US Commanders In Afghanistan Requesting More Afghan Troops

U.S. Marines wait to leave a compound in Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

U.S. Commander: More Afghan Troops Needed In Taliban Push -- CNN

(CNN) -- The commander of the U.S. Marines conducting a push against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan said Wednesday that more Afghan security forces are needed to do the job.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The fact of the matter is we don't have enough Afghan forces. And I'd like more," said Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Helmand province.

Nicholson briefed reporters at the Pentagon by phone from Afghanistan.

Called Operation Khanjar, the push against the Taliban started Thursday with 4,000 American troops, mostly U.S. Marines, and around 650 Afghan forces.

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Update: Marines: More Afghan soldiers needed in Helmand -- AP

My Comment: U.S. commanders in the field made a request for additional troops at the beginning of the year (they requested over 30,000+ additional soldiers), what they got was 22,000. To fill the gap they are hoping that the Afghan Army can step in .... this is a dream at best. The Afghan Army is not a credible fighting force. Underpaid, with drug addiction rates through the roof, this is not an army to put into the field .... even as a support force.

This train wreck was even noticed by me .... and I am not in the field.

The problem in Afghanistan was (and is) the lack of boots on the ground. I know that. The military pundits know that. The commanders in the filed know that. Everyone knows that except when you are in Washington, where they also know this but this inconvenient political and military truth is always swept under the rug.

To have an efficient and competent Afghan Army .... you are talking about changing the culture, making the different ethnic and tribal groups work together, and developing a long term plan .... i.e. 10 years at a minimum. This is what you need (at a minimum) to develop and grow an officer/NCO corps with competent soldiers and the necessary equipment. What has been done for the past 8 years is a bare minimum .... and we are now paying for this.

Will Washington and NATO change this strategy?

Hmmmm .... I doubt it. Politicians cannot look beyond a year or two, let alone 10 years. For the Afghans, they will need to solve this problem themselves. But in the middle of a civil war, corruption and incompetence widespread .... I am not an optimistic person.