Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post
It is not, however, an irrelevant point--I think inadequate attention has been given to how military training, assistance to civilian police institutions, and indeed role-of-law sectoral assistance more broadly can have a range of undesired effects, including reinforcing patron-client structures in the security sector, and strengthening the repressive apparatus of authoritarian regimes.

Obviously, this certainly isn't to say that it shouldn't ever be done. It is to say that it is worth thinking about how it is best done, and how to maximize the positive while minimizing the negatives...
Right. I think one of the most important consequences of some kinds of interventions is precisely the lack of follow-on mentoring needed to ensure new equipment and new skills aren't put to ill use. And that's where things can fall short. State-building is all fine and well, but if said capacity - which for our interests centers on the capacity to justify political borders and a corresponding entitlement to sovereign powers - isn't coupled with some form of longer term external oversight (can it be done non-paternalistically?) that understands local level issues and implementation, then the risk is that the abuses can happen.