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Afghan Border Police (ABP)

The Afghan Border Police (ABP) is responsible for the protection of Afghanistan's border.  The ABP is the first line of defence along the border and at border crossings. Afghanistan has over 3,400 miles of international border - most of it vast desert or high mountains. The ABP is part of the Afghan National Police (ANP).  1.

The Afghan Border Police have a difficult mission - especially along the 1,500 mile Pakistan border which is home to bandits, various tribes, smugglers, and . . .  of course . . . the insurgents.  The insurgents have move back and forth across the border at will - moving men, supplies, weapons, explosives, money, and equipment from Pakistan into Afghanistan.  In addition, insurgents move across into Pakistan to escape coalition military operations along the border and to rest and refit in their sanctuary camps.

Personnel Strength.  The Afghan Border Police numbers approximately 14,000 personnel.

Uniforms of ABP.  Some ABP wear tan and white camouflage jackets.  In the fall of 2011 the ABP were provided with uniforms with a distinctive camouflage pattern.  2.

Training.  The members of the ABP undergo an 8-week training program. In the past, the training has been overseen by the State Department with DynCorp doing the actual training.

Logistics.  The ABP is fully funded for equipment and supplies but corruption within the Ministry of Interior and at the regional logistic hubs present problems for the units in the field stationed along the Afghan borders.  4.

Effectiveness of the Afghan Border Police.  The ABP has not seen great success thus far. The border is porous and difficult to control.  Add to that the unprofessionalism of the members of the Afghan Border Police, poor equipment, terrible leadership, drug trafficking, smugglers, and corruption . . .  and you have a problematic border security force. Those ABP units that are effective usually have baggage associated with them. 3.

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References

1. Institute for the Study of War, "Establishing a Police Force for Afghanistan",  no date - accessed on ISW website on December 29, 2011.

2.  The uniforms of the Afghan Border Police will use the Ghostex pattern as their uniform camouflage.  See "Afghan Border Police Adopt Ghostex Pattern", Soldier Systems, October 19, 2011.  Accessed here on February 2012.

3.  For an interesting article about the corruption of the Afghan Border Police see "The Master of Spin Boldak - Undercover with Afghanistan's drug-trafficking border police", Harpers Magazine, December 2009.  An expose of Abdul Razik, a Kandahar strongman and chief of the Afghan Border Police in this section of Afghanistan.  Accessed here on February 18, 2012.

4.  For an example of how corruption hurts the ABP see an article about lack of medical supplies caused by corrupt MoI officials in Corruption, mismanagement handicap Afghan Police, Stars and Stripes, February 29, 2012.  Accessed here February 2012.