Monday, November 24, 2014

ANSF and Transition - Entering the Spin Zone

Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic & International Studies has conducted a study entitled "Afghan Forces on the Edge of Transition" (November 18, 2014) that summarizes the key policies and metrics on the transition of the Afghan National Security Forces since August 2014. The study ". . . provides considerable insight into the success of the Taliban to date, the seriousness of probable Afghan capability to contain and defeat the Taliban and other insurgents and the seriousness of the fighting". The study also shows that there is
". . . a critical lack of transparency, and what often seem to be serious gaps in the planning for the future. In many cases, there seems to be a growing emphasis on "spin" and public relations efforts to sell progress at the expense of realism and objectivity - often by simply ceasing to report metrics that have proved to be embarrassing in the past".
The study is divided into four different parts:

1. US Policy, and Cuts in US Forces and Spending.
2. Sharply Contradictory Data on Levels of Violence.
3. Measuring the Transition from ISAF to ANSF.
4. Progress in Afghan Force Development.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.