Taliban infiltrators in Afghanistan? Pentagon warns of 'insider threat.'
| Washington
The steady string of attacks against Western troops by rogue Afghan police and soldiers is not only undermining military cooperation at a crucial juncture but also raising the question of whether there is a growing threat of Taliban infiltration within US-trained Afghan units.聽
So far, the majority of the attacks appear to be a tragic result of 鈥渟imple insults,鈥� combat stress, cultural misunderstanding, and 鈥渞eligious and ideological frictions,鈥� said Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend, director of the Pentagon鈥檚 Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell, at a congressional hearing Wednesday.
But the killings create 鈥渄istrust between our forces and and their Afghan counterparts鈥� just as NATO forces are hoping to gain greater confidence in Afghan forces' ability to remain cohesive and effective. NATO forces could be ending their combat mission by next year, Defense Secretary Panetta said Wednesday.
New Pentagon statistics that show that there have been 42 attacks on US and NATO troops by Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) since 2007.聽These attacks have resulted in the death of 70 coalition troops and the wounding of 110 others.
Pentagon officials warn of the potential 鈥渋nsider threat鈥� from Taliban infiltrators, who are聽particularly difficult to detect. 鈥淎 successful infiltrator is more likely [to be] competent and experienced,鈥� warned Pentagon testimony submitted to the committee.
As a result, Taliban insurgents impersonating Afghan security forces may inadvertently be given important jobs within their unit.聽This, in turn, may allow them to facilitate 鈥渋nsurgent efforts by providing intelligence on coalition force tactics or movement, or by targeting high-profile ANSF or Afghan government officials.鈥� 聽
They may also attack unsuspecting US troops.聽
Pentagon officials vowed to step up biometric and 鈥渞andom鈥� screenings of Afghan troops and contractors who work on US bases. They said in the future they would request two letters of recommendation from village elders, criminal records checks, drug tests, and a scan of insurgent 鈥渨atch lists鈥� of future hires.
One lawmaker suggested that perhaps more use should be made of polygraph tests.聽On this point, US military officials demurred. Unwieldy lie-detecting machines are 鈥渞arely used for this type of thing,鈥� General Townsend explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 complex and just hard to do on a large scale.鈥�
One of the most effective means of tackling the problem, Townsend said, will involve simply 鈥渞educing unnecessary frictions with our [Afghan] partners.鈥�
This also involves being aware of the effects of combat stress combined with 鈥渃ultural misunderstanding鈥� or, say 鈥渁 lack of appropriate emotional intelligence,鈥� according to the Pentagon鈥檚 testimony.
Indeed, where there was 鈥渃loser partnership and better mentoring and understanding鈥� 鈥� as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia David Sedney put it 鈥� such attacks are far less likely to occur.
This involves, to a large degree, examining 鈥渙ur own conduct,鈥� Townsend said, and 鈥渕aking sure our own soldiers鈥� comport themselves 鈥渋n the way we would expect them to.鈥澛�
