Goals for Afghan forces have shifted, GAO said

The criteria that the Pentagon and NATO use to judge the preparedness of the Afghan National Security Forces has shifted several times, make accurate evaluations more difficult according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

For example, in January 2011 the highest an Afghan unit could be rated was "independent," meaning the unit could carry out missions without help from coalition forces.  But in August 2011 the highest criteria was "independent with advisors," which meant the unit could carry out its mission but could receive advice and assistance from coalition forces when needed.