The assassination of nine policemen by their colleague who has escaped to the ranks of the Taleban has sparked a crisis of trust in the Afghan security forces.
The assassination of nine policemen by their colleague who has escaped to the ranks of the Taleban has sparked a crisis of trust in the Afghan security forces.On Mar 30, an Afghan policeman who has been identified as Asadullah, the son of Ehsanullah, shot his sleeping colleagues in Yahya Khyl distict, Paktika, before escaping in a Ringer, according to Mukhles Afghan, spokesman of the provincial governor.
Sidiq Sidiqi, the spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said the killer poisoned the men colleagues before killing them. Other reports say among the dead was the commander of the police post, the assassin’s brother, and the commander’s two sons. The authorities see the hand of the Taleban in the tragic incident. Two arrests have been made in the case.
Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed the attacker was linked to them, and they have given him shelter.
A local villager, who did not want to reveal his identity, told Killid the assassin’s father had been murdered by the Taleban who accused him for spying for the government. Bahlol, the assassin’s relative, wanted the killer to be arrested. “The government should verify the person’s antecedents thoroughly before recruiting,” he said.
Mohammad Ayoob Tandar, police chief of the district, called the assassin a coward. He said all procedures of verification were done before the man was issued an identity card and weapon. “I don’t know why he did such a dastardly act,” he said to Killid. A new recruit in the police from the area interviewed by Killid said the incident has “demoralised” the police and security forces.
Series of killings
The Paktika incident is different in that the previous 10 incidents involved attacks by Afghan soldiers on foreign troops.
ISAF spokesperson Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said at a press conference on April 2 top level of the Afghan security forces need to provide “better management and leadership during the absorption and training of their troops.”
The murder of Afghan soldiers by an assassin from within their ranks has sparked concerns about a serious loss of trust in the ranks of the security forces.
Ghulam Nabi, a former soldier in the Afghan National Army (ANA), said: “The lack of trust of a soldier in his colleague is the worst plague or calamity which takes away the motivation of the soldiers.”
He believes unless this is quickly checked foreign trainers would be fearful of working with Afghan troops.
Strains in relations
Among the several recent incidents are the attack on French soldiers in Kapisa, assassination of two US advisers in the Ministry of Interior, killing of six British soldiers in Helmand and the killing of locals in two villages by a US soldier who has strained relations between the government and foreign forces.
What are the reasons for the growing distrust?
Military experts and commentators think the roots could be found in the “lack of cooperation” between Afghan and NATO forces. General Amanullah, a military expert, says, in the last decade the “government of Afghanistan and foreign troops has not been able to move forward cooperatively and shoulder to shoulder. On the other hand the external troops who had come to Afghanistan saying they would help Afghan people have not kept their commitment.”
According to Amanullah, Afghanistan’s neighbours have been able to implement their goals and control politics in the region.
General Atiqullah Amarkhyl, an expert of military issues, says to Killid that Afghanistan’s neighbours are doing their best to create differences between Kabul and its international “supporters”. However, Nematullah Ghafari, second deputy of parliament, would like the allegation to be investigated first. “It should be exactly investigated whether the other countries have caused the differences or not?”
Other experts also consulted by Killid count the influence of anti-government elements inside the security forces dangerous beside the spies of neighboring countries.
Abdul Hadi Khaled, the former deputy minister of interior affairs and an expert on military issues, believes, “The influence of suicide attackers inside the army, attack on allied forces and employment of army officers against army showed that there was the influence of the enemy.”
But ISAF spokesperson General Jacobson, “ I don’t think the recent events were related in any manner to the armed opponents of the government or a result of their coordinated efforts.” He said ISAF officials hope the distrust would be removed with additional security and protection measures. While he did not give details of the strategy to be followed, he said ISAF was trying to increase the intelligence capabilities of Afghan security forces.
