NATO frustration as Afghan police flunk drug tests

By Baris Atayman

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - When British trainers administered random drugs tests to 25 Afghan police recruits at a base in southern Helmand province, most of them failed.

One recruit was kicked out of the force. The others were given warnings.

Heroin shouldn't be tolerated, but there is no point kicking out the ones who smoke hashish: there would be too few left, their Afghan commander said.

Training Afghan police is a central part of NATO's strategy to eventually turn over responsibility for security in the country to Afghan forces so that Western troops -- soon to number 150,000 -- can begin withdrawing next year.

NATO aims to increase the number of Afghan soldiers and police by 50 percent to a total of 282,000 by mid-2011, when U.S. President Barack Obama says he will begin withdrawing forces.

But commanders acknowledge it is an uphill battle. Afghan recruits are frequently illiterate, many desert soon after joining. Some may be insurgent infiltrators. One policeman killed five British soldiers in November.

And -- if the random testing administered in Helmand is anything to go by -- many are on drugs.

"So far we've found three tested positive for amphetamines and also opiates, approximately 15 for the use of hashish," British Army Captain Pete Alexander, a police instructor, told Reuters, looking over the results of the 25 tests.