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DISCUSS (11)

The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight

Posted by Raymond on March 20, 2010

From Newsweek:

Six billion dollars later, the Afghan National Police can’t begin to do their jobs right—never mind relieve American forces.

Mohammad Moqim watches in despair as his men struggle with their AK-47 automatic rifles, doing their best to hit man-size targets 50 meters away. A few of the police trainees lying prone in the mud are decent shots, but the rest shoot clumsily, and fumble as they try to reload their weapons. The Afghan National Police (ANP) captain sighs as he dismisses one group of trainees and orders 25 more to take their places on the firing line. “We are still at zero,” says Captain Moqim, 35, an eight-year veteran of the force. “They don’t listen, are undisciplined, and will never be real policemen.”

Poor marksmanship is the least of it. Worse, crooked Afghan cops supply much of the ammunition used by the Taliban, according to Saleh Mohammed, an insurgent commander in Helmand province. The bullets and rocket-propelled grenades sold by the cops are cheaper and of better quality than the ammo at local markets, he says. It’s easy for local cops to concoct credible excuses for using so much ammunition, especially because their supervisors try to avoid areas where the Taliban are active. Mohammed says local police sometimes even stage fake firefights so that if higher-ups question their outsize orders for ammo, villagers will say they’ve heard fighting.

[Read more at Newsweek]

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  • http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

    Well hell, the problem is obvious!

    We're trying to train their police by using OUR police.

    “The people who oversaw much of the training that did take place were contractors—many of them former American cops or sheriffs.”

  • bradfordarthursturtevant

    Mohammad Moqim watches in despair as his men struggle…HeHe.. Just give them few Kentucky riflemen yo, that shoot the tail off a squirrel you know!

  • 5by5

    Why is our “answer” in all these places to create more policemen or army people? Aren't these places shitholes because the only thing there is to do there, is run about shooting at other people?

    Can't we give them a new hobby? How about music? Maybe the theater? Can't we ship old episodes of Bob Ross over there to teach them painting? That's a country in DESPERATE need of bright colors.

    Why don't we train engineers, teachers, road builders, sanitation workers, electricians, not to mention soil restoration experts – I mean look at that place – it's nothing but dead dirt. No green. Train them to build fricking aqueducts if you have to, but if I had to look at that dry ass landscape full of nothing every day, I'd want to murder people too.

  • ebwolf

    The profit margins are much better just dealing in weapons and heroin. Nice thought though.

  • GoodDoktorBad

    While I couldn't possibly speak for them, these Afghani males probably have serious misgivings about being trained by an invading force, then being trained by that same invading force to police there own country under the direction of that same invading force. I suspect the main reason for them joining this “force” are purely monetary, that is, they are trying to survive and take care of there families.
    Even if they thought the US was a great bunch of folks that will truly benifit them, (which is doubtful) there has to be a certain of natural resentment and in turn, apathy, regarding the success of their training and subsequent unleashing of these new “skills” on their countrymen.

    Personally, I would feel like a traitor to my people if I felt I had to pretend to be a cop just so I don't go hungry.

  • Hadrian999

    maybe next time these afghan males should put up more of a fight than a girlscout troop when they are invaded

  • Tuna Ghost

    To be fair, he wouldn't be the first person to think Bob Ross could save a nation's soul

  • GoodDoktorBad

    There is no “next time” for dead men. Next time you die with a 500 lb bomb up your ass, someone can recite those words over your carcass. Oh wait, you won't hear them, silly me….

  • Hadrian999

    if they want their country back they are going to have to take it,
    nobody is going to give it back. and don't tell me about war I've already been there dok

  • GoodDoktorBad

    I'm not trying pick on you personally, its just kinda hard to understand what your trying to say with flat statements like that. I apologize for the sarcasm.

    “maybe next time these afghan males should put up more of a fight than a girlscout troop when they are invaded”

    Frankly it just sounds like you enjoy adding insult to injury. Is that your intent?
    As for “telling you about war”, I can only speak of it from my perpective, as you can only speak of it from yours.
    I simply ask for clarification. Nothing more.

  • Mysterio

    Maybe because they are all stupid and can't understand?

    Training individuals to build is nice, but training them to build things which don't collapse is a little more difficult.