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NATO To Hand Over Security In Helmand To Afghan Forces

July 20, 2011

The transfer of power to Afghan security forces reaches another milestone on July 20 as NATO forces hand over the capital of Helmand Province to the Afghan government.

Helmand Province is in southern Afghanistan, bordering restive Kandahar Province where a half-brother of President Hamid Karzai was assassinated on July 12.

The symbolic event in Lashkar Gar comes two days after an Afghan soldier shot and killed a British soldier during a routine patrol in the province.

The same day an Afghan police officer reportedly poisoned and shot seven fellow officers at a checkpoint in Lashkar Gar.

Also on July 18, another British soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device in Helmand.

Helmand Province Governor Gulab Mangal, who himself was the target of a Taliban assassination attempt earlier this month as he traveled to Kandahar for the funeral of Karzai's brother, told reporters on July 19 that insurgent forces are actively trying to disrupt the security handover:

"Of course, the Taliban will try to interrupt the process of transition," he said "If we see the last few incidents in Kabul and other areas, it is directly related to the transition. The Taliban is trying to raise questions (about) this process, they will try again to disrupt this process of transition but we are trying to protect by getting ready for this type of attacks."

Sternest Test Yet

NATO has already handed over security of the relatively peaceful Bamiyan Province and the eastern town of Mehter Lam, capital of Laghman Province. But analysts regard the handover in Helmand as the sternest test yet for Afghanistan's fledgling security forces.

Security in Helmand has primarily been the responsibility of British forces, and London has announced a complete withdrawal of its 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Some observers have expressed concern about the large role to be played by the Afghan police force in the new security architecture, because the force is widely viewed as riddled with corruption.

Ironically, Helmand Province police chief General Hakim Angar was in London less than a month ago to discuss combating corruption with London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson.

Stephenson and his assistant commission, John Yates, have since resigned over corruption allegations in their ranks in connection with the "News of The World" voicemail hacking scandal.

Nonetheless, Governor Mangal is optimistic that the transition process is realistic, and said that he trusts "the country should be given to Afghan authority" in 2014.

"However, our international colleagues have to complete the promises they have made on training and giving modern weapons to Afghan security forces," he added.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato_to_hand_over_security_in_helmand_to_afghan_forces/24271042.html

Copyright (c) 2011. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.