U.S.: Afghan troops ready to defend country

[Sher Malang]

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan troops are now mostly in the lead in Afghanistan and are ready to defend the country in their first fighting season against the Taliban, U.S. commanders said Thursday at a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday.

“While we will formally recognize this in a couple of months. The fact is that the Afghan National Security Forces are predominantly in the lead,” U.S. ArmyLt. Gen. James L. Terry said in Kabul Thursday, as he handed off his roles as head of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to U.S. ArmyLt. Gen. Mark A. Milley in transfer of authority ceremony. “This is what winning looks like.”

Presiding over the ceremony, top coalition commander Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford touted progress in building an Afghan army “increasingly capable and growing in confidence.”

He said the Afghans are ready to take over the security lead this summer, protect the Afghan population from the Taliban, and provide security for “inclusive, free and fair elections” in 2014, when United States will have cut its force in half to about 33,000.

“Understand that as you stand up … , you will not stand alone,” Gen. Terry told Afghan forces. “Make no mistake, there will be challenges, and you will be challenged.”

“What you do this year, and what you do this summer is absolutely critical,” Gen. Milley aded. “It’s a critical milestone on the road to victory. On the road to winning. On the road to creating a stable Afghanistan.”

Despite the shift in lead security responsibility to Afghan troops, coalition forces are still continuing to face lethal threats in Afghanistan.

Underlining that reality was a recent roadside bombing that killed three British troops and injured another six in the southwest province of Helmand earlier this week.

U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are trying to figure out how an enemy roadside bomb was able to inflict so much damage to troops riding in the British Army’s newest and most heavily protected patrol vehicle, called a “Mastiff.”

The bombing marked the first time in more than five years and 330 attacks on Mastiff vehicles that anyone has died, Briatin’s Sky News reported.

The attack occurred in the Nahr E-Saraj district of Helmand province in Southwestern Afghanistan, where 80 percent of security responsibility has been transferred to Afghan troops.

The attack came just a few days after the Taliban declared the start of its fighting season April 30. Still, the number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year is down almost a fourth from this same time last year, at 25 deaths compared to 89 caused by hostile forces.

Some U.S. troops are expected to stay in Afghanistan after most of the forces leave the country by the end of 2014 to continue advising Afghan troops and maintain a small counterterrorism presence.

“Make no mistake about it. We will be there for as long as it takes,” Gen. Milley said.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Read more: U.S.: Afghan troops ready to defend country - Washington Times
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Today's achievements by ANSF:

Afghan police kill 59 Taliban militants in 24 hours
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/8230692.html

2 pakistanis with 4 armed Taliban militants captured alive in Maidan wardak
http://www.khabarial.info/archives/78278

Six Taliban Insurgents Killed in Ghazni Operation
http://www.tolonews.com/newweb/en/a...taliban-insurgents-killed-in-ghazni-operation

 

[Brother Barry]

This year's fighting season, not next year, is going to be very important, because the performance of Afghan security forces will decide the number of troops NATO will leave behind.

 

[Sugarcane]

 

[Sher Malang]

I see that with other lens, coming one by one to a single tirah valley and finally roasted at the end by the hands of Taliban

 

[jaunty]

They have come a long way in the last 4-5 years. I think most of the videos that Pakistanis love to post here to make fun of ANA are quite old. They are a much more organized Army now.

 

[Areesh]

I see that with other lens, coming one by one to a single tirah valley and finally roasted at the end by the hands of Taliban

In the end Tirah valley would be liberated like Swat. Tumhara kia hoga baita?

Report Finds Afghan Military Shrinking Not Growing

A U.S. government watchdog overseeing the Afghanistan reconstruction found the U.S. led effort to recruit, train and field the Afghan National Security Forces is about 20,000 troops below its stated goal of 352,000.

The U.S. led coalition force failed to meet the goal of 352,000 ANSF personnel by October 2012, although the Defense Department reported that it reached the goal of recruiting 352,000 ANSF personnel. These personnel are spread across the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and the Afghan Air Force.

In fact, the ANSF end strength is shrinking, not growing. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that the number of personnel shrunk by about 4,000 troops and policemen between March 2012 and February 2013.

Inspectors noted how the U.S. led coalition has continually moved the date in which it hopes to reach the stated end strength. Defense Department officials have recently told SIGAR officials the goal is now to train, equip and field the personnel in the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police by December 2013, and the Afghan National Air Force by 2017.

Circumstances with collecting, organizing, and disseminating accurate personnel numbers have proven difficult, the report stated.

“SIGAR and others have reported that determining ANSF strength is fraught with challenges. U.S. and Coalition forces rely on the Afghan forces to report their own personnel strength numbers, which are often derived from hand-prepared personnel records in decentralized, unlinked, and inconsistent systems,” the report stated.

As of March 31, the U.S. Congress had appropriated more than $54 billion to support the ANSF.

The SIGAR report also includes a handful of “assessments” of the ANA and ANAF, as well as an accounting of U.S. money spent to equip the forces.

In particular, the report praised Afghan Local Police units for their ability to keep the Taliban at bay.

“ALP members are recruited locally, recommended by village elders, and assigned to protect their home villages. Because they are a local force, the ALP has demonstrated “a unique resilience” against infiltration by the Taliban “as anyone outside the area would be immediately recognized as a foreigner,” the report states.

In terms of equipment, the report says that as of March 31, the United States had spent $10.4 billion on equipment and vehicles for the ANSF.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...d-strength-goal.html?comp=700001075741&rank=1
@Sher Malang

Looks like your so called army is going to end by itself. You don't need anyone else like PA to perform this job.

 

[Srinivas]

And This statement comes right after Kayani threatened language during talks with Karzai

 

[Sher Malang]

In the end Tirah valley would be liberated like Swat. Tumhara kia hoga baita?

Report Finds Afghan Military Shrinking Not Growing | Military.com
@Sher Malang

Looks like your so called army is going to end by itself. You don't need anyone else like PA to perform this job.

The ANA admission office is at 30 meters of my office I can see how many recruits gets in line daily don't worry!

ANA stands at over 200,000, there is a shuffle in the uniform and local police forces; the 30,000 local police is not included in 352,000 ANSF. There are some big reforms going on inside ANSF which are retirements, agents removal, absents terminations etc..

352,000 ANA + ANP
30,000 ALP
50,000~ NDS
8,000 AAF
440,000 TOTAL by end of 2014 inshAllah!

 

[farhan_9909]

Pakistan armed forces need to support ANA against taliban

A common enemy of both

 

[Sher Malang]

They have come a long way in the last 4-5 years. I think most of the videos that Pakistanis love to post here to make fun of ANA are quite old. They are a much more organized Army now.

Those 2 videos are from 2005/2006 when there was less than 40,000 ill-trained and ill-equipped troops; since then eye catching reforms has come to ANSF.

Pakistan armed forces need to support ANA against taliban

A common enemy of both

Good, only when the theory of good and bad Taliban vanishes in between.

 

[Areesh]

The ANA admission office is at 30 meters of my office I can see how many recruits gets in line daily don't worry!

ANA stands at over 200,000, there is a shuffle in the uniform and local police forces; the 30,000 local police is not included in 352,000 ANSF. There are some big reforms going on inside ANSF which are retirements, agents removal, absents terminations etc..

352,000 ANA + ANP
30,000 ALP
50,000~ NDS
8,000 AAF
440,000 TOTAL by end of 2014 inshAllah!

Those so called reforms are going to end your military like before. You are far away from being a proper country let alone a proper military.

 

[farhan_9909]

Good, only when the theory of good and bad Taliban vanishes in between.

past tense...COAS just yesterday had made it clear that the war has become pakistani war now...and we are not fighting for any other country

 

[Sher Malang]

Those so called reforms are going to end your military like before. You are far away from being a proper country let alone a proper military.

Looks more proper than any of your country's soldier

PS: that's a latest photo

 

[Mitro]

More then Half ANA soldier will join Taliban and what ever is left will run protect their last strong hold Panjshir valley in northern Afghanistan.But unfortunately this time Panjshir valley will fall too.

Reason :
01) Because of more talib infiltrating in ANA.
02) Most of the modern weapon and air support will vanish .
03) No satellite recon or battle assessment for ANA.
04) once the Nato withdraw no more foreign AID.[Without money no salary for ANA soldier]
05) ISI start Helping Talib with new recruit and weapon system like old time.
06) If Pakistan Close supply route to AF .AF government will collaspe in months without fight.
07) President Obama Clearly said no troops after 2014 [Its Pentagon who wants to leave 30,000 troops]
08) No more Nato Intel Support.
09) Local AF will never Support Puppet Government like Karzai.
10)

 

[Kompromat]

1990 again