Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Afghan Army And Police Forces Must Grow Much Large -- A Commentary

U.S. Army soldiers man a firing position during a firefight on Vehicle Patrol Base Badel in Konar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2009. The soldiers, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, quickly suppressed the enemy after receiving sniper fire from a nearby ridge line. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

From The Washington Examiner:

More U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan in part because there are too few Afghan National Security Forces, and they are not yet effective enough to conduct counterinsurgency missions. The growing strength of the insurgency and the limitations on the ANSF create a security gap that only additional international forces will be able to fill over the coming few years.

Yet achieving the president's stated objective of establishing an Afghan state that will not provide sanctuary to al Qaeda requires an ANSF that can control the territory of Afghanistan with reasonable external assistance. Only the development of a much larger and more effective ANSF will permit the gradual withdrawal of international -- especially American -- military forces from combat roles.

Read more ....

My Comment: A depressing commentary from Kimberly Kagan. Bottom line .... more troops, more money, more time .... with no guarantee for success.

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