So what has changed or unique about Afghanistan?
Thanks Davidbpro ...
So that begs the question: "what is unique about this time?" Is it the nature of the mission - a complete cultural overhaul? Is it our attitude? Is it the fact that we want to be their friends rather than their conquerors?
I do remember something about the uprisings with the Bangladesh in 1857 that had a cultural overtone. ( http://bangladesh2000.com/bdall/uprising1857.html) Not sure anything else really compares.
Iraq and Afghanistan make a nice "compare and contrast" as far as green-on-blue goes. Not really sure what the answers (multiple) are. Heck, not sure I am even asking the right questions.
More on non-Afghan 'green on blue'
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Originally Posted by TheCurmudgeon
Sorry, but have not been keeping up. Does anyone have statistics for green-on-blue attacks from Iraq? ... from any other conflicts outside Afghanistan? How about green-on-green from Iraq?Thanks
A "lurker" has assisted from their extensive first-hand knowledge and reading. In Rhodesia there was one recorded incident of 'green on blue' when a Selous Scout member defected to the nationalist cause, killing the other patrol members, i.e. an ex-nationalist who joined the Scouts defected again. The African members of the RSF, especially the Scouts, were very well rewarded and treated well - so minimising the risks.
In Algeria there were no instances of 'green on blue', this was put down primarily to the French being ruthless, so those locally recruited and there were tens of thousands knew the consequences of turning their guns inwards. Look on the web for the story of the Harki's, many of whom the French did not evacuate and there were more regular, non-French units - not only from Algeria.
History and the shooter ain't interviewed
A "lurker" has responded to my RFI, drawing on their experience and knowledge of non-Afghan 'green on blue':
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Vietnam had lots of problems with Vietnamese troops attacking Americans, though they didn't make the news that the ones in Afghanistan -- sad as they are -- have made. In one incident (recorded in the archives) a whole advisory team was pulled out because of the danger from the local "friendly" troops. I've heard other stories. Iraq had some, but I the ones that come to mind were insurgents dressed in American or Iraqi uniforms when they attacked Americans, not Iraqi soldiers who did. I lived on an Iraqi base for two and a half years or more and had no problems, though I was always a little concerned when I was somewhere without my weapon and no Americans in sight.
Secondly, returning to Afghanistan, any research and analysis is degraded by the lack of any living shooter being available for interview - either they die at the scene, die later in the follow-up or simply escape - sometimes then appearing in a Taliban video.
The root cause of green on blue attacks - by an Afghan
A short article by an Afghan journalist, who blogs whilst in the USA on:http://www.afghanlord.org/
I am pretty sure this is the first Afghan comment on the issue I've seen; excluding the Taliban and officialdom.
Taken from his article:
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The basic cultural characteristics of Afghans are based on a hierarchy of respect and care for family, clan and tribe. Considering this simple fact, it is very easy to understand why Afghan police soldiers would become rogue and turn their guns against NATO troops. Most of those rogue soldiers became lethal enemies after losing a member of their families through NATO airstrikes. If someone is killed as a result of an accidental NATO bombing, it is likely that he or she has family left behind. The family’s pride is wounded and someone in the family must bring the pride back....
Another reason motivating some members of the Afghan police forces to turn against NATO troops is the continuation of night raids....According to ISAF Data, night raids have killed over 1,500 Afghan civilians in less than 10 months in 2010 and early 2011.
Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/opensec...n-blue-attacks
Lest we forget, painful though it is
i rarely cut & paste from SWJ responses, but the comment by 'RantCorp' has three "gems" from historical, Western experiences. First and I admit this didn't feature in my looking back at history:
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The Indian Mutiny of 1857 being the mother of all green on blue attacks in this neighborhood. However what is often overlooked is that the Mutiny was mercilessly put down by forces which were comprised 80% native troops.
In Vietnam 'blue on blue':
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In VN after records started being kept from 1969 the incidence of ‘fragging’ ran up to 500 a year with 10% being fatal. This record was only concerned with attacks using fragmentation grenades. One can only speculate how many ‘wild’ bursts or ‘negligent’ discharges which resulted in fratricide were done with varying degrees of malice.
In WW2 with US paratroopers 'blue on blue':
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What surprised him on D-Day and still startled him 40 years later as he recounted the events was some individuals didn't even hit the ground before they were shot dead by their comrades.
Link:http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/vsoalp
An Afghan Soldier’s Journey From Ally to Enemy
A NYT article based on interviews, including contact with the ANA soldier who in May 2012 killed a US soldier in Kunar Province:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/wo...pagewanted=all
Not seen this before:
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many senior coalition and Afghan officials are now concluding that after nearly 12 years of war, the view of foreigners held by many Afghans has come to mirror that of the Taliban. Hope has turned into hatred, and some will find a reason to act on those feelings.
The anatomy of green-on-blue tensions in Panjwai
A very interesting article, that ends with an optimistic passage:
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"We have a pretty good relationship [with the cops] around here," explained one of the US soldiers afterward. "We don't have many problems."
First Lieutenant Cummings.....echoed the assessment: "For the most part, it's easy to work with [Afghans], you just walk in and they're happy to see you, happy to talk with you...[But the Afghan cops are] usually hesitant to go on patrol with you, unless you have a really good relationship with them, and that just comes with time ... if you go in there and sit down and have a conversation with them every day."
Link:http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...y_of_green.php