Is the Afghan Army Ready?

Many observers are wondering if the Afghan Army is ready to assume full responsibility for security in Afghanistan as the coalition troops reduce their numbers and transition from combat operations to an "advise and assist" role. The Afghan National Army (ANA) should have an end-strength of almost 200,000 personnel by the end of 2013. However, there are many questions to include will they show up for work, is their training good enough, how effective will they be, and will they fight? Read more in "How Ready Is The Afghan Army?", Voice of America, March 20, 2012.

Afghan Female General Breaks Down Barriers for a Better Nation

A recent news release about a female general in the Afghanistan army describes how she is breaking down barriers in a very male-dominated military organization.  Read more in "Afghan general breaking barriers to build better nation", NTM-A, March 2, 2012.

Afghan Defense Minister Worried About Cut In Size of Afghan Security Forces

The Afghan Defense Minister, Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, has expressed his concern about proposed plans to cut spending on Afghanistan's security forces and reducing the strength from 352,000 to 230,000.  Along with the withdrawal of ISAF combat formations over the next two years there will be a reduction in funds for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).  Read more in "Afghan general sounds alarm on US plan to cut local security forces", Fox News, February 18, 2012.  Gen Wardak's concerns are misplaced.  Instead of worrying about whether 230,000 personnel is enough to fight the insurgency perhaps he could do more to ensure that size force is managed and trained to do the job.  The first step would be to replace high-ranking officers who are holding positions based on political connections and loyalty to Karzai with trained officers who are willing to fight the insurgents.  A second step would be to curtail the wide-spread corruption within the ANSF - and learning to make do with the $4 billion year given to them by the international community.  Of course, there are more measures the general could take to correct the obvious inefficient and ineffective processes of the ANSF but . . . it would take a book to list them.

Financing Afghan Security Forces After 2014

Defense ministers of the NATO alliance met recently (February 2012) to discuss funding of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) beyond 2014.  There are plans to establish a multibillion dollar fund to help pay for the $6 billion annual Afghan defense bill - with the realization that donor nations will provide the bulk of the money.  In May 2012, the alliance will meet again to decide what a sustainable force size should be for the ANSF.  Although the ANSF will number more than 350,000 by 2014 it is doubtful that a force of that size will be funded by the international community.  The French Defense Minister, Gerard Longuet, has been quoted saying "A reasonable number would be 230,000".  This 230,000 personnel level of the ANSF would be charged with containing (if not defeating) an insurgency of 20,000 fighters.  Read more in "NATO ministers mull financing for Afghan security forces post-2014", The Washington Post, February 3, 2012.

An Assessment of the Afghan Military

Strategy Page offers a "good news, bad news" assessment of the Afghan Army.  Read "Why Afghan Officers Prefer Heroin" published February 14, 2012.

Afghan Army in the Lead in Northern Helmand

ISAF forces are now transitioning from doing the majority of the fighting to having the Afghan forces take the lead in operations.  Here is a report on how that transition is going in Northern Helmand province.

"Can the Afghan army take the lead in the battle?", BBC News Asia, February 13, 2012.

Afghan Forces in the Lead - But Not Without Substantial Assistance from ISAF

While the exit strategy for the United States and its coalition partners is to get the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to take the lead in the fight makes sense on paper and during briefings - getting this to actually happen may be a hard task.

But the second-highest-ranking officer in Afghanistan said Wednesday that so far, almost no Afghan units are capable of operating without American or NATO assistance. When asked during a briefing at the Pentagon about how many Afghan Security units can operate independently, Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, replied "probably one percent ... to be honest with you ... It's a very low number."

Read more on the interview with Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti in "Afghan forces in lead, but not in control", CNN Security Clearance Blog, February 7, 2102.

Operation Hamaghe Shay - Afghan Troops in the Lead

Operation Hamaghe Shay is currently underway in the Kandahar area of Afghanistan.  The operation is an Afghan-led, Canadian-supported mission designed to clear areas of munitions and arms that the Taliban can use in the upcoming spring offensive just weeks away.  Hamaghe Shay - which means "same team" in Pashto is one of the first large operations planned and conducted by the Afghan military in this area of Afghanistan.  Read more in "Massive operation seen as key test for Afghan planning, logistics skills", The Vancouver Sun, February 20, 2011.

Vetting of Afghan Security Force Members

On a rare occasion we will read about an Afghan security force member turning his weapon on members of the coalition (American, German, French, etc.) and trying to kill them.  The possibility of the Taliban trying to infiltrate the Afghan security forces for this purpose is troublesome and it would appear that ISAF is taking steps to mitigate the threat through a vetting process.  Read more in "Afghan forces undergo stricter vetting by NATO commanders", USA Today, February 18, 2011.

Plan for Literacy Success for Afghan Security Forces

"NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan military leaders and officials from the Afghanistan Ministry of Education and U.S. Agency for International Development reviewed their efforts to progressively raise literacy and educational levels among Afghan security forces – and Afghan society – at a Literacy Summit here Feb. 7. The Summit encouraged closer collaboration and cooperation among NTM-A literacy partners working to sustain a new system of life-long education for the Afghan National Security Forces that is expected to transform Afghan society as a whole." 

Read the rest of the article in "NTM-A and partners plan for literacy success at Kabul Summit", NTM-A, February 8, 2011.

GAO Report on Afghan Army - January 27, 2011

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report on the Afghan Army.  It is entitled "Afghanistan Security: Afghan Army Growing, but Additional Trainers Needed; Long-Term Costs Not Determined", GAO-11-66, January 27, 2011.

See a news article about the report at "Lack of trainers puts U.S. Afghan exit strategy at risk, report says", CNN.com, January 27, 2011.  A summary of the report can be read at the GAO website that also provides a link where one can view the report or download it (PDF, 54 pages).

What Happens When NATO Leaves Afghanistan?

Many are wondering what happens in July 2011 (or is it July 2014) once NATO forces depart Afghanistan.  A common question is will the Afghan Security Forces (ASF) be able to handle the Taliban?  Read an article on this topic entitled "Can Afghan forces bring security when Nato leaves?", BBC News, November 19, 2010.

Foreign Trainers and $1 Billion a Month to Build Afghan Army

The US is betting that recent operations with its troop surge will have put a dent into the Taliban's fighting force and caused it to be less effective.  Over the long-term the strategy is to train the Afghan army.  Read more on this topic in "U.S. bets foreign trainers, $1-billion a month can build powerful Afghan army", The Globe and Mail, November 16, 2010.

Afghan Army Training Improves

The training of the Afghan National Army (ANA) has improved and there are positive signs that the ANA is finally getting the equipment and logistical support that it has needed over the past several years.  The training is taking place at a rapid pace - in terms of numbers of troops trained.  Read a report on this topic in "Afghan Army Advances in Training, if Not in Field", The New York Times, October 13, 2010.

Afghan Army Lacking Pashtun Recruits

A critical requirement for stability in a post-U.S. Afghanistan is the establishment of an indigenous security force that has the power and legitimacy to maintain peace – if it ever comes. In order to turn the tide in Afghansitan, U.S. and NATO strategists know they must enroll a large number of southern Pashtuns. Yet, the recent inability to do so may indicate that years of civil war will ensue, as the Pashtun-based Taliban insurgency in Southern Afghanistan continues to grow.

The Pashtuns are Afghanistan’s largest ethnic group, making up about 40% of the entire country, most of which inhabit the south in places like Kandahar, the birthplace and spiritual cradle of the Taliban, while the Afghan National Army (ANA) is made up mostly of Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras and other minority groups.

Read the rest of the story in "Afghan Army fails to recruit indispensable southern Pashtuns", The Examiner, September 13, 2010.