With an Eye Open and a Round Chambered: Explaining the Afghan Insider Threat and its Implications for Sustained Partnership

Abstract

This article presents ethnographic data and an analytical framework concerning the recent spike in Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) ‘insider’ or ‘green-on-blue’ attacks on NATO forces. This data was collected as part of an in-depth, multi-level case study of NATO partnering efforts with the Afghan Defence and Interior ministries, the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police and Afghan Local Police. Preliminary findings support the argument that, in addition to ANSF infiltration and coercion by the Taliban and Haqqani network, cross-cultural friction and contextual stress on Afghan troops are strong contributors to the rise in insider attacks. Additionally, emotional intelligence, cultural awareness and conflict resolution skills are shown to be important mitigating factors.

Keywords:

• Afghanistan
• insider attacks
• cultural friction
• contextual stress
• emotional intelligence

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank two anonymous reviewers, the co-editors of the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, William Banks, David Van Slyke, Brian Taylor, Renée de Nevers, Corri Zoli, Jeffrey Decker, Jacquelyn Forinash Schneider, and Kevin Krupski for their thoughtful comments in refining and strengthening this article. An earlier version of this article was published as a Working Paper http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id =2165835

Notes on Contributor

Nicholas J. Armstrong is a Research Fellow and PhD candidate in Social Science at the Institute for National Security & Counterterrorism, Maxwell School of Syracuse University. From 2000 to 2008, Armstrong served as a US Army officer with prior service in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia. He is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point (BS) and the Maxwell School of Syracuse University (MPA). ([email protected])