KABUL - NATO and US forces commander in Afghanistan has expressed his serious concern about casualty rates among Afghan security forces.
US Army General John Nicholson said Sunday the Afghans suffered high casualties last year and this year it had been "the same or slightly higher."
"One of the principle factors for the high casualties has been the leadership, the failures of leadership at certain levels. Primarily this has been in the police and to a lesser extent in the (Afghan) army," Nicholson said.
Highlighting the police as a particular problem area, Nicholson said some Afghan units were not only lacking leadership, but they had little ammunition or even food and water.
"The failure is not the young soldier on the ground, the failure is the ability to properly supply them and lead them. So these young police officers who are dying out there on the checkpoints don't always have enough food or water or ammunition, and their leader may not be with them," he said.  "This is a failure of leadership," he said firmly.
Nicholson said that both corruption and leaders failing to lead their troops on the ground in a dangerous situation are resulting in Afghan Security Force casualties.
"Casualties are a problem," spokesperson for Operation Resolute Support Brigadier General Charlie Cleveland echoed.
Cleveland explained that many of the Afghan casualties have occurred at the thousands of Afghan checkpoints around the country, which are usually undermanned.
Checkpoints are "a huge source of casualties," Cleveland said, but he could not say whether that is the main source.  (Pajhwok)