US plan to arm militias scares some in Afghanistan

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

US plan to arm militias scares some in Afghanistan
By Kathy Gannon, Associated Press Writer – 17 mins ago

MAIDAN SHAHR, Afghanistan – A U.S.-backed plan to create militias and give them guns to fight the Taliban is drawing criticism from local authorities in areas where the first units are being rolled out, raising questions as to whether the effort can succeed in Afghanistan.

The militias have been compared to the U.S.-fostered Awakening Councils in Iraq, which have often been credited with reducing violence there, and are similar to neighboring Pakistan's tribal armies which also have been touted as a success.

On Saturday, Afghanistan's interior minister announced the program had begun, and that the United States would be paying for all aspects, including buying Kalashnikov automatic rifles for members of the Afghan Public Protection Force.

One skeptical Afghan official said only criminals would join because most citizens wouldn't want to face the Taliban in combat. And critics question the wisdom of handing out weapons to Afghans when the government and U.N. have been trying to reduce the number of arms in the country. They fear the plan could stoke rivalries between ethnic groups with a bloody past.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_village_militias_1

[Mari333]

1. ah, good to know my tax dollars are arming militias in other countries,

and paying for hefty bonuses to CEOs, rather then funding social services or rebuilding the united states .
another crock of shite.

[XemaSab]

2. There's no way this could possibly backfire

The last time we armed militias in Afghanistan it all went beautifully.

The militias voluntarily disarmed after the Russians were gone, and they all became peaceful farmers and herdsmen. Especially the crazy Saudi jihadis who went to Afghanistan for Allah.

:popcorn:

[acmavm]

3. Well, at least our arms manufacturers aren't suffering from the economy.

Thanks to US Government policies, that's the one industry that will never go under.

[saigon68]

4. Looks like Kalashnikov makers are on the public trough

the United States would be paying for all aspects, including buying Kalashnikov automatic rifles for members of the Afghan Public Protection Force.

[DRoseDARs]

5. Yeah, because that worked out so well the last we did that. And the time before that...

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

[DRoseDARs]

6. Yeah, because that worked out so well the last we did that. And the time before that...

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

[DRoseDARs]

7. Yeah, because that worked out so well the last we did that. And the time before that...

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

Christ, it IS Groundhog Day. We already armed some groups to help fight against the Taliban, nevermind that we armed the group that became the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets. :eyes:

[Mari333]

8. LOL

[Tempest]

9. Arming the warlords, what a brilliant idea

Just wait until U.S. soldiers are killed by the same weapons we gave them when the U.S. troops try to eradicate the warlords' opium fields.