Is The Afghan Army Ready To Take Over Security?

U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers provide security after unloading from a CH-53E Supper Stallion helcopter during Operation Nightmare in Nowzad in Afghanistan's Helmand province, June 6, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye

Are Afghans Really Ready To Take Over Security? -- Javid Ahmad, Special to CNN

On Tuesday, the U.S.-led coalition completed a five-stage security transition process in Afghanistan that began two years ago at the NATO summit in Lisbon, allowing the Afghan forces to take the security lead across the country for the first time in more than a decade. Yet despite NATO’s insistence that it will not abandon Afghanistan, the allies are seemingly struggling to agree on just what that engagement might look like.

At the recent NATO defense ministerial meeting, the allies endorsed a new Afghan National Security Forces training mission called “Resolute Support” that will involve a multi-national international force after 2014. While Washington wants the allies involved in the new training mission to supply a smaller force to sustain the ANSF, none want to see that engagement turn into a reduced version of the currently huge Afghan campaign.

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My Comment: U.S. and Afghan leaders are publicly stating that the Afghans are ready to take over security .... but when Taliban Leader Mullah Omar makes comments like this one .... you have to wonder if this is hyperbole .... or .... there is some truth to it.