Well, both have gorgeous women (though that’s a little irrelevant here). But they also have a bit of a civil war going on - and mass-produce narcotics.
So the US, in its infinite wisdom, decided to send some Afghans officers (well, ONE Afghan officer, photo) to train in Colombia in counterterrorism and anti-narcotics brigades.
The idea, I think, is good, even for those traditionally skeptical about ‘best practices’ (I am thinking of Stephen Peterson’s ‘best bests rather than best practices’ rant).
The question is, is it ‘best practices’? Plan Colombia isn’t the most successful scheme in the world, as far as I know.
“Adam Isaacson, a Colombia expert at the Center for International Policy, a Washington think-tank, told the BBC that Plan Colombia had been a "perfect failure" in its fight against drugs.
He predicted a similar failure if the same tactics were applied to Afghanistan.”
So. Not only has it not really worked there - but the differences in context - arming of the rebels, landscape/mountains/weather (Afghan mountains are freaking cold and dominate a decent part of the landscape), the funds and external support available, to buying networks... - might indeed come back bite the Colombian-trained Afghans in the butt.
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