Afghanistan's National Army, Far From Being A Success Story

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In the past since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, there has been the formation of the Afghan National Army (ANA). Many have called the ANA a completely success. However, it cannot be said for the same of the country’s national police force. To many in the world, Afghanistan’s police force is a major flop.

So far, the ANA has a far better retention rate than the national police force. It shows that a combination of factors have enticed many to remain in the ANA’s ranks. This is pretty good for the government as they are still fighting the Taliban which still has influences in Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan. It is believed that Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda’s leader is hiding somewhere on the border.

Taliban’s Pakistan leader has been blamed for the death of then Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto. Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007. Ironically, Kenya had its elections on the same day.

Because of the “success” rate, the ANA can be deemed strong. But, it is far from the truth. In reality, the ANA has many flaws within its infrastructure. The main flaw which proves difficult is that the ANA still needs trainers. Sadly, none of the thirty-six infantry battalions have graduated from the training program. Only one-third of the ANA’s battalions can operate without advisers.

They lack the manpower that can handle air support. It is highly unlikely that the ANA will acquire such skills in the near future. For that, the ANA would need foreign military assistance.

In short, the ANA lacks the necessary skills and the means to acquire such skills. There have also been complaints from ANA officers that the training is too “one-sided.”

There are flaws in the ANA within the lines of ethnic tribes within Afghanistan. They hoped for an ethnic mixture. Unfortunately, that has yet to be achieved. It is unlikely that the important ethnic mix of the ANA will be achieved in the near future as well.

In the case of the ANA, it is not really a success story. The ANA is still a work in progress. However, they have been deemed better than the national police. Without foreign assistance and the necessary skills, the ANA infrastructure would not last very long at the moment. It will take time for the ANA to develop such skills. However, time is a very valuable resource.

There is still the issue of rising insurgency, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda. Like Iraq, a lot of funding towards Afghanistan has come out from the pockets of US taxpayers. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz explained that the total cost of Iraq and Afghanistan could go into the trillions.

In the case of Afghanistan, the ANA is still far from being a success story.