Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Failure against ‘Green on Blue Attacks’

Incidents where an Afghan soldier murders his NATO counterpart or mentor – a trend being called 'green on blue attack' by US authorities – have multiplied concerns over relationship and trust between Afghan security forces and US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan. So far 17 NATO soldiers have lost their lives as result of green on blue attacks this year.

NATO has assessed such incidents and has come up with admission of the fact that there have been failures in security procedures meant to identify potential killers of Western troops before they join Afghanistan's army and police. Also, NATO believes that the killings have had a negative morale impact on international soldiers in Afghanistan.

ISAF spokesman Brigadier-General Carsten Jacobson said on Monday, "What we have found in individual cases is that there was a mistake done here, or there… The identity papers weren't checked properly, the papers that were coming from village elders were not sufficient, drug tests were not taken regularly or sufficiently or something like that. Wherever we see that, we take that as measures to be taken and improved."

Taliban claim to have infiltrated the Afghan army ranks and their sympathizers launch attacks on the foreigners at their instructions. Nonetheless, NATO denies this claim saying that only 10 percent of the green on blue attacks can be linked to Taliban infiltration of Afghan army and police ranks.

Keeping in view that social structure of Afghanistan, a notable portion of Afghan population is formed by those who want Taliban rules apply on themselves and all over Afghanistan.

Karzai's sympathy for Taliban has further encouraged such people's thought. NATO and Afghan military authorities may take some solid measures to introduce stricter conditions for background checks of those joining Afghan army or police but it would be difficult for them to wash the mentalities of those soldiers who think extremely religious and listen more to Taliban than their military commanders.

As we move ahead, the green on blue attacks will occur more frequently and countering such a situation will be the most difficult task for Afghan and NATO authorities.