London–Drug abuse and high attrition rates among the Afghan police mean it will take many years to create a strong force, according to internal British government memos, The Independent on Sunday said.
The Afghan National Police (ANP) is being trained by Western forces and strengthening it is a main aim in the war against Taliban insurgents.
But a series of British Foreign Ministry papers said attrition rates among officers in Helmand Province, including losses caused by death, desertion and dismissal, were as high as 60 percent while half the latest group of recruits had tested positive for narcotics, the Independent said.
It also said non-existent "ghost recruits" could make for up to a quarter of the force’s purported strength.
Bribery, corruption and lack of engagement with the local community were also mentioned, the newspaper said.
Some memos suggested stricter vetting of recruits and increased pay in higher-threat areas to combat the problem.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "The challenges to police reform are significant and long term, but progress is being made.
"We are aware of widespread criticisms of the ANP, some of which are deeply concerning. The UK is fully committed to police reform to ensure a professional and accountable police force."
Britain has about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, the second-largest contingent behind the United States. Prime Minister Gordon Brown supports the training of Afghan forces in order to start handing over responsibility for security.
The memos seem to confirm long-standing claims of ineffectiveness and corruption within the Afghan police force, which is often accused of taking bribes at checkpoints, colluding with the Taliban and keeping phantom employees on its payroll.
But poor equipment contributed to about 1500 Afghan police being killed in fighting between 2007 and 2009, three times as many deaths as suffered by soldiers from the Afghan army.
There are 80,000 policemen in Afghanistan but the local Interior Ministry wants to double its size to 160,000 in line with Washington’s demands for larger Afghan security forces, which would help facilitate an exit strategy for Western forces.
