Connecting Islands: ALP brings villages together

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

12.15.2011

Story by Sgt. Lizette Hart 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In a country with a history of sustaining itself at a tribal level, a program was developed to cater to the traditions of Afghanistan by building a security force at the local level. Through word of mouth and evidence of success, support for the Afghan Local Police program spread throughout the country.

Over the past year, Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan has developed a widespread and effective ALP presence which continues to grow.

It isn’t an easy process to begin an ALP program in an area where the villages have been policing themselves for generations. Some villages were more than willing to accept an ALP presence, while others knew they were too small to handle it on their own and asked for more than one village to participate. To maintain their influence, a coalition Special Operations Forces team engaged multiple villages at once.

“Villages are afraid if they do it as an island, they will be overrun, but if their neighbors do it also, they will be strong enough to stand up against the insurgents,” said a coalition SOF non-commissioned officer assigned to the team. “We did this in northern Orgun district, where one village wasn’t enough. We put two outposts in and we have ALP contributing from multiple communities. It’s still local, still their hometown, but it’s multiple sub-villages and small tribes. They look after each other and are very happy about it.”

Through need and suggestion, villages in the province’s four districts requested ALP to help maintain security from -insurgents and rival tribes. The ALP often mediate village shuras to settle differences between tribes.

“They’ll provide the security so the two tribes can come together and work out the disputes,” said the Rabat village ALP leader. “Because the ALP is so supported here, all the villagers will give us information. They like the ALP, not the insurgents. When any village has ALP, there is good security there.”

The village elders are grateful for a security presence within their village. When insurgents controlled an area, roads were restricted and movement was limited. Village elders were unable to travel to neighboring villages to discuss governance, development or security matters with one another. Villagers were often forced to turn to the insurgents to solve problems and disputes without ALP. Elders who traditionally solved these issues were marginalized, effectively stripping them of their responsibilities.

“As they get more security, more resolution in place, some of the feuds go away and the tribes’ systems start to work again, they step up and can be elders again,” said the coalition SOF NCO. “The ALP has a very good smoothing effect because they’ll talk back and forth and have shuras to solve problems.”

Previously, elders expressed concerns regarding illegal checkpoints and insurgent activities which restricted their freedom. With security measures in place, the villagers were free to go wherever and do whatever they wanted. Commerce grew due to an increase in the ability to trade and villagers were free to frequent the local bazaars and even travel to neighboring villages to shop.

“Before there were ALP on this road, there were thieves,” said a Rabat village elder. “Now we have ALP, the bad guys are gone and there is security on the roads. They’ve stopped illegal checkpoints the insurgents were setting up where they were robbing people. They’re solving a bigger problem, not just a small problem.”

While the ALP is a security force designed to protect their own village, it doesn’t prevent the forces from coming to help other villages, or even volunteering to do combined patrols throughout multiple villages.

“In all of Sarobi district .… a spontaneous thing that started happening, the ALP started working with all the other outposts and each would contribute a truck full of guys and they would do a patrol with five or six different tribes represented,” said a coalition SOF member.

With more than 500 members, ALP within the province work to secure their villages. Bringing local security to the village allows for freedom of movement, linking itself to other villages and building relationships which were severed by the insurgency long ago. By connecting the islands, ALP brings together the villages which are the foundation of Afghanistan.

“I’m working in my village, so I can see my compound, my home,” said the Rabat village ALP leader. “We work not just for the village, but the country, too. Afghanistan, our country, needs us.”

• Date Taken: 12.15.2011
• Date Posted: 12.23.2011 07:38
• Story ID: 81721
• Location: PAKTIKA PROVINCE, AF