... patrols. They also speak of disciplinary problems and a lingering sectarian attitude among some members of the national police force, although thousands already have been fired by authorities for links to militias.

... of sense, doesn't it? It doesn't? You're just being picky. Those convicted on the basis of the famed national police force's nitwit testimony probably had done something bad anyway and deserved to be where they are mainly in prison ...

... or the United Nations. Interior Minister Younis Qanooni spoke of Afghanistan's wish to become "self-sufficient" in security matters. He said the country hoped to have a 70,000-member national police force trained within the year.

... undermine the U.S. strategy of seeking alliances with local Sunni and Shiite leaders to fill the vacuum left by a national police force that has been plagued by corruption allegations and infiltration by militants. Incidents of shooting of civilians ...