Afghanistan Recruits Iraq-style Militia Force

[GUNNER]

Afghanistan Recruits Iraq-style Militia Force


KABUL - The Afghan government said Wednesday it had began recruiting thousands of militiamen to strengthen security forces against a resurgent Taliban in remote villages of the war-torn country.

President Hamid Karzai last month approved the establishment of what his administration calls "Local Police Force" -- recruited from among Afghan villagers in a bid to guard against Taliban attacks in their communities.

Deputy interior minister Mohammad Munir Mangal told reporters that the US-backed initiative was underway in south-central provinces Wardak and Uruzgan, both hard hit by Taliban violence.

Once fully in theatre, the force will number about 10,000 men, Mangal said.

Mangal said the recruits would operate under the interior ministry, which has authority over all Afghan police. They will be paid about 60 percent of the regular police salary, he added.

Karzai and the commander of foreign forces in the country, US General David Petraeus, met for days before reaching an agreement over creating the new force, according to Afghan officials.

US media have reported that Petraeus, who took command of nearly 150,000 US and NATO troops on July 4, had been pushing for the establishment of Iraq-style tribal militias to fight Taliban-linked militants in remote Afghan villages.

Critics are concerned about repeating mistakes made in Afghanistan during the 1980s, when local militias were set up during the Soviet occupation to fight the mujahideen uprising, and then morphed into private armies.

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I seriously doubt if it will work in Afghanistan !

 

[muse]

Some people say that the "surge" in Iraq (Petraeus's baby) was responsible for turning the tide against the Al-Qaida in Iraq -- but it was the sons of Iraq that was responsible -- Now, are the Talib the same as the Al-Qaidain Iraq? I mean do they have the same kind of standing in society?

I'm all for victory in Afghanistan, but I do wonder if this is the right tool or that the assumptions under which this tool will be utilizd are correct.

 

[EjazR]

This was bound to happen with PAtreus running the "COIN strategy". I guess we will know in a year or so wether it was a good idea.

 

[True_Pakistan_Zindabad]

Mangal said the recruits would operate under the interior ministry, which has authority over all Afghan police. They will be paid about 60 percent of the regular police salary, he added.

When you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys. A favourite quote from my business teacher in school.

Critics are concerned about repeating mistakes made in Afghanistan during the 1980s, when local militias were set up during the Soviet occupation to fight the mujahideen uprising, and then morphed into private armies.

DUH YA THINK??? Either that or these guys will get ambushed hard one day and end up joining the Taliban.

 

[Parashuram1]

Afghanistan Recruits Iraq-style Militia Force


KABUL - The Afghan government said Wednesday it had began recruiting thousands of militiamen to strengthen security forces against a resurgent Taliban in remote villages of the war-torn country.

President Hamid Karzai last month approved the establishment of what his administration calls "Local Police Force" -- recruited from among Afghan villagers in a bid to guard against Taliban attacks in their communities.

Deputy interior minister Mohammad Munir Mangal told reporters that the US-backed initiative was underway in south-central provinces Wardak and Uruzgan, both hard hit by Taliban violence.

Once fully in theatre, the force will number about 10,000 men, Mangal said.

Mangal said the recruits would operate under the interior ministry, which has authority over all Afghan police. They will be paid about 60 percent of the regular police salary, he added.

Karzai and the commander of foreign forces in the country, US General David Petraeus, met for days before reaching an agreement over creating the new force, according to Afghan officials.

US media have reported that Petraeus, who took command of nearly 150,000 US and NATO troops on July 4, had been pushing for the establishment of Iraq-style tribal militias to fight Taliban-linked militants in remote Afghan villages.

Critics are concerned about repeating mistakes made in Afghanistan during the 1980s, when local militias were set up during the Soviet occupation to fight the mujahideen uprising, and then morphed into private armies.

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I seriously doubt if it will work in Afghanistan !

Not something that was expected out of a national force that is barely standing on its own feet right now. Militia-style formations often go rogue in a state that is not strong enough to control such groups and the result would be again going back to scratch one.

Afghanistan should focus on nation-oriented professional special police force that is under a structured command. Since United States seems to be already providing equipment for the Afghan civil and national defence, I believe a non-militia approach would be better since there is a considerable possibility of militia leaders turning into warlords, if we look at Afghanistan's modern history.