Pentagon wants faster training of PA

[Lockheed F-16]

Saturday, May 16, 2009
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is looking at plans to significantly accelerate and expand the training of Pakistan’s military to improve its ability to confront insurgents along the Afghanistan border, The Associated Press has learned.

US officials are in early talks with Pakistani leaders to develop a programme that could increase the number of US special operations trainers in that country, with a goal of cutting the training time by as much as half for more than 9,000 members of the Frontier Corps, said a senior defence official.

Training the 14 battalion-size units of the Frontier Corps is expected to take at least four years, but officials would like to speed up their counterinsurgency training and expand the schooling to the Pakistani Army, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are preliminary and no decisions on the sensitive issue have been made.

Among the issues yet to be resolved are how many US trainers will be needed, and whether all the courses will be given at the single existing training camp or broadened to several more camps.

Officials also have not settled on a timetable, because it will depend on how the US and Pakistan officials decide they want the new programme structured, how much funding is available, and what the security situation is in the border region.

US special operations forces have been training the Pakistani special forces for some time, and the programme was expanded to the Frontier Corps last October. On Thursday, Marine Commandant James T Conway told members of Congress it will be difficult to make progress in Afghanistan if forces in Pakistan ‘are not having parallel success.
Pentagon wants faster training of Pakistan Army


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[Mercenary_ali]

Why does Pakistan needs Training, Isn't PA trained enough or doesn't it have the ability to train its soldiers. I think They have. So we should not rely on others to train us, but we should train ourselves to an extent that one day we are required by others to train them.

PAKFAUJ ZINDABAD
PAkistan Paindabad

 

[ajpirzada]

well ill be repeating myself but today army chief said that PA does not require any trainin from any country as CI trainin infrastructure has already been developed by PA herself.
so in the end training will only be provided to FC

 

[PeacefulIndian]

Why does Pakistan needs Training, Isn't PA trained enough or doesn't it have the ability to train its soldiers. I think They have. So we should not rely on others to train us, but we should train ourselves to an extent that one day we are required by others to train them.

PAKFAUJ ZINDABAD
PAkistan Paindabad

Most of your Pakistani friends don't seem to agree with you here. They believe that your army has no training on CI warfare.

 

[ajpirzada]

Most of your Pakistani friends don't seem to agree with you here. They believe that your army has no training on CI warfare.

well it appears army is doing fine in swat.
troops do need trainin but not necessarily from americans. like Gen. Kiyani said we have developed our own CI trainin infrastructure

 

[ajpirzada]

Pak army has facilities for counter insurgency training: Army Chief
Updated at: 1730 PST, Saturday, May 16, 2009
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani reacting to the comments on Low Intensity Conflict (LIC ) Training of Pakistani troops said Pakistan Army has developed a full range of counter insurgency training facilities tailored to train troops for such operations.

In a statement the COAS said: “Except for very specialized weapons and equipment, high technology, no generalized foreign training is required.”

Owing to its vast experience, Pakistan Army remains the best-suited force to operate in its own area. Uncalled for aspersions through various quarters on our training methods / orientation is apparently due to lack of knowledge and understanding of our training system in vogue, he said.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani reaffirmed that strategic decisions regarding where, when and how many troops are deployed in each operation or sector is always a Pakistani decision based on objective analysis and our full understanding of threat spectrum.

These decisions are undertaken in accordance with our national interest by our leadership keeping in view the aspirations of people of Pakistan. Any outside advice/subjective comments towards this end is counter productive and divisive in effect rather than helpful.
Pak army has facilities for counter insurgency training: Army Chief

 

[Lockheed F-16]

We don't need any training, maybe some Rajputs and people living in the mountains could

 

[muse]

Capital suggestion



What next for America?

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Dr Farrukh Saleem

General David Howell Petraeus, the 10th Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), has negotiated, bargained and networked with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. General Petraeus, in his desperate search for an alternative supply route, went as far as Latvia. The top graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College -- class of 1983 -- and the winner of the General George C Marshall Award hasn't met with much success lately.

Yes, there have been minor -- strategically inconsequential -- delights. General Petraeus did manage a deal with Kazakhstan for oil and another one with Latvia for 100 containers a day on a 4,000 km journey to the Kandahar Air Base. On May 11, President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan announced that his country has begun "shipping non-military supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan through its airport in the city of Navoi." Yes, there have also been major -- strategically consequential -- disappointments. Kyrgyzstan took a hefty $2 billion from Russia and in return put General Petraeus on notice to vacate the Manas Air Base (Uzbekistan had told the US to vacate the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base some four years ago).

What is General Petraeus now left with? Four things: one, Pakistan's National Highway N-5. From Karachi, Hyderabad, Moro and Khairpur a total of 671 km all of which is safe from outside attacks. N-5 then enters Multan on to Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum and Rawalpindi, a total of 1,021 km all of which is safe. N-5 then crosses the Indus River into Nowshera, Peshawar and then Torkham, a total of 127 km almost all of which is extremely vulnerable. Two, Pakistan's Indus Highway or N-55. From Karachi to Peshawar via Kotri, Dadu, Shikarpur, Kashmor, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kohat and into Peshawar. Three, Pakistan's RCD Highway or N-25. From Karachi to Chaman via Hub, Bela, Khuzdar, Quetta to Chamman and then into Kandahar; a total of 813 km almost all of it is secure except for when it crosses the border into Afghanistan (there has been a recent connection to Gwadar). Four, Pakistani refineries producing most of the jet fuel for NATO forces.

What is America doing in Afghanistan? Operation Enduring Freedom was launched on October 7, 2001. The stated casus belli, or reasons for war, were: one, to remove the Taliban regime from power (because the Taliban had provided a safe sanctuary to Al Qaeda). Two, to capture Osama bin Laden. Three, to destroy Al Qaeda. Where does America stand now? The Taliban regime is no more but Osama continues to be on the loose and Al Qaeda is still ticking and kicking.

To be certain, America is confused, baffled and may be even disoriented. Richard Holbrooke, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has reportedly opened up his channels with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Remember, in 2002, CIA-controlled MQ-1 Predator fired a Hellfire missile on Gulbuddin's vehicle but missed. Then on February 19, 2003, US Department of Treasury designated Gulbuddin a 'global terrorist'. And now, the special representative is negotiating with a 'global terrorist'.

Is America really puzzled? Over the past year, there have been a handful of reviews of America's Afghan policy -- one after another. On June 3, 2008, the Department of Defence ordered General David McKiernan to take over the command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). On May 11, McKiernan having served for less than a year was asked by Defence Secretary Robert Gates to resign.

General Petraeus, beaming from his success in Iraq, is adamant on replicating his Iraq experience. President Obama, on the other hand, does not want to make Afghanistan as the centrepiece of his presidency. There is evidence that Obama and Robert Gates are both at odds with Petraeus. Where does America go from here? Would America let the Taliban back to power in exchange for throwing Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan? Where would America go from here?

PS: The president of Pakistan was at Elysee Palace. The president of Pakistan should have been in Takht Bhai at the Jalala Camp. The president of Pakistan was at Number 10 Downing Street inside the residence of the First Lord of the Treasury. The president of Pakistan should have been in Sheikh Yasin Town inside the Sheikh Yasin Camp. The president of Pakistan is all over but not where he should be. The president of Pakistan is where he is not needed and not where he is really needed.



The writer is the executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com

 

[nwmalik]

we should not hesitate to learn from the experience of others

 

[Rank]

Saturday, May 16, 2009
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is looking at plans to significantly accelerate and expand the training of Pakistan’s military to improve its ability to confront insurgents along the Afghanistan border, The Associated Press has learned.

US officials are in early talks with Pakistani leaders to develop a programme that could increase the number of US special operations trainers in that country, with a goal of cutting the training time by as much as half for more than 9,000 members of the Frontier Corps, said a senior defence official.

Training the 14 battalion-size units of the Frontier Corps is expected to take at least four years, but officials would like to speed up their counterinsurgency training and expand the schooling to the Pakistani Army, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are preliminary and no decisions on the sensitive issue have been made.

Among the issues yet to be resolved are how many US trainers will be needed, and whether all the courses will be given at the single existing training camp or broadened to several more camps.

Officials also have not settled on a timetable, because it will depend on how the US and Pakistan officials decide they want the new programme structured, how much funding is available, and what the security situation is in the border region.

US special operations forces have been training the Pakistani special forces for some time, and the programme was expanded to the Frontier Corps last October. On Thursday, Marine Commandant James T Conway told members of Congress it will be difficult to make progress in Afghanistan if forces in Pakistan ‘are not having parallel success.
Pentagon wants faster training of Pakistan Army


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@ UNITEDSTATES

We dont need any sort of training we now how to counter "battle" 1st US train ur own military forces still 72% of Afghanistan undercontroll by Talibans ... even after heavy fight (Airforces , Navy, Ground forces with HI-TECH WEAPONS) against Talibans AK lol and still u have only control just 30 % of Afghanistan. ITs better to train ur Army otherwise if US military have any training problem come and tel us .. PAKISTAN ARMY Training US military. Kindly dont try to mess with us we dont need u anymore.. We already saw ur sincerty, Friendly relationships already!

 

[fatman17]

mods pls merge in "army called out to eliminate militants" sticky

 

[waraich66]

There is only one way to defeat Talaban is to adopt their life style and tactics .

 

[Skywalker]

There is only one way to defeat Talaban is to adopt their life style and tactics .

hahahahha...nice joke so in other words gadhoon kay saath gadhay ban jao....

 

[ajpirzada]

i guess he means to say we should be beheadin them as well. and i have got no problem with that.

 

[waraich66]

hahahahha...nice joke so in other words gadhoon kay saath gadhay ban jao....

I am not suggesting that our army should also use Naswar

Talaban are using light weapons and better tactics that is reason they are still in control of strategic locations.