Afghan Policewoman Who Killed US Adviser Is Iranian

Looks like the woman who shot and killed a U.S. police trainer in Kabul on the 24th wasn't Afghan after all, but an Iranian national, and the trainer was a civilian from Georgia.

According to Sediq Sediqi  of the Interior Ministry, 33-year-old Sgt Nargis received citizenship through her husband (who has also been detained), but not through legal means. Apparently, she came to Kabul with her Afghan husband ten years ago from Iran.

"By marrying an Afghan, she got an Afghan identity card, as her husband wanted her to, and based on the assurances of her husband's identification, documents proving he is an Afghan citizen, she received her [Afghan] identity card, which was illegal," Sidiqi said. "Our investigation shows the way she obtained her identity card was illegal. She got it through illegal means. This is how she entered the Afghan police force.”

She was part of the gender rights department, and had worked with them for two years until her arrest. Her husband also worked for the Interior Ministry in the criminal investigation section.

This is the first green on blue attack by a female.

The man she killed -- 49-year-old Joseph Griffin from the U.S. state of Georgia -- was employed by the U.S. private security firm DynCorp International.

He was working in Kabul to train members of the Afghan National Police, who are, along with the Afghan National Army, taking over security operations from NATO-led foreign forces who are due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

DynCorp International said on its website that Griffin was a veteran of the U.S. military who had earlier worked with law-enforcement agencies in the United States.

When she arrived at police headquarters she was initially trying to track down Kabul's governor, the chief of police or the criminal investigation department head, when unsuccessful she headed on down to the cafeteria, downed 49-year-old Joseph Griffin with one bullet (because he was a 'foreigner'), and then fired her gun at the police who were trying to arrest her. She had worked for the Interior Ministry for five years.

Described as "unstable" after her arrest, this isn't the first time she was described as such. Sediqi said:

"Her mental condition is not good." [snip]  He said that after she attended a recent training course in Egypt a "foreign government" -- a clear reference to Egypt -- informed Afghan authorities that she did not appear to be "normal."

If there was any doubt about her mental stability, why was she allowed to carry a gun?

The couple has three or four kids, depending on the source.

They are looking into the possibility of militant links.

Sources: RFE/RL, Fox, BBC

Afghan Policewoman Kills US Military Adviser

Here we are in Afghanistan fighting for their freedom, and an Afghan policewoman, yes, a female, shoots one of ours.

Another green on blue attack to add to the 62 or so this year. It is so time to leave that hell hole.

An Afghan policewoman has shot and killed a US security adviser in the Kabul police headquarters, NATO and local officials say.

A senior police official told Al Jazeera that the shooting occurred at 10:15am local time (05:45 GMT) on Monday.

The policewoman approached the adviser as he was walking in the heavily guarded police chief's compound in a bustling area of the capital. She then drew a pistol and shot him once, a senior police official told the Reuters news agency.

The woman, a member of the police's gender equality team, is in custody, officials said. Mohammad Daoud Amin, Kabul's deputy police chief, said an investigation is under way to determine whether the killing was intentional or accidental.

Mohammad Zahir, head of the police criminal investigation department, described the incident as an "insider attack", in which Afghan forces turn their weapons on US-led coalition troops they are supposed to be working with. If confirmed to be such an attack, the shooting would be the first time that a female member of Afghanistan's security forces has turned her weapon on a member of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) or a foreign contractor.

Sediq Sediqqi, the Afghan Interior ministry's spokesperson, confirmed the incident and said an investigation was under way.

Accidental? She draws a pistol and shoots and they think it might be accidental?

The rest here.

US Army To Publish Manual Of Taboo Subjects- Taliban, Women's Rights, Pedophilia

Apparently it's the fault of U.S. troops in Afghanistan that they're being targeted by Afghan soldiers in green on blue attacks: they're just too darn insensitive and bereft of any understanding of Afghan culture. To remedy this the U.S. Army has decided to publish a handbook of no-no, taboo subjects soldiers are not allowed to discuss with their Afghan counterparts including: women's rights, pedophilia and how nasty the Taliban really are.

Not everyone is thrilled about it though. According to spokesman for the coalition forces in Afghanistan Colonel Tom Collins, the head honcho in that hellhole, U.S. Marine General John Allen, definitely does not approve.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) was privy to a version of the handbook, and published some quotes.

"Many of the confrontations occur because of [coalition] ignorance of, or lack of empathy for, Muslim and/or Afghan cultural norms, resulting in a violent reaction from the [Afghan security force] member."

The study, based on interviews with 600 members of the Afghan security forces and 200 American soldiers, painted a grim portrait of opposing cultures with simmering disdain for their counterparts.

The draft handbook includes a summary stating that some U.S. soldiers consider Afghan forces to be “basically stupid” thieves, "gutless in combat," "profoundly dishonest" and engaged in "treasonous collusion and alliances with enemy forces."

The draft handbook offers a list of "taboo conversation topics" that soldiers should avoid, including "making derogatory comments about the Taliban," "advocating women's rights," "any criticism of pedophilia," "directing any criticism toward Afghans," "mentioning homosexuality and homosexual conduct" or "anything related to Islam," according to the Journal.

Might as well just muzzle them.

Too bad much of what they think of the Afghan forces is true.


H/T Act For America