In a recent interview with US Radio NPR, a US general who
has been in Afghanistan for several years to train the Afghan army said,
"What's sad is that the cake was taken out of the oven before it was fully
baked."
The US general may have wanted to say that the Americans are
returning by forcing the Afghan army to fight before it is fully developed into
a professional force.
Eighty percent of the money spent by the United States on
rebuilding Afghanistan has been spent on building the Afghan army and security
forces.
Until last year, the total cost of the United States in this
sector was about ৮ 6.9 billion. An additional ৩ 3.3
billion has been pledged to the Afghan army this year.
The number of Afghan security forces, including the army and
police, is just over 300,000 on paper. An air force has been created. There is
a commando army unit whose skills the United States and the Afghan government
are very proud of. The cadets of this force have been taken to the United
States for training.
But when the Taliban intensified its fight for territory
after signing a peace deal with the United States in February last year, the
weakness of the Afghan security forces began to be exposed.
That weakness in the Afghan security forces has since caused
deep concern in the Kabul government since the Taliban launched a surprise
offensive in the city in May.
Gen. Scott Miller, a U.S. military official who has been
commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan for the past four years. In June, he
could not contain his doubts about the capabilities of the Afghan army. He said
Afghanistan was most likely heading for an extremely chaotic civil war.
An analysis by U.S. intelligence agencies leaked earlier
this month said the Kabul government could collapse within six months of the
withdrawal.
In other words, the Americans are skeptical that the Afghan
army can even secure Kabul.
In the past two months, half of Afghanistan's nearly 400
districts have been captured by the Taliban. The four provincial capitals are
now under their control. The Taliban claim control of 70 percent of
Afghanistan. That is an exaggeration, but Americans acknowledge that more than
half of the country is now under Taliban control.
The Long War Journal, a research journal of the Foundation
for Defense and Democracy, published a report on the US war against various
extremist groups, saying that in July, the Taliban lost control of 54 percent
of Afghanistan. Even a few months ago, only 20 percent of the area was
completely under Taliban control. The Taliban are expected to take control of
16 of the 34 Afghan provinces before the end of the summer season.
News of the disorientation of the Afghan army and police in
various places, especially in remote areas, is circulating every day, even in
the Western media.
Hundreds of soldiers are leaving the Taliban without
fighting, carrying weapons, vehicles and supplies and taking off their
uniforms. They are embracing the Taliban. Many times the Taliban are telling
them to go home with some money in their pockets. One month ago, more than a
thousand troops defected and fled to Tajikistan.
Video footage of these surrenders is spreading on social
media. As a result, the soldiers guarding various outposts and check posts
outside the city are feeling more helpless.
Zahid Hossain, a senior journalist in Islamabad, is a
well-known analyst of extremist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said the
United States had spent a lot of money behind the Afghan army, but their
professionalism was still highly questionable.
‘It’s just that they have been trained, especially their
Special Forces unit has fought well against the Taliban at various times. But
those are the things they did when the Americans were with them. But the Afghan
troops were not ready for the new situation that would arise after the
Americans left. "
Ethnic conflict in the army
Why do they feel so helpless? Zahid Hossain said the Afghan
army did not have the equipment, logistics and morale needed to fight a highly
skilled, experienced militant group like the Taliban.
Along with that, he said, is the problem of racial
segregation. The majority of sepoys belong to the Pashtun ethnic group, but the
majority of senior officers are ethnic Tajiks. "There is always a rift, a
monogamy."
"And most importantly, the continuing divisions among
Afghanistan's ruling elites are detrimental to the morale of any national army
in the world."
Besides, there are widespread allegations of corruption at
the leadership level of the army. It is almost an open secret that the number
of troops shown on the paper is less than the actual number. There are many
allegations that the salaries and allowances of the ghost soldiers in the list
go to the pockets of the senior commanders.
There have also been reports in the media at home and abroad
that many wounded army members have died in hospitals due to lack of treatment
or even food. Many times the soldiers do not even get the vehicles to take the
dead and wounded comrades to the hospital. There is anger among the common
soldiers about all this.
At the same time, it is true that the level of casualties
that the Afghan army and police have suffered in recent years is bad for the
morale of any country's defense forces. While 6,000 Nato troops have died
fighting the Taliban since 2001, the death toll for Afghan police and army
members has risen to at least 63,000 since 2008.
Of This fear of death has increased the tendency to
surrender.
Questions about the Air Force
An air force capable of providing regular supplies to
various distant bases and maintaining the morale of the deployed troops is now
crucial for Afghanistan.
That is why the Taliban are now targeting planes and
helicopters. They also killed several pilots of planes and helicopters.
Moreover, there are doubts as to whether the foreign
technicians working in Afghanistan to keep these helicopters and warplanes in
operation will remain. As a result, questions have been raised about the future
of the Afghan Air Force.
The situation has become so fragile that the Kabul
government is now seeking the help of various anti-Taliban tribal militias.
Until last year, however, President Ashraf Ghani was thinking of disarming
these militia groups.
Source: BBC Bangla
