Dangerous mission - The difficulties of forming a police force in Afghanistan - People and Politics 12.11.2007

During a recent flying visit to Afghanistan, Chancellor Merkel promised more German help in setting up an Afghan police force. For the past five years Germany has run a training mission. The aim is to have 80 thousand police officers ready by 2010. But the interim results are sobering. On paper the Afghan police force is some 60 thousand strong. But thousands of those can be viewed as auxiliary officers at the best. Many have only completed American crash courses. Low pay rates leaves the force open to corruption. Although the German instructors are widely seen as highly professional and committed, there are only 43 of them. In addition to that, the country has been shaken by a series of suicide attacks.