Attacks, Tensions Complicate US Training for Afghan Forces

US: Huge Majority of Afghan Forces Don't Attack Trainers


Termed “Green-on-Blue” attacks by US officials
, the number of incidents in which Afghan police and military forces have attacked and killed NATO occupation forces in the nation is large and growing.

This is a problem for all troops in the country, as mistrust between the occupation forces and their allies continues to leave everyone on edge, but is doubly so for the soldiers involved in training Afghan forces.

Where NATO ground troops may have only fleeting contact with the local forces, mediated by interpreters, the trainers are in daily, direct contact with Afghan recruits, and exactly how trustworthy those recruits are is a constant concern.

Pentagon officials downplayed the seriousness of the concern, insisting that the “huge majority” of Afghan forces don’t take part in the “green-on-blue” attacks. They also insisted that the Afghan government is making a good effort to limit the incidents with better screening. The incidents continue, however, and that means so will the tensions.

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.