Small Wars Journal

U.S. Military Scales Back Contacts with Afghans After ‘Insider’ Shootings

Thu, 10/25/2018 - 6:08am

U.S. Military Scales Back Contacts with Afghans After ‘Insider’ Shootings by Pamela Constable – Washington Post

American military officials said Wednesday that they had halted most face-to-face contacts with members of the Afghan security forces, and have temporarily withdrawn from Afghan security facilities, after two “insider” shootings in the past week that killed a top Afghan regional police commander and a Czech soldier.

A spokesman for Resolute Support, the U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan, described the move as “standard” practice after “green-on-blue” attacks — or assaults by Afghan security personnel against foreign forces. He said “regular contacts” were continuing by telephone and email between U.S. and Afghan security officials, with some meetings also taking place in U.S. facilities.

A senior Afghan military officer, stationed at a joint base with foreign forces, said that American troops “have been ordered not to visit the Afghan side of our base for a few days, but we can visit them on their side.” The officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, also said the “joint control and command center is active.”

 The Resolute Support spokesman, Army Lt. Col. David Butler, said the precautionary measures were taken after the shooting in western Herat province on Monday that left a Czech soldier dead and two wounded…

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