The concerns regarding the so-called ‘blue on green attacks’ or the ‘insider attacks’ seem to be disturbing both the International community and the Afghan authorities. They, with the rise in such attacks in the last few months, have not been able to initiate a workable strategy to control the situation. The situation is really concerning as the period through which Afghan socio-political scenario is evolving is really very much crucial.
Moreover, the widening gap between the Afghan and international troops at a time when their relations should be at their best is not going to do any good to Afghanistan. The transition requires that the coordination and mutual understanding between both the troops must be at their peak, but the reality is just the opposite and the prospects are really worrying.
To discuss the insider attacks circumstantially and to develop a workable strategy, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 19. A day prior to that Dempsey said at the joint press conference with the US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that the US military is boosting counter-intelligence expertise at battalion level and above in Afghanistan to combat the rising attacks. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, meanwhile, also called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to encourage him to work with US commanders to ensure more rigorous inspection of Afghan recruits.
On the same day when Dempsey landed at Bagram Air Field outside Kabul, another NATO soldier was killed by an insider attack. According to the reports the NATO soldier was killed on a US military base in the border district of southern Kandahar province, Spin Boldak. A second foreign soldier and an Afghan interpreter were also wounded, while the shooter was killed in return fire.
Sunday's "green-on-blue" attack brought the number of International soldiers killed by Afghan allies to nine in the past 11 days. A total of 40 coalition soldiers have been killed in similar attacks this year. The number is really alarming and points to a very gloomy future in the relations of Afghan and international troops unless circumstantial measure are held by the authorities.
President Barack Obama said on Monday, Aug. 20, that he had "deep concern" regarding the increase in so-called "green on blue" attacks on US troops in Afghanistan by insiders in Afghan uniform. He said that more needed to be done, because there has been an uptick over the last 12 months or so on this in such attacks. He also emphasized that Afghan security forces must be trained to take over from withdrawing US and Nato troops and while doing so he ensure that there would be fewer US and coalition casualties.
Taliban commander Mullah Omar, on the other hand, released a statement last Thursday that the militants had "successfully" infiltrated the Afghan security forces.
It is really important that Afghan government as a response to the issue of growing infiltration of Taliban and insurgency within the Afghan forces must take very solemn steps. The basic step, that is very much recommendable as per the circumstances, is to make the process of recruitment of the forces very much thorough. The soldiers who are recruited must not only be recruited so as to fill in the required numbers; rather they should be passed through a scrutinizing process wherein their backgrounds and their intentions must be gauged as much as possible.
On the other hand, it is really important for Afghan security arrangements to strengthen its information channels and must have the capability to acquire timely clues about such ill-intended plots and serious security threats. Moreover, there should be concrete steps so as to bridge the widening gap between the foreign troops and Afghan forces. International troops in this regard, must also play its role and try to deal with the controversies appropriately.