US pours millions into anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan

[EjazR]

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US pours millions into anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan | World news | The Guardian

US special forces are supporting anti-Taliban militias in at least 14 areas of Afghanistan as part of a secretive programme that experts warn could fuel long-term instability in the country.

The Community Defence Initiative (CDI) is enthusiastically backed by Stanley McChrystal, the US general commanding Nato forces in Afghanistan, but details about the programme have been held back from non-US alliance members who are likely to strongly protest.

The attempt to create what one official described as "pockets of tribal resistance" to the Taliban involves US special forces embedding themselves with armed groups and even disgruntled insurgents who are then given training and support.

In return for stabilising their local area the militia helps to win development aid for their local communities, although they will not receive arms, a US official said.

Special forces will be able to access money from a US military fund to pay for the projects. The hope is that the militias supplement the Nato and Afghan forces fighting the Taliban. But the prospect of re-empowering militias after billions of international dollars were spent after the US-led invasion in 2001 to disarm illegally armed groups alarms many experts.

Senior generals in the Afghan ministries of interior and defence are also worried about what they see as a return to the failed strategies of the Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan.

Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said the US risked losing control over groups which have in the past turned to looting shops and setting up illegal road checkpoints when they lose foreign support.

"It is not enough to talk to a few tribal elders and decide that you trust them," Ruttig said. "No matter how well-trained and culturally aware the special forces are they will never be able to get to know enough about a local area to trust the people they are dealing with."

Another controversial aspect of the programme is the involvement of Arif Noorzai, an Afghan politician from Helmand who is widely distrusted by many members of the international community.

Although many western officials want to sideline Noorzai and give oversight to the Afghan army and police, some of the CDI militias will build upon the 12,500 militiamen in 22 provinces Noorzai helped to set up this summer in the run up to the presidential elections on 20 August, an official said.

Despite the lack of any announcement about the programme, which could radically affect conditions in unstable areas across Afghanistan, it has begun in 14 areas in the south, east and west, but is expected to extend far beyond that.

Another diplomat in the south-east of the country said in the last six weeks special forces have held several meetings with elders in restive districts in Paktia, close to the Pakistani border, seeking to embed themselves with the local people.

The diplomat said: "It is not clear anything has happened yet, but the elders in the area are all seeing dollar signs and very much want to qualify for this programme."

According to some western officials, the US government will make a pot of $1.3bn (£790m) available for the programme, although the US embassy said it could not yet comment on CDI.

A US military spokesman also declined to comment saying the programme was still in its early phases and public discussion could jeopardise the lives of some of the Afghans involved.

The plan represents a significant change in tack from a scheme promoted just last year by General McChrystal's predecessor, David McKiernan. The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) was piloted in Wardak province and involved the rigorous vetting of recruits who were then given basic training, a uniform and came under the authority of the Afghan police.

"McChrystal was always quite dismissive about APPF," a senior Nato official in Kabul said. "It was too resource-intensive and so slow we would have lost long before it had been spread to the whole country."

He added: "He wanted to move to a much more informal model, which is far less visible and unaccountable, using Noorzai to find people through his own networks and then simply paying out cash for them to defend their areas."

The US has shared few details of its plans with its allies. The programme is controlled by a newly created special forces group that reports directly to McChrystal as head of US forces in the country, but which sits outside the authority of the International Security Assistance Force, the Nato mission in Afghanistan.

[Awesome]

Arming militants to fight wars... Thats never backfired before for America.

More recently Pakistan tried the same and it was of no spectacular benefit. Of course I doubt Pakistan would've armed them with millions of dollars coming in. More than likely a lot of these funds would be diverted and used by the Taliban or other terrorists at some point in time.

[Spring Onion]

the little birdy must spread the word.

good time to lay hands on some

[S-2]

Here's a different look at the same story.

Afghan Militias Battle Taliban With Aid Of U.S.-NYT Nov. 21, 2009

"The Americans say they will keep the groups small and will limit the scope of their activities to protecting villages and manning checkpoints.

For now, they are not arming the groups because they already have guns [nothing new in the "land of guns", correct Jana?].

The Americans also say they will tie them directly to the Afghan government.

These checks aim to avoid repeating mistakes of the past — either creating more Afghan warlords, who have defied the government’s authority for years, or arming Islamic militants, some of whom came back to haunt the United States."[/I]

Villages have to have already made this determination for themselves to receive our backing. If they aren't protecting themselves, we aren't providing assistance.

What is that assistance? Communications equipment which links them to government security forces and civil aid projects. Can't imagine my anti-American friends here would object to that except for its natural weakening of taliban influence over areas that Pakistan might wish to see that influence assert itself.

"In the Pashtun-dominated areas of the south and east, the anti-Taliban militias are being led by elders from local tribes. The Pashtun militias represent a reassertion of the country’s age-old tribal system, which binds villages and regions under the leadership of groups of elders.

The tribal networks have been alternately decimated and co-opted by Taliban insurgents. Local tribal leaders, while still powerful, cannot count on the allegiance of all of their tribes’ members.

Militias have begun taking up arms against the Taliban in several places where insurgents have gained a foothold, including the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktia."

Nangarhar and Paktia? They ARE pashtu then. Wow. Imagine that. Afghan pashtus that aren't eager to have the damnable taliban shoving them around RIGHT ACROSS THE BORDER FROM PAKISTAN.

"One of the most striking examples of a local militia rising up on its own is here in Achin, a predominantly Pashtun district in Nangarhar Province that straddles the border with Pakistan.

In July, a long-running dispute between local Taliban fighters and elders from the Shinwari tribe flared up. When a local Taliban warlord named Khona brought a more senior commander from Pakistan to help in the confrontation, the elders in the Shinwari tribe rallied villagers from up and down the valley where they live, killed the commander and chased Khona away.

The elders had insisted that the Taliban stay away from a group of Afghans building a dike in the valley. When Khona’s men kidnapped two Afghan engineers, the Shinwari elders decided they had had enough.

“The whole tribe was with me,” one of the elders said in an interview. 'The Taliban came to kill me, and instead we killed them.'”

This was inevitable where the taliban have done their utmost to destroy the tribal fabric of leadership. Pakistani pashtus across the border in S. Waziristan can attest to this. If afghans are already willing to fight against the taliban then aid as a reward for such is perfect. It doesn't further arm and encourage warlordism but, instead, incentivizes communities around projects that can benefit.

Absolutely worth a try to piggyback atop resistance already occurring and beats dumping a bunch of weapons and ammo and leaving.

[Awesome]

Here's a different look at the same story.

Afghan Militias Battle Taliban With Aid Of U.S.-NYT Nov. 21, 2009

"The Americans say they will keep the groups small and will limit the scope of their activities to protecting villages and manning checkpoints.

For now, they are not arming the groups because they already have guns [nothing new in the "land of guns", correct Jana?].

The Americans also say they will tie them directly to the Afghan government.

These checks aim to avoid repeating mistakes of the past — either creating more Afghan warlords, who have defied the government’s authority for years, or arming Islamic militants, some of whom came back to haunt the United States."[/I]

I fail to understand HOW on Earth can any American truly believe that. Americans are not that stupid, it always makes me think they do these stupid things purposely and then act dumb, imagine the whole American government singing "Oops I did it again".

You can't control em. Afghani government, if they could control them then wouldn't they just hire them as their own police/army? They are the warlords army. The warlord will not stop with the Taliban. All Warlord of Afghanistan cage their women, enforce burkhas, kill their "subjects" on their whims... Yes they are not all driven by Islamism, but they collectively are part of the same problem pool - militancy, lack of law n order, Feudalism!

Villages have to have already made this determination for themselves to receive our backing. If they aren't protecting themselves, we aren't providing assistance.

Did it again! The Warlord speaks for the village. Is the US conducting independent referendums in all the villages?! Who is approving this village by village?

What is that assistance? Communications equipment which links them to government security forces and civil aid projects. Can't imagine my anti-American friends here would object to that except for its natural weakening of taliban influence over areas that Pakistan might wish to see that influence assert itself.

Of course communication equipment doesn't sound so bad. If thats what it is... What sort of equipment? The warlords don't already have radio? Internet? Email? Fax? Blackberry? Buy each of them a satellite phone and be done with it.

Thats all this is about? I doubt it.

[B]"In the Pashtun-dominated areas of the south and east, the anti-Taliban militias are being led by elders from local tribes. The Pashtun militias represent a reassertion of the country’s age-old tribal system, which binds villages and regions under the leadership of groups of elders.

This is the same plan Pakistan had. Over a period of time the Taliban killed all these elders one by one and the new "elders" were **** scared and just toed the Taliban line.

Nangarhar and Paktia? They ARE pashtu then. Wow. Imagine that. Afghan pashtus that aren't eager to have the damnable taliban shoving them around RIGHT ACROSS THE BORDER FROM PAKISTAN.

Actually nothing like that was said... But you're allowed a little yellow journalism of your own... Lets see what else...

[B]"One of the most striking examples of a local militia rising up on its own is here in Achin, a predominantly Pashtun district in Nangarhar Province that straddles the border with Pakistan.

In July, a long-running dispute between local Taliban fighters and elders from the Shinwari tribe flared up. When a local Taliban warlord named Khona brought a more senior commander from Pakistan to help in the confrontation, the elders in the Shinwari tribe rallied villagers from up and down the valley where they live, killed the commander and chased Khona away.

The elders had insisted that the Taliban stay away from a group of Afghans building a dike in the valley. When Khona’s men kidnapped two Afghan engineers, the Shinwari elders decided they had had enough.

“The whole tribe was with me,” one of the elders said in an interview. 'The Taliban came to kill me, and instead we killed them.'”

Turf wars exist between Afghans, no surprise there. It would be helpful if the intent was not just to remove a Pakistani Taliban with an Afghani Taliban, which it most probably was.

This was inevitable where the taliban have done their utmost to destroy the tribal fabric of leadership. Pakistani pashtus across the border in S. Waziristan can attest to this. If afghans are already willing to fight against the taliban then aid as a reward for such is perfect. It doesn't further arm and encourage warlordism but, instead, incentivizes communities around projects that can benefit.

We have had many more examples where the locals beat the crap out of the Taliban, but not everyone of them is as battle hardened... and also not as lucky. If the Taliban really wanted to take a town and professional GOVERNMENTAL security agencies are not present, they would take it.

You guys sure are changing tunes on a weekly basis now. It is like Britney Spears, each week she does something new and its sort of like entertainment to watch.

Wake me up when you start winning the war with these gimmicks. What worked in Iraq? Sending in **** lotta troops. You need to do the same here. 100,000 of them. American troops. You guys DO have that many and can spare em. The rest is just Americans pussyfooting around the Taliban issue. And ultimately you'd either give up or end up sending in that many troops.

[S-2]

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"The rest is just Americans pussyfooting around the Taliban issue..."

And you can't/won't find more than 30,000 for your western battles? On you OWN land? With the world's seventh largest army? And your country under near daily attack?

"Pussyfooting" indeed.

Thanks.