Politics

U.S. Underreporting Afghan Attacks on Coalition Forces

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With tentative plans to semi-withdraw in 2014, attacks on coalition troops by the Afghan security forces to whom the U.S. and NATO are transferring responsibility is not a good look. According to a NATO spokesman, there were 11 attacks by Afghan soldiers resulting in 18 deaths this year, 20% of NATO fatalities so far. A classified military study showed a 6% rate between May 2007 and May 2011. But now the Associated Press reports:

The U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan is under-reporting the number of times that Afghan soldiers and police open fire on American and other foreign troops. The coalition routinely reports attacks in which a coalition soldier is killed by an Afghan in uniform. But it does not report the instances in which an Afghan wounds U.S. or NATO troops or misses his target.

The Washington Post rounded up major incidents of attacks on coalition troops by Afghan security forces over the last few years. Read Reason's Sheldon Richman on the brainwashing involved in the Afghanistan War by our Peace Prize winning President here. Screenshot from a 2010 Al-Jazeera report on the ability of the Afghan security forces.