> train and equip 350,000 Afghan Army members
"Afghanistan's ghost soldiers undermined fight against Taliban" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59230564
IIRC there were complaints being published at least as far back as 2009 about that problem.
"Afghanistan's ghost soldiers undermined fight against Taliban" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59230564
IIRC there were complaints being published at least as far back as 2009 about that problem.
And some estimate that the number may be as high as 100,000.
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In contrast, the US sent ~110,000 soldiers at its peak (2011 surge), and lost ~7000. The Afghan Army took the bulk of the attacks by any reasonable analysis.
"Oh sir, we have suffered great casualties in our fight against the terrorists, here are the records."
No. Because the Afghan security forces would be lying to try to improve their morale.
If anything, the official death count is almost certainly an underestimate. No army likes to admit that their death rates are in the 25%+ level, when you admit such a thing, you won't be able to find recruits.
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Besides, we paid the Afghans on number of soldiers on payroll. Not on number of deaths. So the number they were corrupt on was #-of-soldiers.