Priority 1. Enable the Afghan National Security Forces in Kandahar to sustain a more secure environment and promote law and order.
The Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP) together constitute the ANSF. Strengthening both into lasting, effective forces is essential to create the security required for improved governance and development. Building the ANSF across Afghanistan is a shared mission for ISAF and the separate, U.S.-led Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. In Kandahar, the Canadian Forces carry primary responsibility for training and mentoring the ANA, and they support capacity building in the ANP by Canadian civilians and U.S. partners.
Equally urgent is the establishment of a strong civilian justice system able to implement and protect the rule of law. To this end, Canadian police, corrections and governance specialists are pursuing a number of initiatives to build capacity in the ANP, prisons and the court system in Kandahar.
Canadian Objective for 2011 (ANA): By 2011, we expect that the ANA in Kandahar will demonstrate an increased capacity to conduct operations and sustain a more secure environment in key districts of Kandahar, with support from ISAF allies.
Benchmarks for this objective (as set out in the Appendix) serve to measure the capabilities of ANA units, the degree to which ANA battalions lead security operations in key districts, and public perceptions of the ANA in those districts.
Canadian soldiers continued training and mentoring five ANA battalions (known in Afghanistan as kandaks) and their Brigade Headquarters. In this quarter, the Brigade Headquarters achieved “capability milestone 1” (CM1), meaning it is fully capable of planning, executing and sustaining near-autonomous operations with some ISAF support. This was a significant accomplishment—the first time the ANA in Kandahar has been judged able to organize brigade-level activities independently. An ANA infantry battalion returned from leave and quickly showed in combat that it had kept its CM1 rating. Four other battalions were progressing at lower CM levels. One of the 2011 targets is to have four of the five battalions and their headquarters at CM1.
Canadian Objective for 2011 (ANP): By 2011, we expect that the ANP will demonstrate an increased capacity to promote law and order in key districts of Kandahar, supported by justice-sector and corrections capabilities.
Insurgent violence and intimidation—specifically aimed at ANP members, and correctional and justice-sector officials—continued to impede progress toward this objective. The ANP in 2008 suffered its highest casualty rates since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, and its morale suffers from poor pay, insufficient support from the Afghan government in fuel, weaponry and ammunition, and other deficiencies. Recruitment and retention of staff have been inadequate. Illiteracy and corruption persist. In this quarter, some trained police were redeployed between districts and replaced with untrained ANP members. The effect was to halve (from two to one) the number of ANP units in key districts capable of planning and conducting basic law and order operations with occasional help from mentors.
Nonetheless, work progressed through the quarter. Eleven additional Canadian police officers were deployed to Kandahar, bringing the total in Afghanistan to 29. As part of the U.S.-led Focused District Development initiative, Canadians helped train and mentor some 59 police officers in key districts during the quarter. The total trained in 2008 rose to 914. In support of policing and corrections, Canada continues to finance new police sub-stations, checkpoints, training facilities, basic equipment and salaries. Complementing these activities, Canada continued efforts with Afghan authorities and international partners to strengthen policing capacity at the national level.
At Kandahar City’s Sarpoza prison—site of an insurgent attack and large-scale prisoner escape in June—Canadian trainers and mentors worked to reinforce security and improve living and working conditions for staff and prisoners during the quarter. Almost all Sarpoza corrections staff have completed the first phase of basic training, and managers have completed executive leadership courses. Considerable progress was made repairing and improving infrastructure, and the prison now is assessed as more secure than before the June attack. Improvements continue, with the aim of bringing the prison, and its treatment of prisoners, to internationally accepted standards.
