghanistan.
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The head of the ISI, Pakistan's intelligence agency, met with CIA officials and argued against America sending more troops to Afghanistan. Some opposition parties oppose the large American embassy construction in Islamabad and consulate in Peshawar as signs America is increasing its presence. And Army chief Kalyani who sees Taliban moving into Baluchistan opposes drone attacks on Mullah Omar residing there.
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A new American effort in Afghanistan with Defense Secretary Gates' policy and General McChrystal in the field- 2009-2010
12/25/2008
The head of the Special Forces Operations Command for five years from 2003 to 2008 is now the new commander in Afghanistan. He is known for his hands on approach, intellect, relentless energy, and being always in the field, using networking and coordination to leverage his efforts. He comes from afamily of West Pointers, his father being a General in the second world war. Defense Secretary Gates who made the change putting General Petraeus in charge in Iraq to bring a younger officer with new ideas is now doing the same with replacing McKiernan and bringing in McChrystal. Gates is also bringing fresh thinking to the Defense Department and American defense policy.
Grouped Articles
Pentagon Toils to Build a Bomber on a Budget
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McChrystal article renews attention to split with Biden over Afghanistan
Washington Post 06/23/2010
Weakening, possible firing of McChrystal compounds sense of peril in Afghanistan
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Gates Faults Obama Over Afghanistan
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Former Defense Secretary Gates Is Elected President of the Boy Scouts
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Questions for General McChrystal
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