WAR VETERAN LIFTS LID ON A ‘JUNKIE’ FORCE

THE Afghan National Police were dismissed yesterday as a corrupt force full of Taliban sympathisers and bribe-taking junkies.

British soldiers are helping to mentor locals so they can take over security of the country but a former Brit serviceman said the force is plagued by drugs and infiltrated by the Taliban “at every level”.

Captain Doug Beattie, who worked with the force during tours in 2006 and 2008, said: “It is absolutely right to say that the Afghan police are infiltrated by the Taliban at every level, from the very lowest to the very highest. Fears about the police are very well founded. There are a number of problems – they’re not really trained properly.

“They’re a militia whose allegiances are not necessarily to the government.

“It is normally to their village or tribe or the area they come from.

“They can be bought and paid off at will.”

He also raised concerns about drug abuse among officers, claiming large numbers are users of heroin or cannabis. But he added: “The bottom line is we can’t stop mentoring the ANP. They’re our exit strategy.”

Former US official Peter Galbraith said police training was often “rushed” and added: “There isn’t a lot of vetting of police before they are hired.”

Tory leader David Cameron said the killings underlined the importance of “cleaning up” the Afghan police.

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