Arming the Enemy in Afghanistan

Today’s lead story in The New York Times describes the capture of U.S. ammunition and rifles from the Taliban. Due to corruption or sympathy with the insurgents, arms supplied by the United States to Afghan Security Forces are ending up in Taliban hands.

The ammunition is marked with “WOLF” from Wolf Performance Ammunition in California and “BXN” from a Czech factory supplying ammunition to the U.S. Army. The rifles, AMD-65 assault weapons, are Hungarian weapons issued to the Afghan police. They are now available for purchase in Pakistan as well.

Now, the Pentagon is saying that it will improve accountability for police and military property to stop this leaking of weaponry and ammunition. But why does it always take these kind of stories about Army inefficiency to get anything done? Is keeping track of rifles a new concept in military procedure?

This administrative mistake, however, is costing Americans their lives, just like the failure to supply fortified tanks and armor in Iraq. It may be excusable for a third-world country to experience these kind of snafus, but they shouldn’t be happening with the U.S. military. We certainly spend enough (too much) money on the military in the first place when there are so many more pressing needs at home.