The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, offered a bristling salute and plenty of encouragement as the first 240 volunteers for the Afghan Public Protection Program (AP3) graduated from training in late March. There are great hopes riding on what he called “purely an Afghan initiative,” which seeks to emulate the startling impact of the “Sons of Iraq” experiment. … Such militias are meant to provide a layer of local security alongside a sharp increase in Western (mainly U.S.) forces and a near-doubling of the Afghan army. … Can it work?
The NATO fund to support Afghan forces requires $2 billion a year, but has raised only $100 million so far. And many Afghans compare the AP3 initiative to militias raised in the late 1980s, the final years of the Soviet occupation. … Another discouraging precedent is the Afghan National Auxiliary Police (ANAP), a disastrous 2006 initiative to boost the security forces in unstable districts by enrolling local youths vetted by tribal elders. … This time vetting is more thorough, training lasts three weeks instead of one, pay is higher, and AP3 units are promised mentoring and close support by U.S. forces. Their role is local defense, not law enforcement. Access the full article>>
