US CA: Drugs Trump Afghanistan Military Concerns

2/5/2012

DRUGS TRUMP AFGHANISTAN MILITARY CONCERNS

France can't seem to decide how quickly it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan after a rogue Afghan soldier opened fire on unarmed French soldiers, killing four and wounding 15.

Over the past week, French officials have offered conflicting reports of their intentions, but it doesn't really matter whether the French stay or they go. Despite the gung-ho statements we are hearing from the NATO training program, most Afghan soldiers are simply unfit for duty.

In every nation, the army is a reflection of its country. How could it be any other way? Recruits are drawn from a cross-section of society - though most come from poorly educated, less well-off families. Well, in Afghanistan, virtually everyone is poor; the average annual income is about $400, and NATO says 80 percent of army recruits are illiterate. Most don't know even how to drive a car.

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