Afghan security infrastructure a problem

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A top U.S. military official says Afghanistan's security forces' biggest challenge is the necessity to build the systems that will sustain the country's forces.

Marine Col. Phillip E. Smith, commander of the Afghan Regional Security Advisory Command Central, says the problem for the Afghan security forces is not a recruiting, training or fighting challenge, but with putting the appropriate security infrastructure in place, Combined Joint Task Force 82 reported.

"The greatest challenge that I have observed in working with the Afghan National Security Forces is not their fighting capability, it's not their desire to create a national army and police, and it's not their willingness to sacrifice," Smith said in a statement.

"Rather, it is the creation and sustainment of a national industrial base from which to maintain the army and the police, in the form of logistics, transportation, communications and maintenance of the equipment and weapons and vehicles and aircraft."

Smith said overall the Afghan troops are good individual soldiers but that there is a logistical challenge to sustain the forces.

"We consider them excellent individual and small unit fighters," Smith said. "But when it comes to providing neutral support for adjacent units, for sustaining long-term supplies and support so that units -- artillery, tank -- can maintain contact with an organization that's an enemy and provide mutual support across the battlefield, they are just not there yet."