'Lessons From Iraq? US Creates Local Militias To Fight Taliban', The Christian Science Monitor, 13 April 2009
EXCERPT: "At first sight, Muhammad Nasim Gul and his men – in drab, olive-colored fatigues and baseball caps to match – look like Cuban guerrillas. They slowly patrol the muddy streets of Wardak Province, weapons drawn in a constant state of alert. Mr. Gul and his fellow tribesmen are part of an ambitious new American-backed program that started here two weeks ago to train, uniform, and arm locals against the Taliban. Officials turned to the idea following the success of a similar plan in Iraq, known as the Anbar Awakening, in which Sunni tribes were armed to fight Al Qaeda. They hope the program, dubbed the 'Afghan Public Protection Force,' can help stem the worsening violence here. Under the plan, members of each district shura (council) in Wardak nominate locals for the force who are then trained for three weeks by Afghans (with the involvement of American advisers). They then return to their home districts, receiving nearly $125 dollars a month in salary – more than the typical police income, which is usually less than $100 a month. If successful in Wardak, officials plan to expand the program to more than 40 other districts across the south and east."
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See also:
'Afghan unrest will rise in 2009: US military chief', AFP, 14 April 2009
'US launches new covert Afghan unit against narcotics', Middle East Times, 14 April 2009
'Ragtag Afghan force trying to keep Taliban at bay', The Associated Press, 4 April 2009
Related posts:
'Local force to guard against Taliban', 26 March 2009
'US, NATO forces in advanced plans to create citizen militias', 11 February 2009
'Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias"', 16 February 2009
'Disputes cloud Afghan "public guards" plan', 23 January 2009
