| Afghan army 'unfit to take over security role in 2009' Scotsman, UK
01/12/2007
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A SENIOR Royal Marine responsible for training Afghan soldiers cast doubt yesterday on whether native troops would be ready to take over security and allow British forces to "step back" as scheduled in two years' time. Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Dewar, the commanding officer of Arbroath-based 45 Commando, said his experiences in Helmand province suggested it was "probably optimistic" that the fledgling Afghan National Army (ANA) would be capable of tackling the Taleban, warlords and drug traffickers by the planned end of the British mission in 2009. His comments reinforce fears that "mission creep" will force NATO troops to remain in the country indefinitely to prop up its security services. Lt-Col Dewar said: "The aim is still 2009 to have the Afghans at a level of capability to at least deal with the internal security situation in a effective manner. "I believe that is probably optimistic. I think people will see a tangible increase in the capability of the ANA [by 2009]. Whether we will feel we can step back and leave them to it, I'm not certain." Another senior officer told The Scotsman he was "99.9 per cent positive" the British presence in the country would extend beyond the scheduled end of Operation Herrick - which is intended to bring stability to allow reconstruction. Plans are already under way to extend Camp Bastion, the main British base in Afghanistan. There are about 4,000 British troops in Helmand - widely considered Afghanistan's most volatile province, where support for the Taleban remains strong. Lt-Col Dewar added: "Progress has been as good as we could have expected at this stage. People have to be aware of the constraints we're under - effectively trying to build a new Afghan National Army while fighting a ferocious counter- insurgency campaign. "The level of corruption, tribalism and drug-taking does affect the raw material we have. "But the ANA could well provide the firm national structure that the government of Afghanistan could hang its hat on." About 150 members of 45 Commando are training Afghan forces at Camp Tombstone and adjacent Camp Shorabak - a purpose-built, £35 million facility funded by the US. Groups of marines known as operational mentoring liaison teams are involved in a three-week intensive training scheme for 325 Afghan soldiers. Lt-Col Dewar added: "The difficulty we have is with the low-level soldiering skills they bring to the party." The Helmand-based 3205 Brigade of the ANA has about 1,100 troops, but its full contingent is 2,000. As many as 40 per cent of some units have gone AWOL. While the Taleban pays "hired gun" fighters around £5 a day, ANA recruits make much less. Lt-Col Dewar said: "It's always a fear that some of our training will be transferred over, and there is the level of corruption that could get some weapons from the ANA into Taleban hands." BRITISH TROOPS KILL 100 ENEMY
BRITISH troops wiped out up to 100 Taleban fighters yesterday as they destroyed a "key" enemy base in Afghanistan. The compound, in Helmand province, was attacked in an operation lasting nearly four hours by around 100 troops backed by air support. UK commanders said both buildings in the compound, which intelligence said housed between 60 and 100 Taleban fighters, were completely destroyed. No injuries were suffered by the British soldiers, they added. The raid, which took place in the area of Kostay, south of the town of Garmsir, has been described as the UK Task Force's biggest pre-planned operation in Helmand to date. Radio and TV enlisted in fight for hearts and minds
THE front line in war-weary Afghanistan has moved from the battlefield to the airwaves. Military experts in the country have embarked on a public-relations blitz, believing the window of opportunity to win Afghan hearts and minds will end in a matter of weeks. They have stepped up efforts to convince local people that the UK task force in Helmand is helping to bring stability to the troubled southern province. The campaign includes radio adverts and programmes on local cable television stations. Thousands of leaflets have been distributed, highlighting the positive aspects of ongoing Operation Herrick and its impact on life in the country. Corporal Phil Morrison, a psychological operations specialist with 42 Commando Royal Marines who is based near Gereshk, said it was essential to win the backing of the Afghan people if the British mission was to succeed. He said: "Traditionally, enemy activity decreases during the winter, so this period is crucial. In the spring, local people might be tempted to rejoin the enemy if they don't have a clear idea of the benefits the government can bring to their lives. "If people don't see improvements before the spring, they'll go back to shooting at us." Cpl Morrison dismissed suggestions that his unit was producing propaganda.
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