Afghan Local Police or ALP - Militias or the Solution to Security in Afghanistan?

The military is banking a lot on the Afghan Local Police (ALP) initiative.  The concept is to train and arm local villagers in an attempt to get them to provide security for their community against the Taliban.  Led by U.S. Special Forces teams - this latest scheme may work.  However, it needs a funding source and the SF teams need the latitude to operate independently unconstrained by conventional battalion or brigade commanders and their staffs. There are thoughts of expanding it beyond the Special Forces control and therein lies a problem.  While Special Forces troops are trained and experienced in training and controlling indigenous forces it is not so apparent that our conventional troops are.  So . . . can you spell armed thugs in the villages without any supervision?  Read an article critical of this latest initiative at "Quick fixes won't aid Afghan civilians", Politico, November 19, 2010.