Afghanistan Cops Still Bumbling and Corrupt

America's big investment isn't paying off: ProPublica
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 20, 2010 11:20 AM CDT
Afghanistan Cops Still Bumbling and Corrupt
An Afghan police trainee eats candy as Marines search a house in Helmand Province in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

America's $6 billion investment to build an Afghan police force is summed up as a "disaster" in a joint report by ProPublica and Newsweek. Not only do Afghan cops remain the gang that couldn't shoot straight—literally—they're prone to selling guns and ammo to the Taliban to make an extra buck. Civilians tend to fear them because of allegations of rape, extortion, assault, and drug trafficking.

"It's inconceivable, but in fact for eight years we weren't training the police," the US general who has taken over the operation told President Obama in a briefing earlier this month. "We just never trained them before. All we did was give them a uniform." Obama, whose plans to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011 hinge on a competent force, reportedly replied that it was "mind-boggling."
(More Afghanistan stories.)

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