Afghan National Security Forces And Security Lead Transition

Afghan National Security Forces : resources, strategy, and timetable for security lead transition: hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, second session, hearing held June 20, 2012.

Since 2002, the U.S. has worked to develop the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The U.S. Dept. of Defense, through its Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, directs U.S. efforts to develop the Afghan National Army (ANA) and, in conjunction with the Dept. of State, the Afghan National Police (ANP). To follow up on recommendations from a 2005 report on the ANSF, this report analyzed the extent to which U.S. plans for the ANSF contain criteria that was previously recommended. The author also examined progress made and challenges faced in developing the ANA and ANP. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Security force assistance (SFA) is a central pillar of the counterinsurgency campaign being waged by U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. This monograph analyzes SFA efforts in Afghanistan over time, documents U.S. and international approaches to building the Afghan force from 2001 to 2009, and provides observations and recommendations that emerged from extensive fieldwork in Afghanistan in 2009 and their implications for the U.S. Army.

The U.S. strategic goal for Afghanistan is to defeat and prevent the return of al Qaeda and its affiliates. Since fiscal year 2002, U.S. costs reported for U.S. military, U.S. diplomatic, and reconstruction and relief operations in Afghanistan have been over $500 billion. Given U.S. strategic goals and the level of U.S. resources expected to support Afghanistan in the future, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified a number of key issues for the 113th Congress to consider in developing oversight agendas and determining the way forward in Afghanistan. This book suggests specific areas of oversight on the topics of: Afghanistan's security environment; transition of lead security to Afghan security forces; future cost and sustainability of Afghan security forces; and Department of Defense planning for the drawdown of equipment in Afghanistan.