Afghan police sometimes high on drugs, British commander tells inquest
Commander of five British soldiers killed by policeman in Helmand says local officers were open to corruption The commanding officer of five British servicemen killed by a rogue Afghan policeman has claimed local officers could lack commitment, were sometimes high on drugs and were open to corruption. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Walker described one episode in which an Afghan police officer passed on ammunition to the Taliban in exchange for narcotics. Walker, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, also told how his men were posted at the checkpoint where they were shot dead following a “blood feud” between an Afghan policeman and a local Taliban commander. At the start of the inquest into his men’s deaths, Walker also insisted that the Afghan police force was full of men determined to do good for their country and he said there was “deep shock” and “shame” within the force following the killing of the five British men. Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major, all of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died alongside Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the Royal Military police on 3 November 2009. Another six soldiers and two Afghan policemen were injured in the attack. They were sitting on steps at a checkpoint, codenamed Blue 25, in the Nad-e-Ali district of Helmand when they were killed. They were “relaxing in the sun” at the time and not wearing body armour or carrying weapons. The gunman, known only as Gulbuddin, fled and his motive is not known. At the inquest in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Walker said that Blue 25 had been beset by problems when he and his troops arrived in the area. Residents of the nearby village of Shin Kalay felt the local police at the checkpoint, which was on a vital supply route, were heavy handed. A shura – meeting – was arranged with village elders and it was discovered that there was a blood feud between the local police officer in charge of Blue 25 and a Taliban commander. The checkpoint was coming under attack every night. Walker felt the villagers were tolerating or supporting the Taliban, allowing them to target the checkpoint. Walker decided to use his own security detachment – which usually helped guard him as he moved around the area – to mentor the local police at the checkpoint. He said the arrangement worked well and the routine attacks on the checkpoint stopped. Questioned by the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, David Ridley, Walker accepted there were general problems within the Afghan police force, giving the example of a checkpoint commander who traded ammunition for drugs with the Taliban. He described how after the exchange, some of the officers got high on the drugs and their police station was attacked by the Taliban later that day. Reinforcements arrived just in time and the police station was saved, but Walker said the same thing happened the next day. This time the reinforcements were hit by a roadside bomb as they raced to help and five police officers died. Walker said such a series of events was “not untypical”. He said Afghan police officers were poorly paid and so were “susceptible to the influence of money”. Walker told the inquest that after the shooting he made a number of recommendations including setting up separate recreation areas for British and Afghan men and making sure rest areas were better protected. He also suggested that sidearms were carried as a deterrent against “irrational action”. The inquest continues. Military Afghanistan Taliban Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
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Afghan police sometimes high on drugs, British commander tells inquest
Commander of five British soldiers killed by policeman in Helmand says local officers were open to corruption The commanding officer of five British servicemen killed by a rogue Afghan policeman has claimed local officers could lack commitment, were sometimes high on drugs and were open to corruption. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Walker described one episode in which an Afghan police officer passed on ammunition to the Taliban in exchange for narcotics. Walker, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, also told how his men were posted at the checkpoint where they were shot dead following a “blood feud” between an Afghan policeman and a local Taliban commander. At the start of the inquest into his men’s deaths, Walker also insisted that the Afghan police force was full of men determined to do good for their country and he said there was “deep shock” and “shame” within the force following the killing of the five British men. Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major, all of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died alongside Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the Royal Military police on 3 November 2009. Another six soldiers and two Afghan policemen were injured in the attack. They were sitting on steps at a checkpoint, codenamed Blue 25, in the Nad-e-Ali district of Helmand when they were killed. They were “relaxing in the sun” at the time and not wearing body armour or carrying weapons. The gunman, known only as Gulbuddin, fled and his motive is not known. At the inquest in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Walker said that Blue 25 had been beset by problems when he and his troops arrived in the area. Residents of the nearby village of Shin Kalay felt the local police at the checkpoint, which was on a vital supply route, were heavy handed. A shura – meeting – was arranged with village elders and it was discovered that there was a blood feud between the local police officer in charge of Blue 25 and a Taliban commander. The checkpoint was coming under attack every night. Walker felt the villagers were tolerating or supporting the Taliban, allowing them to target the checkpoint. Walker decided to use his own security detachment – which usually helped guard him as he moved around the area – to mentor the local police at the checkpoint. He said the arrangement worked well and the routine attacks on the checkpoint stopped. Questioned by the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, David Ridley, Walker accepted there were general problems within the Afghan police force, giving the example of a checkpoint commander who traded ammunition for drugs with the Taliban. He described how after the exchange, some of the officers got high on the drugs and their police station was attacked by the Taliban later that day. Reinforcements arrived just in time and the police station was saved, but Walker said the same thing happened the next day. This time the reinforcements were hit by a roadside bomb as they raced to help and five police officers died. Walker said such a series of events was “not untypical”. He said Afghan police officers were poorly paid and so were “susceptible to the influence of money”. Walker told the inquest that after the shooting he made a number of recommendations including setting up separate recreation areas for British and Afghan men and making sure rest areas were better protected. He also suggested that sidearms were carried as a deterrent against “irrational action”. The inquest continues. Military Afghanistan Taliban Steven Morris guardian.co.uk
Posted by
on May 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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