Some soldiers haven’t received pay for eight months (Charlie Faulkner)
The Independent: Taliban creep closer to capturing former heartland as lack of pay undermines Afghan forces
The security situation in Kandahar is rapidly deteriorating amid on-going peace talks. Charlie Faulkner speaks to those desperately trying to push back the militants’ advances despite low morale
When Bilal, 24, joined the Afghan security forces six years ago, his motivation went beyond receiving a monthly paycheck – he wanted to serve his country. Ironically, that commitment has been severely put to the test lately with a months-long delay to his salary despite a surge in violence across Kandahar.
“I haven’t been paid in eight months but if I don’t fight, who will do it, who will fight for my country?” he says from the roof of a police station in the Zhari district of Kandahar now acting as a front line following the capture of several police checkpoints further ahead. That morning, fifteen 950mm mortars were fired from the same rooftop into Taliban territory beyond the now-deserted homes directly in front of the building.
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WNU Editor: Corruption has been a problem in Afghanistan for as long as I can remember. It was overshadowed in the past because the US and NATO simply shoveled more money to overcome situations like Afghan soldiers not being paid. But the U.S. presence is now just a fraction of what it was in the past, and NATO will not make-up the difference. Bottom line. This problem of Afghan soldiers not being paid and/or supported is going to get worse. And this is how you lose a war.