KABUL (SW) – Foundation was laid for the modern Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in 2002 with the U.S. taking lead role in formation and training of the army and police.
The NATO allies have contributed in this drive with Germany working on police reforms, the U.K. taking on the fight against narcotics, Italy helping with legal system and Japan playing its role with disarming and clearance of areas and reconstruction.
The U.S. remains top contributor with an investment of some $ 70 billion – which amounts to 60 per cent of the national budget – till 2016.
A large chunk of foreign troops left Afghanistan in 2014 after the end of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission here. The Afghan National Army (ANA) maintains seven corps, and each corps is responsible for one major area of the country. Each corps has three to four subordinate brigades, and each brigade has four infantry kandaks (battalion) as its basic fighting units. Each infantry kandak is assigned a specific area for which it is responsible, the kandaks mission is to secure its area from internal and external threats.
The basic unit in the ANA is the kandak (battalion), consisting of 300 troops. Kandaks may be further broken down into four toil (company). Although the vast majority of kandaks are infantry, at least one mechanized and one tank kandak have been formed; more may be planned.
The ANA formation suggests factors such as geographical location, urban centers and population concentration are well considered, but still it remains to be clarified why hasn’t the ANA been always successful in repulsing persistent attacks or coming for the rescue of police and other forces in the time of assaults.
There has been a surge in the Taliban’s assaults and siege of the army since the formation the National Unity Government (NUG). Among such worst attacks include deadly assault on the ANA cadets’ convoy in Maidan Wardak, the siege of policemen and soldiers in Jalrez, the siege of soldiers in Helmand and the deadly assault on the headquarters of the 209-Shaheen Corps in Balkh.
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In conversation with Salam Watandar, a number of soldiers lamented the deadly delay in supply of resources and back-up troops during siege by the rebels. There have been instances when the security forces have managed to break the siege, but in some instances, the rebels succeeded in killing scores of soldiers, overrunning the check posts and taking away soldiers as captives.
Some soldiers, who wished not to be named, said the broken promises and incompetent leadership have disheartened many soldiers on the frontline resulting in cases of submission even before resistance. A 2013 U.S. Department of Defense report has also noted that fear existed among Afghan soldiers they would be killed by the enemy due to lack of air support.
https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/1230_Report_final.pdf
Commander Naimat is one such soldier who has witnessed a 13-day siege by the Taliban. He said none of the top officials came for their rescue despite repeated calls for help. Another solider in Jawzjan province, who wished not to be named, informed that aid and support reached them in Darzaab district a week after the fall of the district. He said such delays have disheartened many soldiers on the frontlines resulting in fall of territories. Soldiers in Sar-e-Pul province shared similar stories of disarray resulting in fall of check posts to the Taliban.
Commander Ahmad in Helmand province told Salam Watandar lack of enough soldiers in check posts, lack of arms and ammunition are leading to fall of check posts. He charged security leadership for not having the true knowledge from the ground, and blaming others for negligence of duty in the wake of loss of territory.
Narrating the tale of fall of territory in Farah province, a commander of the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) in Farah said additional troops and support reached the besieged soldiers in Bala Balook when the rebels killed many of them in the check posts. He said delay in supply of support and troops in such situations has evolved into culture resulting in soldiers desert their posts or striking deals with the rebels for their safety.
Reuters reported in 2016 that eight out of ten soldiers have sold their resources.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-ammunition-idUSKCN100312
Soldiers who have managed to escape siege by the Taliban have horrifying stories to share. One such soldier said higher command was informed about eminent fall of the check post, but no response pushed him and his comrades flee the post and reach home after two days. A number of soldiers who took part in clashes in Ajristan, said the air supplies were instead dropped in the Taliban-held areas, and some officials even collaborated with rebels in overrunning many check posts.
A report by al-Jazeera asserted the NUG controls only 56.3 per cent of the country.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2016/08/afghanistan-controls-160823083528213.html
Report by the SIGAR in this connection noted one-third of the army and one-fifth of the police force is quitting jobs without any reason. It also cited deployment of fresh cadets to restive areas as a reason.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1042283.pdf
Commenting on this, Javed Kohistani, expert on military affairs, criticized incompetency, lack of leadership and planning in the security sector. He said reclaiming lost territories cannot lift the morale of security forces or compensate for the loss of lives.
Officials acknowledge the fact about delays in supply of additional troops and resources. However, they reject reports about weakening morale and incompetency.
Mohammad Radmanesh, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, clarified many delays are caused by bad weather.
Najib Danish, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, also rejected ineffectiveness on the part of security officials. He said situation on the war front sometimes delay supply of resources and personnel in time, but security officials also prepare contingency plans in the wake of possible fall of check post.
ENDS
