Despite growing violence, France confident in Afghan army programme

Despite a surge in violence in Afghanistan and emerging doubts about the abilities of the Afghan National Army (ANA), France on Friday said that the ANA and Coalition forces were facing, together, the attacks by insurgents. The most recent attack early Friday took place against the British Council in Kabul, where eight people were killed and ten wounded in a suicide attack. Prominent officials, including the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, have been killed by Taliban attacks in recent weeks. The death toll from civilian and military attacks increased also in past weeks, with several high profile attacks, including the downing of a helicopter when 31 US Special Forces were killed, along with several ANA personnel. Scores of civilians have also been killed by militant operations, including suicide attacks and road-side bombs. France has paid a high price in casualties recently, with nine killed in insurgent attacks and other incidents in just over a month. So far 402 NATO and Coalition forces have been killed in 2011, 67 of them in August, making this the bloodiest month this year for foreign forces. Given the attrition rate, 2011 could also be one of the worst years for NATO casualties since 2001. In 2010, the bloodiest year so far, NATO and ISAF lost 711 troops in Afghanistan, compared with 502 deaths the 2009. These tolls are steadily rising since the start of the conflict ten years ago. All foreign forces are due to be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2014, but there are questions as to whether the fledgling ANA can assume the security role currently being handled by NATO and the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). Security sources indicated that only one battalion is considered to be fully operational at this time, while others are in various states of training and being integrated. "Around 300,000 Afghan soldiers have already been trained," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages indicated to KUNA in answer to questions. "With the help of Coalition partners, the Afghan forces are progressively being put in place to exercise responsibility for the security of the country in the framework of the transition," the French official added. France has sent special military advisors and training personnel to help get the ANA ready to assume those heavy burdens, but it remains to be seen if this will be successful as many units have not yet shown their worth. The French official also indicated that the Coalition partners were encouraging a "lasting political solution" in Afghanistan and that there was broad support for "dialogue between the Afghan authorities and groups or individuals who renounce violence, sever all links with terrorism and recognize the Afghan Constitution." These talks, which were initially held outside of Afghanistan, have not shown major progress so far and violence on the ground is on the increase. "France is attentively following this process in close links with its partners, " the spokeswoman said in answer to the questions.