EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Afghanistan: A Law-Enforcement Success Story in Kabul

EURASIA INSIGHT

AFGHANISTAN: A LAW-ENFORCEMENT SUCCESS STORY IN KABUL
Fariba Nawa 11/20/07

Ask just about any police officer in Kabul what their biggest fear is and they are apt to answer: suicide bombers. They’re hard to spot and nearly impossible to stop. But in one of the busiest precincts in the capital, police have experienced recent success not only in foiling a terror attack, but in battling crime in general.

In a small room above a row of shops along the bank of the Kabul River, eight police officers on duty had just finished eating their lunch and were drinking tea when a man warned them of an impending suicide attack; a young man, wearing bulky clothing, was acting suspiciously.

The officers quickly climbed down to see a teenager in traditional Afghan clothes and a loaded vest looking nervously around near a bus stop. Elias Miralikhail, one of the officers, stepped toward him.

"He said, �Don’t get close or I’ll blow myself up and you’ll go with me,’" Miralikhail recalled.

The 21-year-old officer stepped back and fired two warning shots for the crowd to disperse and the bomber to freeze. It was the first time he had fired his weapon in public. But the would-be bomber ran and tried to detonate what was under his vest. He didn’t pull on the right wire and Miralikhail shot at him. Injured, the would-be bomber fell and was unable to detonate. Miralikhail called for a sapper before he got close to the fallen young man. "We wanted him alive so we could get information," the officer said.

That was the day when Col. Abdurahman Rahimi, chief of the First District police, and his crew of officers became heroes in Kabul. The would-be bomber, meanwhile, eventually revealed that he was recruited by the Taliban in Waziristan in bordering Pakistan, and obtained a bomb inside the Afghan city of Gardez. His target was not Rahimi’s men, but foreign troops.

Afghanistan has experienced its bloodiest year in 2007 since the US-led blitz in late 2001 forced the Taliban from power in Kabul. Suicide attacks, as underscored by the tragedy November 6 that killed at least 77 people in Baghlan Province, have emerged as a tactic favored by Islamic militants. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Afghan police officers are often in the first line of defense against Taliban militants, and, accordingly, are experiencing an alarmingly high mortality rate. According to the chief of counter-terrorism, Abdul Manan Farahi, about 10 officers die in clashes with insurgents every day. The risks for police officers are heightened by the fact the force is poorly trained, poorly paid and ill-equipped, Farahi says.

The ability of the officers in Kabul’s District One to thwart the suicide attack reflects a broader success story there; Rahimi and the 430 officers under his command have succeeded in corralling crime in an area known to have a large number of drug users and dealers. The precinct encompasses the main bazaar, where street vendors, jewelers and money changers live and do business.

Since Rahimi assumed command of the precinct, officers have started to work longer hours. They also have also received upgrades in equipment, including four trucks and better weapons, to go along with a few bullet-proof vests. Salaries are still low, averaging about $70 a month, but Rahimi says he does not let his men use that as an excuse to be lazy. His officers complain that Rahimi makes them work too hard, but they also express admiration for his dedication.

Having received a university degree during the Communist era, Rahimi is exacting in his approach to law enforcement, with a solid grasp on the statistics connected with his precinct. "There are 12 schools, five hospitals, four banks�" he enumerates. This knowledge helps him plan anti-crime strategies, says Rahim, who also makes sure to regularly get out on patrol.

Rahimi concedes that corruption is rampant, and he has trouble rooting out officers who take bribes. But he attributes the problem mainly to low salaries. The colonel owns three construction companies himself, so he isn’t entirely dependant on his police salary.

According to Humayoon Danishyar, an Afghan journalist who tracks police matters, Rahimi is one of the few current commanders who has the qualifications for his job, and who is familiar with the area he is charged with protecting. Even so, perhaps the best that can be expected of commanders like Rahimi is the containment of, rather than a long-term reduction in criminal activity. That’s because criminals tend to enjoy greater access to resources and firepower. "He’s too afraid to tackle the real problem because he doesn’t have the manpower and that problem is the mafia in that area. They are responsible for drug dealing, kidnappings and many of the other crimes," Danishyar said.

A walk in the crowded markets of District One can be overwhelming. Anything can be found for sale inside the shops and on the street carts. Beggars, many who are drug addicts, line the streets and men and women freely mingle in close quarters. Shopkeepers and vendors say security has improved over the last couple of years here � there are fewer robberies � and perhaps that’s because there is more of a police presence. But street vendors who do not have a license say officers ask them for bribes of $1 to $2 daily in order to let them sell. If they don’t oblige, they’re beaten, they say.

Ali Mohammed, 33, sits on the ground cross-legged in front of two dozen pairs of socks he’s selling. He shows a red, swollen hand. "The police beat me with a stick because they wanted me to pack up and leave," he said.

The richer merchants in the area, the jewelers, had no complaints. They said the police bothered the poor more.

Rahimi said he’s not aware of these activities and he would punish his officers if he caught any of them harassing or beating people. Rubbing his mustache, Rahimi leaned back in his chair. "Corruption is rooted in economics, and so is violence. Give me the equipment, the men and the money and I can turn this force into one that can clean the crime off these streets in a matter of months. Until then, I do my best with what I have."

Editor�s Note: Fariba Nawa is a freelance reporter in Afghanistan.

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