Is the fragile security of Afghanistan securing by the ill-equipped and untrained Afghan national security forces? Reinvigorating internal security of war-ravaged Afghanistan is top agenda of the US-led alliance countries.
The Nato-led coalition troops plan to hand over security to Afghan forces by 2014, but a shortage of specialised trainers as major hurdles to prepare Afghan forces to control securing their nation. The Nato-coalition plans to spend $20 billion on developing the country's security forces in next two years with expansion till 2016. The Kabul plans to deploy forces for protection of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. The TAPI project will be initiated by the end of 2014.
As the US wants no more role after winding up combat mission mid of this year, International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) unveils its plan to initiate process of withdrawal over nine-year long invasion in Afghanistan by July 2011.
To do the job accurate and effluent, the Nato commanders want the allies to send enough funds and military trainers to allow them to boost the total size of Afghanistan's national security forces to from 256,000 to 306,000 less than six months.
Following the US-led invasion in late 2001, the military of Afghanistan is being reformed by the Nato military alliance, mainly the US armed forces. In 2009, the US announced it plans to spend US 1.3 billion by 2010 in upgrading and constructing several military bases for the Afghan army. This Includes upgrades of more than US 100 dollars to Bagram airbase, the largest military base in the country, as well as a new US 70-million dollar base in Farah near the border with Iran.
The US officials envision a swift expansion of Afghan security forces. The national Police numbering 96,800, which has grown to 134,000 in the last year and 160,000 by 2013. Presently, the Afghan army is around 134,000, expects to grow 240,000 by 2013. The State Department gave dollars 317 million 18-month contract in 2008 to do the same work in Afghanistan.
A US-Pakistan joint venture to upgrade skills and capability of Afghan armed forces, through which retired Pakistan Air Force officers intend to provide 400 Afghan pilots, flight engineers, maintenance and logistics technicians and ground staff at training centre in Kabul after withdrawal of the US-led alliance forces. However, accusations against the private security agencies mired the process of training Afghan national forces. As the US injects billions of dollars for upgradation of Afghan army and police mired due to alleged corruption of a private security company, "Dyncorp International" had trained police in Iraq.
Pakistan's former intelligence officer, Asad Durrani says the companies don't have concern in training, but there would be quest of contract. The allies' states are seeing crucial next two in Afghanistan. The second key ally, Britain's defence secretary says the 2011 and 2012 are essential in the fight against Afghan insurgency and that Nato-forces are strong enough to make lasting difference in the war against Taliban to prompt makes spokesmen for US-led Nato force, Brigadier General Josef Blotz.
Prospects are more realistic and substantial pertinent to pulling out allies troops, as reports shown US lawmakers seeks permanent military bases in Afghanistan, reflecting the aim of foreign troops isn't expeditious withdrawal over decade-long invasion. Some countries have already quit the combat mission. The US wants extensive co-operation with the Afghan armed services to consolidate the security environment, but the intention is intention.
The latest reports and statistic show the last year was deadliest as civilian casualties rose to 10,000, including police, and militants due to perilous security condition. The Afghan interior minister indicates that 810 Afghan soldiers died, whereas 2,043 civilians deaths caused by Taliban attacks and military operations against the militants. According to UN report, the death toll was lower than the 2,412 Afghan civilian deaths in the first months of 2010 made public last year. Likewise, 1,292 policemen left while fighting militants and other insurgents in the war-torn country. As many as 1, 292 policemen were killed in Afghan-led international forces operations last year. Similarly, about 711 international troops died in Afghanistan last year. Untrained and ill-equipped Afghan national forces need to be organised before withdrawal of US-led alliance forces.
Lt. Gen William admits the shortage of specialised trainers as major hurdles to prepare Afghan forces to control nation in 2014. The Nato-coalition plans to spend $20 billion on developing the country's security forces in next two years with expansion till 2016. Slightly over US 20 billion spent during 2003 to 2009 in Afghanistan. About 140,000 US-led alliance forces stationed since toppling militants in 2001 with additional deployment of 1,000 American troops in mid of January 2011. The death toll of US-led forces remained high compared to previous more than, 700. According to UN reports, the number of ordinary Afghans killed in the conflict rose by a third in the first six months of 2010 to 1,271, with most deaths caused by Taliban insurgent attacks in August last year.
The Nato officials reiterate to standby Kabul after its combat mission ends, and the US would also stay on till the "breaking of the Taliban's momentum." Former military officers and experts on Afghanistan are of the opinion conflict in Afghanistan is affecting the neighbouring countries.
The durable peace in Afghanistan is possible only through composite dialogue, involving all the stakeholders, as per the aspiration of the people of Afghanistan.
Taking part in the two-day deliberation on "Regional Perceptions on Afghanistan Imbroglio," held under the aegis of Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar, the Tajikistan Ambassador stressed the need for regional approaches for amicable resolution of the issue in which all the six bordering countries must sit together for the purpose. He says it's the duty of the neighbouring countries, not to interfere politically and militarily with the issues of Afghanistan and take serious measures to rebuild Afghanistan.
Lt. Gen Asad Durrani said that Afghanistan security is the question of political consensus. He said that army is the symbol of sovereignty for any country and its presence for the security of a country is very important whether they fight a war or not. He said that the present Afghan Army is trained by private company from the United States, which is very unnatural and with this training he doubts, that the Afghan army could maintain security in Afghanistan after the US and allied forces withdrawal. He said that the stay of Americans and allied forces has become very uncomfortable and they have no option but to leave. Great powers don't read history because if they would have read it, it would have been very clear to them that no external power has been able to dominate Afghanistan.
Hasheem Ashjazdeh, acting Consul General of Iran, describes the role of Iran in peace in Afghanistan. He said that Iran enjoys true cordial relations with the country and would cooperate in any step that is being initiated for its stability. He said that by and large we have no border disputes with Afghanistan and the few bottlenecks would be sorted out through bilateral dialogues.
Rustam Shah Mohmand, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, speaks the last nine years of the described war against terrorism. More than 100,000 Afghan people have lost their lives and still we see no end to it in the near future. He said resultantly Afghan people have lost their prestige and the soul of the nation has been killed.
He said the monthly expense on Nato and the US forces in Afghanistan is more than 7.5 billion dollars and officially more than seven hundred coalition forces have been killed as well, but nothing have been achieved. He said that only in 2010 the official figure of Afghans killed in the war is around six thousand but the unofficial figure is much higher than this.
The Americans and allied forces plan to go out of Afghanistan by 2014, but they are saying that bases in Afghanistan at Jalalabad, Bagram and Mazarsharif would still be with them, which means that Americans want to keep Afghanistan and the regional countries under pressure with the presence of its bases all the time. This certainly would not help peace in Afghanistan and if the bloodshed in Afghanistan continues, the society would bleed to death. He said that if the policy of the Afghan government is not made according to the aspiration of the people, the dream of peace in the country might not become a reality.
Lt. Gen Asad Durrani (Retd), Pakistan's former chief of ISI, says the exit strategy of Nato-led allies, may lead to widespread commotion in Afghanistan as the Afghan national armed forces' inability to cover security after its transition from international forces to them by 2014.
Despite political development in war-torn Afghanistan, the Karzai-led government reconciliation efforts, there are many unresolved issues. Durrani is much skeptical about post-transition scenario shifting security from international forces to Afghan forces. The optimal approaches are to take all stakeholders before bend to give huge responsibility to Afghan national forces.
Durrani looks the Nato-led troops withdrawal from Afghanistan is a political decision to maintain unity among the allies states under a joint strategy.
Being largely responsible for 1 million deaths and the exodus of five million refugees, most of them in exile, it is misleading to equate their eventual withdrawal with that of the Americans from Vietnam. This is not to say that they fared any better militarily - indeed, their effort was largely lamentable whereas the Americans did at least fight the Viet Cong almost to a standstill - but rather that they came into Afghanistan only to shore up the incumbent regime, 'blood' some of their vast military manpower and test some vital new military technology. All this they succeeded in doing.