Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

No Afghan Soldiers Fight Without US Help

Most Afghan fighters lack education to use military equipment

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 26, 2011 5:47 PM CDT

(Newser) – Ten years and $66 billion later, not one Afghan battalion is operating on its own. That was the conclusion of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell today as he set new benchmarks for training Afghan soldiers and expressed alarm over the attrition rates of Afghanistan's men in uniform. In charge of the training, Caldwell admitted that even the two so-called "independent" military units still require US backing for "maintenance, logistics, and medical systems."

Most Afghan soldiers read below the kindergarten level, Wired reports, preventing them from using complex equipment. Afghan police are also dogged by corruption allegations that include mass murder as well as rape, arbitrary detention, and abductions. Meanwhile 2.3% of Afghan cops and 1.4% of Afghan soldiers are quitting every day. Caldwell said the US must continue training until 2017 and aim to reduce attrition rates to 1.4% across the board. “I’m still very realistic about the challenges out there,” he said.

An Afghan National Army soldier points to a mountaintop along with US soldiers after an indirect fire attack by insurgents Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 in the village of Asmar, Kunar province, Afghanistan.
An Afghan National Army soldier points to a mountaintop along with US soldiers after an indirect fire attack by insurgents Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 in the village of Asmar, Kunar province, Afghanistan.   (AP Photo/David Goldman)
U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers patrol together in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2011.
U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers patrol together in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2011.   (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
13%
2%
70%
2%
4%
8%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 17 comments
Spudsy
Sep 26, 2011 11:51 PM CDT
"Most Afghan soldiers read below the kindergarten level, "  ---  Now we'll never leave, the GOP is going to want to find a lot of supporters over there. 
Fascist_Jack
Sep 26, 2011 10:22 PM CDT
Afghanistan is a battlefield market. With the US spending 20 billion dollars on air conditioning there alone, one can see that there is an entire lobbying industry that is dependent on war in Afghanistan.
flapstick
Sep 26, 2011 9:39 PM CDT
nuke it.  problem solved. 

More Newser Stories

6 US Soldiers Killed Near Pakistan Border

No Bullet in Case of Soldier Who Died Skyping Wife

Afghan Soldier Kills US Marine

Army Nurse in Afghanistan Dies While Skyping With Wife

Afghan Soldiers Busted in Kabul Terror Plot: NYT


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment