"Green on blue" attacks a growing problem

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - Friday's attack in which an Afghan in uniform killed three American servicemen in Afghanistan brought the number of Americans killed this week by "green on blue" attacks to seven. This comes as American forces are trying to train the Afghans to take control of their own security.

Operating side-by-side with Afghan forces is the linchpin of the American strategy in Afghanistan -- giving them the support they need to take over the fighting so U.S. troops can come home.

It is a daunting task, which requires remaking a force plagued by corruption, incompetence and illiteracy.

Gunman in Afghanistan forces uniform kills 3 American troops in Helmand province

Adding to the problem is a growing number of insider attacks in which Afghan soldiers or policemen -- or someone wearing their uniform -- turn their weapons on American soldiers, like Spc. Ethan Martin, whose body came home this week.

So far this year, there have been 25 insider attacks compared to 21 in all of 2011. The attacks this year have killed 31 members of the NATO coalition fighting in Afghanistan -- 17 of them American. Put another way, one out of every 12 Americans killed this year have died at the hands of supposed allies.

Still, Gen. John Allen, the commander in Afghanistan, insists insider attacks are rare compared to the overall number of troops in what's officially called the International Security Assistance Force -- ISAF for short.

"Every case where one of these occurs," said Allen, "that same day there are tens of thousands of interactions between the Afghans and ISAF forces that don't go that way."

There are 84,000 U.S. troops now in Afghanistan along with 40,000 from other countries operating with 332,000 Afghan army and police forces -- all trying to defeat an enemy estimated at 20,000. Those numbers will change as the U.S. draws down its forces down to 68,000 by October, but the Americans who stay will remain vulnerable to insider attacks.

[pragmatic2u]

It sounds as if Allen thinks the ratio is acceptable since there are so many other interactions that don't end this way. I'll be glad when we are done running air missions over Iran so we can come home from Afghanistan and build up for China.

[UForgotPoland]

Gen. Allen there doesn't seem like he has a clue of what's happening on the ground.

[foo8259]

If we want to help them we must approach the Afghans as "guests" not as occupiers, then they will be obliged to give us quarter.

[robert1129]

There are 84,000 U.S. troops now in Afghanistan along with 40,000 from other countries operating with 332,000 Afghan army and police forces -- all trying to defeat an enemy estimated at 20,000. Those numbers will change as the U.S. draws down its forces down to 68,000 by October, but the Americans who stay will remain vulnerable to insider attacks.
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This has to be insane. The bad guys total 20,000 whereas the "good" guys total 456,000 and yet we cannot defeat the bad guys? And this has been going on for 10 years? How stupid is that? Since we cannot win, the only thing to do is to withdraw now.

[JamesDCV67]

The U.S. military can defeat anyone on the planet, if the politicians (civilian chain of command) allow it.

[fredm6900]

We should have left times ago. We are overdue!

[doubleecho-2009]

You REALLY HAVE to WONDER - What the heck are we even DOING in a mountainous country that is nearly half-way around the PLANET?
OK, Taliban support of the 9/11 attackers? No that was OVER a decade ago! WHY are we still there?

[nancy_naive]

because elephants never forget.

[ffoulkes2009]

Naive Nancy,

The 'Elephants' are no longer in control of this rat race. Obama, and Obama alone is the reason the troops haven't left as yet. Remember, he is the Commander in Chief, and can order a complete withdrawal on a moment's notice if he so chose to do it.

[taxchurches]

ffoulkes2009:

Right, and then the people who started the war---Republicans---can say, "Oh, Obama lost the war." Bush sent them there intending to leave the problem for Obama---he said so. Where are all those millions of Americans who were howling for revenge on 9/12/2001 now?

Apparently you feel that if you crap on the floor and nobody cleans it up fast enough, it's their fault?

[doubleecho-2009]

The Afghan people share a very "tribal" culture and ANYONE seen as an "occupier" is going to have problems! The Soviets learned that WAY back!
Basically - the Afghan people are going to do what the Afghan people WANT to do! They are not about to "align" with America on anything!

[foo8259]

You got that right. The whole purpose of assassinating Massoud (the commander of the Afghan Northern Alliance)then launching the 9/11 attacks was to drag US into a war of attrition in the mountains of Afghanistan (where Empires goto die) -- guess what? It worked!