Gen. Petraeus runs into resistance from Karzai over village defense forces

[rabs]

Source: Washington Post




By Joshua Partlow and Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, July 10, 2010

KABUL -- As he takes charge of the war effort in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus has met sharp resistance from President Hamid Karzai to an American plan to assist Afghan villagers in fighting the Taliban on their own.

A first meeting last week between the new commander and the Afghan president turned tense after Karzai renewed his objections to the plan, according to U.S. officials. The idea of recruiting villagers into local defense programs is a key part of the U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan, and Karzai's stance poses an early challenge to Petraeus as he tries to fashion a collaborative relationship with the Afghan leader.

Senior U.S. officials say that the United States would like to expand the program to about two dozen sites across Afghanistan, double the current number, and are hoping to overcome Karzai's concerns. But the issue is delicate to many who fear that such experiments could lead Afghanistan further into warlordism and out-of-control militias.

The U.S. initiative was developed under Petraeus's predecessor, ousted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, although Petraeus has been a strong supporter of such programs. When Petraeus commanded the Iraq war, U.S. forces partnered with tens of thousands of civilian guards, including former insurgents, who fought against the group al-Qaeda in Iraq.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070905599.html

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"Village defense forces," echoes of another war, another place, another time.

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Irregular_Defense_Group">Civilian Irregular Defense Group

[Regret My New Name]

9. It was also done in Iraq

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Iraq

[Chulanowa]

2. Ugh. Out of several dumb ideas in this war, this has got to be near the top

Karzai is a stooge. he's an asshole. he's a scrotal infection on the taint of Afghanistan. And he's also completely right this time. The last thing that Afghanistan needs is independent militias bound only to village loyalty. There's absolutely nothing good that can come of this. Leave the civilians to be civilians; if they want to fight, point them towards the Afghan National Army. Not this.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. Sounds like old Karzai needs to "Get With The God Damned...

Program"...you'd think he owned the damned place.

[toppertwot]

4. Sounds to me like

we need to get the hell out of there, and then pass Alan Graysons HR5353 which will use the Afghastan suplimental to give all tax payers their first $35,000 tax free($70,000 for couples), and put the left over money on the national debt! But, Republicans hate this bill because it gives working people a fair shake!

[Dr.Phool]

5. You don't think the "Strategic Hamlet Program" will work?

Why would you think that?

Get the fuck out of that place already!

[rabs]

6. Think that anything foreign occupiers

in the past and today invent or improvise to "fix" Afghanistan is doomed to failure.

It is like plowing in the ocean, to quote Simon Bolivar.

[wordpix]

7. this is what I don't get---why we're still there with O in Year #2

Get TF out already ---didn't the war against the Soviets teach US anything? Not to mention most of al Quaeda's in Pakistan by all reports.

[MisterP]

8. didn't work in El Salvador, either

it's actually the same neocons that were trying to avenge Vietnam after 1981 and were in charge in 2001-08. but now we have a superliberal in charge, and he's sure to have a plan to get us out: just as soon as he's sworn in!

[G_j]

10. recruiting villagers into local defense programs

getting more people armed and in the fight, that's the ticket!

:sarcasm: