Dare We Hope
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has announced an outline of the initial phase of his transfer-of-power strategy for his country. Where, finally, the first stages of Afghanistan committing to looking after its own national security are to be implemented. Ostensibly leading to the freeing-up of foreign troops, enabling them eventually to head back home where they belong, rather than languishing in a strange country to do the urgent protective and humanitarian work that any self-respecting country would itself engage in."The Afghan nation doesn't want the defence of this country to be in the hands of others anymore", President Karzai announced. As well he might. As well he might hope to become reality. He is more than a little vexed by the fact that his country is at war and has called for its defence against the ever-resurgent Taliban, the military of foreign - worse, Western - powers. Whom he first courted and expressed his pleasure and gratification at their ongoing commitment, then resorted to berating for the loss of life of Afghan civilians.
It is a war. In war, people die. In war, it is vulnerable civilians who are most at risk from cross-fire and irrevocable and unfortunate decisions that erroneously mistake civilian activity for covert military action. And in this war, with an enemy ensconced in the badlands of a mountainous, inaccessible tribal region that serves as a haven for terrorists often targeted by unmanned drones it is hardly surprising that civilian life will be impacted.
The Afghan military will be deployed in provinces and within areas that prove to be less dangerous than others. They will not, for example, yet be deployed to Kandahar where for the past five years Canadian forces have been ensconced, attempting to clear the villages and the general area of Taliban, and where far too many Canadian military have been killed in IED attacks.
Afghanistan is a tribal country, a country where various conflicts have traditionally been conducted between rival clans and tribes. One might think that this population would take naturally to military discipline and training, but such appears not to have been reality. Understandable to a degree, given the low rate of literacy and education among an essentially primitive people living in a primitive geography.
The training of Afghans to take their own protective roles with their own military and their police has not been a casual affair. Many nations have dedicated personnel engaged in exposing Afghan recruits to the kind of discipline and basic soldierly knowledge that is required to successfully counteract the incursions of the Taliban. It will still take time before the Afghan army is sufficiently number-strong and capable of undertaking its own defence.
The Taliban remain actively engaged in attempting to retake towns and villages that Allied military have from time to time taken. Large caches of hidden weapons are being discovered continually. Security gains that have been made in the fall and held over-winter are often lost with the spring resurgence of Taliban militias. But those are the areas still monitored and policed and secured by international military forces.
Afghanistan's nascently-modern military is to be deployed in those areas considered among the safest. "It is a good start because, ultimately, Afghans need to start taking responsibility but the announcement was pretty much as expected. Afghan security forces should be on the front line so they will be forced to perform", commented one Kabul-based political analyst, Haroun Mir.
Labels: Afghanistan, Conflict, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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