generalspeaking

The CIA's Faultless Designs

"I approve the full disbandment of private security companies, both national and international, within four months. To better provide security for the lives and property of citizens, fight corruption, prevent irregularities and the misuse of arms, military uniforms and equipment by private security companies that have caused heartbreaking and tragic incidents." Afghan President Hamid Karzai

Took long enough. After all, it's been almost eight years since the CIA's not-so-covert operatives in war-torn Afghanistan busily recruited thousands of militiamen to become their on-the-ground militia forces, bodyguards, and above all, spies. Rather unsettling for the nascent Afghanistan government, but that's the way the CIA conducts its business. It has always been a law unto itself. Rarely concerned with the inevitable mayhem their ill-chosen acts inevitably result in.

Of course the CIA operatives were not too concerned about Afghanistan itself. Rather their attention was turned on the border with Pakistan, busy collecting intelligence about al-Qaeda, its whereabouts, and how its leaders could be captured. And to that end, they had over a billion dollars at their discretionary disposal. Which they doled out handsomely to Pashtun tribespeople, giving additional bonuses to their commanders.

And who commanded them? Why, nice of you to ask! Afghanistan's warlords, of course. Who reaped enormous benefits that accrued to them through prestige and a generous regular income stream, courtesy of the CIA. Warlords whose personal coffers swelled to make some of them billionaires. Of course, there was also the poppy trade, along with the regular stipends from the CIA. The warlords were immensely wealthy, the country and its government penurious.

And the armed militias had a habit of challenging the legitimacy of the national army and its police. Accountable to no one but their commanders, of course. They also had a habit of stopping travellers on the main transit routes to demand atrocious sums of money as fees for permitting them to pass. And then of course other private security forces, brought over to Afghanistan to work on behalf of the American military, doing legwork the military didn't want to.

The foreign militias, well trained and ruthless, fearful of no lawful authority other than that vested in them by their connection to the Pentagon and the UN missions, also were hired to ensure safe passage for foreign political envoys, NGOs, diplomats. They too had an unfortunate habit of shooting first, asking questions later. Techniques well honed in Iraq. Hamid Karzai's battle against corruption might begin with the warlords, many of them in his own parliament, but the 40,000 private militias will do as a start.

Their presence and their power, the wealth they all accumulated was a direct impediment to the government's ability to act. And latterly, ISAF-equipped and trained members of the Afghan national army have taken to quitting their posts and joining the more profit-oriented and better-paying militias. Is that any way to run a country? Can anyone find fault with their ordered disbandment?

Another question, of course, is whether the Afghan security forces, in the absence of the private security militias will be capable of securing the country, and stepping into the breach left by the absence of the private groups. On the other hand, so much of the country is controlled now by the Taliban, facing off rather successfully against ISAF and American troops that for the time being the latter is the larger issue.

"I believe that President Karzai is right on target in wanting to minimize private security presence in his country and it's in his interest to build his own security capacity as fast as possible. Whether the four-month timeframe is appropriate or meetable, achievable with security needs in mind is beyond me. I think experts have to sit and work that through. I'm confident he'll make reasonable decisions because a lot of peoples' security depends on it." John Kerry, chairman U.S. Senate foreign relations committee.

Past time, however, for President Karzai to demonstrate some independent backbone.

(Well! It's deja view all over again:

As the United States military prepares to leave Iraq by the
end of 2011, the Obama administration is planning a
remarkable civilian effort, buttressed by a small army of
contractors, to fill the void.

By October 2011, the State Department will assume
responsibility for training the Iraqi police, a task that
will largely be carried out by contractors. With no American
soldiers to defuse sectarian tensions in northern Iraq, it
will be up to American diplomats in two new $100 million
outposts.

To protect the civilians in a country that is still home to
insurgents with Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed militias, the
State Department is planning to more than double its private
security guards, up to about 7,000, according to
administration officials who disclosed new details of the
plan.)

Labels: Afghanistan, Political Realities, Terrorism

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, August 18, 2010