Publication

This monograph explores the reform of the Afghan National Police. Much progress has been accomplished, from infrastructure built to the numbers of officers trained. But problems remain; competence to tackle crime remains low, while corruption, police criminality and abuses of power are pervasive. Failing to provide sufficient civil security, the police are unable to fulfill their potential role as a key appendage to the reconstruction effort. Moreover, the acute security and justice deficit presents an existential threat to the current post-Taliban system. Lawlessness is frequently cited as a primary reason for citizen disillusionment with the central government and growing sympathy for insurgent forces.