Incidents where an Afghan soldier murders his NATO counterpart or mentor – a trend being called 'green on blue attack' by US authorities – have multiplied concerns over relationship and trust between Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and US led foreign troops in Afghanistan. After the IED attacks the trend can be conceived the most dangerous tactic by insurgents.
More than 20 coalition troops have lost their lives as result of green on blue attack this year. NATO said yesterday that a man in an Afghan National Police (ANP) uniform has shot dead three international coalition personnel in Afghanistan's troubled south. The incident indicates that the trend of attacks on foreign soldiers by member of Afghan National Army (ANA) and Police continues and apparently all preventative measures taken by military officials are failing to eliminate the menace created by the presence of Taliban sympathizers among ANSF.
Earlier this year, NATO assessed such incidents and came up with admission of the fact that there have been failures in security procedures meant to identify potential killers of Western troops before they join ANSF. Also, it is believed that the killings have had a negative morale impact on international soldiers in Afghanistan.
Taliban claim to have infiltrated the ANA ranks and their sympathizers launch attacks on the foreigners at their instructions. Nonetheless, NATO denies this claim saying that only 10 percent of the green on blue attacks can be linked to Taliban infiltration in ANSF.
Keeping in view the social structure of Afghanistan, a notable portion of Afghan population is formed by those who want Taliban rule to be applied on them and all over Afghanistan. Karzai's has shown sympathy for Taliban by calling them his discontented brothers. Such motives by the President have further encouraged people who have soft hearts for Taliban.
NATO and Afghan military authorities might have taken some solid measures to introduce stricter conditions for background checks of those who are recruited in ANA or ANP but it would be difficult for them to wash the mentalities of those soldiers who think extremely religious and listen more to Taliban than their military commanders. Such soldiers form substantial threat for ANA's integration in post-2014 scenario.
As we will move ahead, Afghan soldiers linked to Taliban may launch more attacks on their foreign and Afghan counterparts and preventing such attacks will be the most difficult task for Afghan and NATO authorities.