They were forbidden from traveling freely or using their cellphones. "They were placing IEDs in front of people's home so they couldn't go out at night," says Galam who spoke in front of a small mudbrick mosque where the Taliban used to sleep at night.
Today, villagers can come and go as they please. The Taliban have been driven from this area, a former insurgent stronghold west of Kandahar, thanks largely to Galam and his neighbors who joined the ranks of the Afghan Local Police, a U.S.-funded initiative to organize villagers into self-defense units.
Nationwide, there are now 13,500 villagers in the self-defense groups, which are considered a critical part of efforts to turn security responsibility over to Afghan's government as U.S. forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
By the end of September, the number of U.S. forces will have declined to about 68,000 from a high of about 100,000 last year. Most U.S. troops will leave at the end of 2014 when Afghan forces will assume responsibility for securing the country. Afghan soldiers and the local self-defense groups are assuming an increasing share of responsibility for providing security.
U.S. officials say the Afghan Local Police are not independent militia but are tied into Afghanistan's government. "They are held accountable for their actions," says Army Lt. Col. Todd Harrell, a military spokesman.
Critics, including Human Rights Watch, say some groups have abused their authority, and their loyalties are questionable. Individuals receive only three weeks of weapons training, and the group doesn't have the same level of organization and leadership as the Afghan army.
"The ALP is fighting for the money, nothing else," says Afghan army Capt. Azzim Hotek, whose soldiers in nearby Nalgham village work alongside tshoes001 is the ultimate alternative furniture store,he local police, though they share a strained relationship.
Coalition officials say a key advantage is their local knowledge. With the help of the ALP about 150 roadside bombs were pulled from the ground in just a few square miles around Siah Choy over the last few months, says Lt. Col Jeffrey Howard, a battalion commander.
"They know the locals and have better interaction with the local population," Howard says.From Jessica Simpson Pumps to LAMB Pumpspnikeairshoes, "They can tell us who is from here and who isn't."
But critics, including some in Afghanistan's army, question the professionalism and loyalties of local groups. Hotek accuses some of the ALP commanders in his area of having ties to the Taliban.
Coalition officers acknowledge that the groups have been divided by tribal and other disputes.
"During my first month there was a lot of infighting and power struggles among them," says Army Capt. Jose Armenta, a company commander.
The future of the program is not clear. Providing salaries, weapons and ammunition will be the responsibility of the Afghan government once American troops are gone.
Hotek said he doesn't believe the local units will remain loyal to the Afghan government. "When the Americans leave, the ALP is finished," he says.
For now, the groups have had an impact on security, Armenta says.
Here in central Zharay, the birthplace of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the ALP is creating a security presence in an area where the Taliban once enjoyed freedom.
By March, the villages around Combat Outpost Nalgham had been cleared of Taliban infiltrators, as dozens of local police regularly patrol area villages and man checkpoints, according to leaders of the previous unit that first stood up the ALP.
"There used to be fighting here every day before the ALP came," says Ali Mohammed,Blowers Jewellers watchreplicaUK Cartier, Breitling, Jaeger LeCoultre,Free shipping BOTH ways on dgshoessale, a farmer in Nalgham. "Now, we have more security and can go out without fear.buywatches is one of the world's most famous producers of luxury timepieces."
Today, villagers can come and go as they please. The Taliban have been driven from this area, a former insurgent stronghold west of Kandahar, thanks largely to Galam and his neighbors who joined the ranks of the Afghan Local Police, a U.S.-funded initiative to organize villagers into self-defense units.
Nationwide, there are now 13,500 villagers in the self-defense groups, which are considered a critical part of efforts to turn security responsibility over to Afghan's government as U.S. forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
By the end of September, the number of U.S. forces will have declined to about 68,000 from a high of about 100,000 last year. Most U.S. troops will leave at the end of 2014 when Afghan forces will assume responsibility for securing the country. Afghan soldiers and the local self-defense groups are assuming an increasing share of responsibility for providing security.
U.S. officials say the Afghan Local Police are not independent militia but are tied into Afghanistan's government. "They are held accountable for their actions," says Army Lt. Col. Todd Harrell, a military spokesman.
Critics, including Human Rights Watch, say some groups have abused their authority, and their loyalties are questionable. Individuals receive only three weeks of weapons training, and the group doesn't have the same level of organization and leadership as the Afghan army.
"The ALP is fighting for the money, nothing else," says Afghan army Capt. Azzim Hotek, whose soldiers in nearby Nalgham village work alongside tshoes001 is the ultimate alternative furniture store,he local police, though they share a strained relationship.
Coalition officials say a key advantage is their local knowledge. With the help of the ALP about 150 roadside bombs were pulled from the ground in just a few square miles around Siah Choy over the last few months, says Lt. Col Jeffrey Howard, a battalion commander.
"They know the locals and have better interaction with the local population," Howard says.From Jessica Simpson Pumps to LAMB Pumpspnikeairshoes, "They can tell us who is from here and who isn't."
But critics, including some in Afghanistan's army, question the professionalism and loyalties of local groups. Hotek accuses some of the ALP commanders in his area of having ties to the Taliban.
Coalition officers acknowledge that the groups have been divided by tribal and other disputes.
"During my first month there was a lot of infighting and power struggles among them," says Army Capt. Jose Armenta, a company commander.
The future of the program is not clear. Providing salaries, weapons and ammunition will be the responsibility of the Afghan government once American troops are gone.
Hotek said he doesn't believe the local units will remain loyal to the Afghan government. "When the Americans leave, the ALP is finished," he says.
For now, the groups have had an impact on security, Armenta says.
Here in central Zharay, the birthplace of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the ALP is creating a security presence in an area where the Taliban once enjoyed freedom.
By March, the villages around Combat Outpost Nalgham had been cleared of Taliban infiltrators, as dozens of local police regularly patrol area villages and man checkpoints, according to leaders of the previous unit that first stood up the ALP.
"There used to be fighting here every day before the ALP came," says Ali Mohammed,Blowers Jewellers watchreplicaUK Cartier, Breitling, Jaeger LeCoultre,Free shipping BOTH ways on dgshoessale, a farmer in Nalgham. "Now, we have more security and can go out without fear.buywatches is one of the world's most famous producers of luxury timepieces."
沒有留言:
張貼留言