Bloodless Victory

Szöveg: Wolf | 2012. január 12. 8:40

Carrying out the duties of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) is a key element within the role of the Hungarian Defence Forces in Afghanistan. Drawn from the troops of the HDF 5th ‘Bocskai István’ Infantry Brigade, the 1/7th OMLT troop rotation is currently mentoring the 2/3 infantry battalion (kandak) of the Afghan National Army (ANA). The OMLT and the Afghan forces recently conducted a joint operation in Nahrin and Burka districts of Baghlan Province.

These two districts have warlords who take a peculiar attitude towards abiding by the laws. Drawing on their private armies, they defy the Afghan National Police (ANP) and terrorize the population while perpetuating their rule by committing various crimes. Through their power, these bands have rendered completely weightless the Elder’s Council, which operates by Afghan traditions as the organ of local jurisdiction.

The other reason for launching the operation was that while the Afghan and NATO forces were performing mop-up actions in the northern Kunduz Province, armed Taliban insurgents infiltrating the borders tried to find a safe haven in the area of Baghlan Province.

The operation was conducted with the participation of some 500 personnel drawn from the Afghan National Police (ANP), the ANA and the Hungarian–US OMLT. First they had to win the hearts and minds of local people. The first signs of success showed up rather early, as the population received the deploying security forces with a positive attitude. Many residents arrived with complaints or reports as informers, so the allies soon had a picture of the criminals’ identity and whereabouts. As a result, they made the first arrests in several crackdowns on a number of offenders including killers, pro-Talibans and a policeman charged with crimes.

During the next few days the patrols were moving closer to the warlord’s residences to present them with an ultimatum. In order to lend more weight to the NATO forces’ point, while the parties were negotiating, two AH-64 Apache helicopters were hovering overhead all the time. The presence of the kandak commander was enough for a successful conclusion at the final round of talks. Everybody has accepted the terms and conditions, signed the agreement and promised to respect the verdict that the Elders’ Council reached according to tradition.