US Admits Taliban Responsible for More ‘Green-on-Blue’ Attacks

Taliban 'Coercing' Many of the Attacks, Gen. Allen Claims

Just days ago the Pentagon said the Taliban were responsible for about 10% of the green-on-blue attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan. Today, Gen. John Allen bumped that number up significantly to 25%.

He sought to explain the difference, saying that 10% were done by actual Taliban infiltrators and the other 15% were the results of “coercion” of non-Taliban security forces, saying they use family members to get to them.

Though the method through which they achieved this percentage was entirely undocumented, the unspoken half of this improbable claim is that 75% of the attacks are nothing to do with the Taliban.

With 31 attacks this year, that would mean 3 involved actual Taliban, 5 were “coerced” attacks, and the other 23 were actual Afghan security forces who attacked NATO troops entirely on their own.

Though the NATO comment seems to be centered on preventing the Taliban from taking credit for the explosion of such attacks, it also means they will need to explain why the security forces are responsible for the bulk of the escalation. Gen. Allen sought to pin it on “stress from Ramadan,” but a more credible explanation will need to be forthcoming.

 

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.