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.
“Pentagon officials… ‘huge majority’ of Afghan forces don’t take part”
Be it a criminal government or one that establishes justice, over 90% never get involved, the impoverished and powerless lower half of society never goes to the polls and whatever form of politics prevails, surely it is government by default.
So, why be so dishonest as to interject the self-absorbed indifference of society, into any problem facing society?