What must be done in Afghanistan (III): Revamp policing

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 3:09 PM Share

The third installment from an Army officer who has spent lots of time fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. His name isn't Sam Damon, but it is kind of similar-that is, you would recognize it:

"We must nationalize the police. CSTC-A and government of AFG has failed the Afghan National Police. Corruption exists here because the police are local and cannot effectively enforce the law among their family, clans, and tribe. Data shows the more the population supports the police they will disavow the Taliban. Send the police out of country to Jordan or a NATO country for training. Let them see another country and respect for law.

I like a lot of this officer's thinking, but I'm ambivalent about this point. I think locals tend to police the best. But how can they do that if they are caught in a web of corruption, or subject to Taliban threats against their families? It seems to me the answer is likely to go with local cops but do it as you get less abusive people in the provincial power slots. But I am not sure, and am willing to listen to good arguments for a non-local, national police force.

Photo via Flickr user The U.S. Army

EXPLORE:AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, MILITARY

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EMRYS56

4:54 PM ET

October 15, 2009

Pape on Afghanistan

Robert Pape gives support to the local militia theory and also points out that a surge of US troops may be counter productive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/opinion/15pape.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

TYRTAIOS

4:13 PM ET

October 16, 2009

Oversight at the regional and

Oversight at the regional and district level by a second party involved with the initial training process would be helpful. Just training woefully underpaid graduates of a police academey,anywhere, who are all too often recommended by local militia commanders is a receipe for a continuation of corruption in a uniform. Key is supervision with core values constantly stressed and demanded.

Utilizing them for counter-terrorism vice traditional police activities was an incorrect use in the past as well.

Let's not forget in our own west we had town and federal martials who supplemented their income by collecting taxes, running brothels and providing protection to selected associations, such as cattlemen - can you say Earp brothers (Wyatt) known as the "fighting pimps?"

It takes time, unfortunately we ain't got much time left.

JPWREL

5:29 PM ET

October 16, 2009

My Navy SEAL officer

My Navy SEAL officer son-in-law found the Iraqi Police to be completely unreliable, corrupt, brutal, incompetent and considered any operation with them to be insecure. I have listened to numerous anecdotes concerning bomb laden vehicles in Iraq having been traced back to vehicles that passed through Iraqi Police checkpoints. And we have been training the Iraqi Police for five years! I can’t even imagine what the condition is of the Afghan police.