Afghanistan Times
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Insider attacks in Afghanistan are not a strange story to the ears and eyes, especially of those who are acquainted with current affairs. Those who had no knowledge of the issue shall go through the media headlines of the past three months. Surely, this will increase their comprehension about the relative complex nature of the insider attacks. Earlier, it was green-on-blue attacks that caught attention of the international community. Even now the coalition forces are haunted by the fear of attacks of such nature. The factors remain mostly the same. Unfortunately, these factors were neither addressed by the US-led foreign forces nor by the Afghan authorities.
Therefore, insider attacks continue unabated. On January 26, a policeman defected to the Taliban has killed 10 of his fellows in Uruzgan province. The sleeper militant drugged the ten policemen before killing them. Officials confirmed that it was an insider attack. It was the second such attack within the police force in the past two weeks. On January 17, a policeman gone rogue in Uruzgan shot dead nine comrades and joined the Taliban militants. He took weapons and ammunition from the checkpoint to please the insurgent group. The attack was allegedly planned by the Taliban. On January 16, four cops were killed in an apparent insider attack in Khakriz district of Kandahar province. The attackers were in uniform.
No one is sure that when there will an end to such attacks. These attacks had broad psychological effects over performance of the security forces because policemen and soldiers do not know that when their comrades will turn their guns on them. How can a solider or a cop focus on the war on terrorism and insurgency when he cannot trust his fellows in the line of duty? Thus, the government had to address the issue by finding out the root cause which is clear. Our authorities are recruiting those militants who claim that they had renounced violence. But, once they get opportunity, they support their insurgent friends. The number may be less but the effects are wide.
The Wednesday news report is a good example. At least 11 militants renounced violence and joined the peace process in western Herat province the other day. Before voluntarily surrendering, the former insurgents were engaged in anti-state activates in Guzra district of the province. In return, the chief of provincial peace committee, Maulvi Ghulam Sarwar, assured them of financial assistance for the first six months before they are to be recruited in Afghan security forces. Now one wonders that why he is making such promises. Why these militants are not adjusted in other government departments instead of security forces. The government has to plug even a minor loophole if there is any. What the peace committee chief has promised is a loophole.
