Is The Afghan Army Better Than What Has Been Reported?

Afghan National Army soldiers stand for the audience and Afghan National Army officers attending the commemoration of the first birthday of the 205th Afghan National Army Corps at Camp Shir Zai, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, Sept. 21, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Leslie Angulo

Afghan Army -- Michael Yon

There is dispute whether the testimony to the British House of Commons regarding the Afghan National Army is correct.

Part of that testimony was published on my site yesterday.

Colonel Bill Hix emailed to me from Afghanistan with an on-the-ground view. It is important to note that Colonel Hix is a veteran of Iraq, with much experience in the tough parts of Afghanistan. I was out with his soldiers in late 2008. Colonel Hix is highly respected among combat soldiers who don't hand out respect easily. His views on Afghanistan are highly-informed, cautious and realistic, but definitely more optimistic than are mine. I greatly respect his highly informed opinion and so it's important to make sure Colonel Hix's counterpoints get wide distribution. Please link to this dispatch. (Note to journalists seeking truth on Afghanistan: Colonel Hix is at KAF and is an important source regarding conditions in southern Afghanistan.)

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