After Being Routed By The Taliban In Kunduz, The Afghan Army And Police Are Blaming Each Other

Afghan security forces sit on top of a vehicle as they patrol outside of Kunduz city, in this October 1, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/HAMID SHALIZI/FILES

Reuters: After Kunduz rout, Afghan army and police blame each other

Hungry and exhausted after being routed by Taliban fighters in the northern city of Kunduz, Afghanistan's army and police force are blaming each other for the shambolic surrender of the provincial capital.

The lack of coordination between the key pillars of Afghan security forces contributed to a humiliating loss, which, though largely reversed three days later, leaves the government looking more vulnerable than at any time during the 14-year insurgency.

"They were the ones who surrendered to the Taliban, not us," said soldier Aqa Shereen, referring to the city's police force. "Most of them are a bunch of cowards."

WNU Editor: There is a lot of blame to go around. When I read reports that the Afghan security forces were outnumbering the Taliban forces by 7:1 when the battle began .... but after a few hours they decided to flee leaving their better equipment behind .... yup .... there is a problem. For the U.S. .... this defeat may result in a rethink on what to do next, with some now favouring a longer military presence in Afghanistan .... US Military Favors Longer Presence in Afghanistan (AP). But this defeat is also revealing another problem, namely that U.S. strategy is not working .... Taliban ‘Tet Offensive’ in Kunduz Exposes Failure of US Afghan Strategy (Sputnik).

Update: The fall of Kunduz has also revealed another disturbing trend in Afghanistan .... Here's the Most Disturbing Thing About the Taliban Takeover of Kunduz: The Taliban is gaining currency outside of its traditional Pashtun base. This is troubling (Akhilesh Pillalamarri, The Diplomat).