AP: General calls for more Afghanistan troops

[Steve the Planner]

Jamestown Foundation has a great interview with LTG Hadi Khalid, former Dep Min of Interior. Fascinating from many perspectives.

HK: After Bonn, it was decided that Afghanistan should have 62,000 national policemen. During my work in the MOI, our international donors wanted the number increased to 82,000 and now there is talk of raising the membership to 96,000, including local militias, which I think is a terrible idea. It is better to have a small, qualified force than a barely outfitted, cumbersome one. But the donors do not listen to us, they make these decisions without consulting us.

HK: The United States must “Afghanize” the situation here. Afghanization is the only way forward. Afghans want to have an alliance with the United States because without such an ally, we cannot survive. Our neighbors will swallow us up and our internal problems will also swallow us. The U.S. must genuinely empower our army, police and intelligence services to make our forces the frontline in Afghanistan.

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=35504&tx_ttnews[backPid]=7&cHash=42ad11eccd

It provides an Afghan take on each border challenges, including Iran, the stans and China.

He argues for substantial Afghanization, but with the caveat that, due to their weak tax base, it must be paid for by foreign aid.

At the least, this is a very good data point for the Big Game issues still playing out.

His point that the neighbors would swallow up Afghanistan is really interesting in the context of neighboring interests and affiliations. I assume he is indirectly referring to the many "countries" of Afghanistan which Rory Stewart notes in vintage british colonial reports. Funny how these enduring ideas are well-understood by the locals, but not by us.

Steve