Military Police

Spring 2013

Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.

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By Captain Donald "Skip" Riddle "Do not try to do too much with your own hands. Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. It is their war, and you are to help them—not to win it for them." —T.E. Lawrence1 T he 549th Military Police Company previously deployed to Forward Operating Base Shinwar, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, becoming the battlespace owner responsible for conducting unifed land operations and wide area security for fve districts in eastern Nangarhar. The 549th Military Police Company partnered with and mentored 11 chiefs of police, 11 district governors and their line directors, the 4th Afghan Border Police (ABP) Battalion (Zone 1), and the 6th Afghan National Army (ANA) Battalion (4th Brigade, 201st Corps). Despite a robust team of U.S. State Department personnel and civilian professionals working toward transition, it became abundantly clear that—if the 549th Military Police Company (operating with reduced personnel) was to succeed in preparing the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) in Eastern Nangarhar for transition by 2013—it would need to rely on the Afghans to accomplish the mission. This required a signifcant change in how the 549th looked at itself and how it interacted with its Afghan partners. Problem Set 1: Rule of Law Integration and Education Rule of law is a concept that incorporates not only the physical application of Afghan constitutional law by Afghan police and government and judicial offcials, but also the public understanding of the application of the law and its overall transparency. Transparency, which is a critical element with regard to public perception, involves a deliberate effort to ensure that the physical application of constitutional law closely (if not identically) matches the application presented through educational curricula. Transparency is often a driving factor in legitimacy and public support. Integration of the Rule of Law In speaking with members of the local communities within the Shinwar District, it became apparent that the villagers did not consider the ANSF to be the legitimate, transparent "action arm" of the government in executing its duties and responsibilities according to Afghan constitutional 16 law. Truthfully, most villagers did not understand Afghan constitutional law—instead, relying heavily on "tribal law," which is often applied by mullahs (Muslim scholars who are educated in Islamic religious law) or tribal elders within the community. Tribal law appealed to the locals because it was convenient, it was transparent (applied within the community), it allowed for faster trials and decisions and—compared to the Afghan judicial system—it lacked corruption. To tip the scales of public perception in favor of Afghan constitutional law and legitimacy, the GIRoA needed to educate the Afghan population and the ANSF needed a platform from which to emphasize transparency in lieu of corruption. Education of the Public The Shinwar District prosecutor acknowledged that controversial topics, such as searches/seizures and women's rights, needed to be addressed since offenses related to these topics often became points of contention among the locals who relied heavily on mullahs for the application of tribal law. Working in conjunction with leaders of the 549th Military MILITARY POLICE . 19-13-1

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