generalspeaking

Ever Vigilant (To Little Avail)

"Any sort of insider attack, no matter who the victim is, is going to have an impact on the morale of soldiers."
"[When a higher-ranking officer is killed] you might see a wider impact on morale."
Mark Jacobson, former NATO deputy civilian representative to Afghanistan

General Joseph Dunford, senior American general in Kabul has launched an investigation (jointly with the Afghan command) into the killing of his colleague, Maj.Gen.Harold Greene, the highest ranking American officer killed in combat since 1970. General Dunford hastened to assure his political masters at the White House and Pentagon that he continues to hold confidence in the Afghan military.

General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, speaking for the Afghan Defence Ministry stated that a "terrorist in an army uniform" had opened fire on both local and international troops, but all is well, he was killed himself. After managing to open fire at Marshal Fahim National Defence University, killing Maj.Gen. Greene and wounding 15 personnel, including a German general and two Afghan generals.

In other words, a hugely successful martyrdom operation. Maj. Gen. Greene was on his first deployment to a war zone, and it was a brutal introduction and end to his career. He was involved in preparing Afghan forces for the departure of U.S.-coalition troops, as the deputy commanding general, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan.

As though to underscore the insecurity and tension between the presence of foreign troops and Afghans who have traditionally resented and abhorred the presence of foreigners, and much more so foreign militaries, an Afghan police guard fired on NATO troops close to the Paktia governor's office. In the attack at the military training facility, of the estimated 15 who were wounded, half were Americans, and several of them are in serious condition.

But American officials confidently state their belief in the U.S.-Afghan military partnership, with the Afghan end preparing to defend themselves and their country against the insurgent Taliban as foreign troops leave by the end of the year. The prevalence of insider attacks in 2012 and 2013 led U.S. commanders to impose precautionary tactics which resulted in the attacks sharply declining.

Perhaps, they let down their guard on this occasion, enabling the Afghan gunman to fire from inside a building at those gathered on the outside.

As for the Taliban, they're pleased no end that the "Afghan soldier" carried out such a hugely successful attack, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, their spokesman. Although the Afghan military would prefer to leave the impression that a Taliban had been garbed in army gear, the truth is likely closer to the fact that there is much resentment by some Afghans at the continued presence in their country after a dozen years of foreign armies.

Mark Jacobson, now a senior advisor at the private Truman National Security Project admitted the threat of Afghan troops turning their weapons on the American advisers who go out of their way to train them to be capable of defending their country on their own from violent opponents is, and remains a problem. One not readily overcome, since those loose cannons can and do pop up anywhere.

Another day, another attack, where an Afghan police officer killed seven of his fellow police officers at a checkpoint, taking their weapons with him as he fled in a police car in the Uruzgan provincial capital of Tirin Kot. A doctor at a local hospital mentioned that the police officer had drugged his colleagues before shooting them, speaking on condition of anonymity. A declaration that provincial spokesman Doost Mohammad Nayab later denied, claiming the officer involved had Taliban connections.

Labels: Afghanistan, Conflict, NATO, Taliban, United States

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, August 07, 2014