Afghanistan: U.S., Afghans Help Militias Fight Taliban

The New York Times reported November 22 that both U.S. and Afghan officials are providing help to various militias that are fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The move reminds me of the help U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq provided to Iraqi tribes who turned on al Qaeda fighters beginning in early 2007.

The Times says, "The emergence of the militias, which took some leaders in Kabul by surprise, has so encouraged the American and Afghan officials that they are planning to spur the growth of similar armed groups across the Taliban heartland in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The American and Afghan officials say they are hoping the plan, called the Community Defense Initiative, will bring together thousands of gunmen to protect their neighborhoods from Taliban insurgents. Already there are hundreds of Afghans who are acting on their own against the Taliban, officials say."

It's a dangerous move, no doubt, because Afghan militias are notorious for selling their services to the highest bidder. Backed by drug trade money, the Taliban could probably buy back some of these armed groups.

The Times continues, "By harnessing the militias, American and Afghan officials hope to rapidly increase the number of Afghans fighting the Taliban. That could supplement the American and Afghan forces already here, and whatever number of American troops President Obama might decide to send. The militias could also help fill the gap while the Afghan Army and police forces train and grow - a project that could take years to bear fruit. The Americans hope the militias will encourage an increasingly demoralized Afghan population to take a stake in the war against the Taliban."

As far as the population goes, there is a simple reality: the people of Afghanistan will side with whoever can provide them with security and the basic necessities for sustaining life in a country that is one of the poorest in the world.

The story goes on: "The growth of the anti-Taliban militias runs the risk that they could turn on one another, or against the Afghan and American governments. 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. 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."

And finally, this: "The official assistance to the militias so far has been modest, consisting mainly of ammunition and food, officials said. But American and Afghan officials say they are also planning to train the fighters and provide communication equipment. 'What we are talking about is a local, spontaneous and indigenous response to the Taliban,' said Hanif Atmar, the Afghan interior minister. 'The Afghans are saying, 'We are willing and determined and capable to defend our country; just give us the resources.''"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/world/asia/22militias.html?_r=3&hp