Showing posts with label local-uprisings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local-uprisings. Show all posts

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Afghan Security News - Good and Bad

Helmand Province still at Risk. A war correspondent takes us on a journey to Lashkar Gar, the provincial capital of Helmand province in southwestern Afghanistan. The province has been the scene of heavy fighting with most of the districts controlled by the Taliban. Although the government (and U.S. spokesmen) say that many of the districts are under Afghan government control the reality is that the government forces occupying several district administrative buildings within a small walled compound and the Taliban are free to roam the rest of the district. A lot of spin at play here. For a more realistic version of what is happening in this war-torn province read a report entitled "First Helmand, Then Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, September 21, 2016.

Govt Forces Control only 70% of Afghanistan. According to General Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (and former ISAF Cdr), says that the Afghan security forces are taken more casualties "than we're comfortable with" and that they still are lacking in key areas including air power, special operations, and intelligence. He called the war in Afghanistan a stalemate during an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Overall his assessment was on the gloomy side. Read more in a news report by The Washington Post, September 22, 2016.

U.S. Army Secretary Visits Afghanistan. Secretary Fanning visited artillerymen from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Laghman province in mid-September. Read more in "Army Secretary engages with artillerymen in action", Army.mil, September 22, 2015.

U.S. Airstrike Allegedly Kills 8 Afghan Police. Read more in a news report by Stars and Stripes, September 20, 2016.

Afghanistan and the Little Bird. The Afghan Air Force has received the last four of 27 MD-530F armed helicopters. Read more about these versatile choppers of the AAF in "Warplanes: Afghanistan Adopts Little Bird", Strategy Page, September 18, 2016.

ISIS Regrouping in Nangarhar Vicinity. The Islamic State in Afghanistan has suffered some setbacks this year but are still a problem in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan government leaders are hoping that 'popular uprising' and Afghan Local Police can contain the threat. Read more in "Tribal Leaders Say IS Regrouping in Afghan-Pakistan Border Areas", Voice of America, September 21, 2016.

News Article: "Losing in Afghanistan". A recent report by Foreign Affairs (Sep 22, 2016) suggests that the United States is losing the war in Afghanistan based on data released by the Pentagon. Measures of insurgent activity are the highest since in five years, Afghan government security forces are suffering high levels of casualties, and civilian deaths are rising.

Local Uprising Group in Badakhshan. A freelance reporter, Franz Marty, travels to Raghistan district, Badakhshan province and spends time with a local defense force that has taken the districts security into their own hands. The author asks what this means for the central government over the long-term. Read "Afghanistan's Anti-Taliban Vigilantes: Blessing or Curse?", The Diplomat, September 15, 2016.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Rise of ALP and Anti-Taliban Militias?

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have not quite been up to the task of finding, fixing, and finishing the Taliban and other insurgent groups across the country. The ANDSF has taken significant losses, suffered from high desertion rates, and seen many regions across the country fall under the control of the Taliban, ISIS, and other groups. The Afghan government has resorted to funding various local militia groups in Kunduz, Faryab, and other locations where the ANDSF has fallen short in providing security. In addition, GIRoA has indicated that it wants to increase the size of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) from 30,000 to 45,000. Read more in a report by Anuj Chopra in "Rise of Afghan anti-Taliban militias stokes instability fears"Yahoo! News, December 1, 2015.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

More on Suicide Bombing in Paktika Province

The tragic suicide bombing of the volleyball tournament in Yahya Khel district, Paktika province killed over 61 people. In addition, the Afghan government is taking some heat from members of the district for not providing enough security to the district. Threats were made by villagers to support the Taliban to Abdullah Abdullah, the country's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) when he visited the district to meet with villagers to offer condolences. The district had formed a unit of the Afghan Local Police three years ago and pushed the Taliban from the district. The suicide bombing was seen as retaliation against the district population for supporting the ALP and staging a local uprising against the Taliban;. Several members of the ALP were killed in the attack. Read more in "As Bombing Toll Rises, Afghan Villagers Direct Anger at Government", The New York Times, November 24, 2014.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Villagers in Panjwai District Form Uprising Against Taliban

Villagers in the district of Panjwai located in Kandahar province have staged a local uprising or revolt against the Taliban. This is a significant event as Panjwai is in the heartland of the Taliban movement and has long been a thorn in the side of ISAF. Brutal fighting has taken place in this district (and surrounding districts) over the past several years. The catalyst for the formation of the uprising was the resentment the local villagers had against the bullying and harassment by the Taliban. Scores of civilians have been killed by the Taliban either directly or as a result of the many mines and IEDs planted by the Taliban. Although there are other documented instances of local uprisings in Afghanistan this is the first time that an uprising of this magnitude has happened in Kandahar. The uprising coincides with several other factors to include a strong District Chief of Police (DCoP), more capable Afghan police and army units, and a diminished capacity of the Taliban to exert influence in the area due to shortages of recruits and money. Read more on the Panjwai uprising in "Villagers Take on Taliban in Their Heartland", The New York Times, March 20, 2013.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Anti-Taliban Uprising in Panjwai District (Kandahar)

A recent news report by Fox News provides details on an anti-Taliban local uprising of villagers in Panjwai district, Kandahar province. The district of Panjwai, along with other adjacent districts, has been a refuge and staging area for the Taliban insurgents for a number of years. This district is also the area where the Panjwai massacre of 17 civilians took place by a U.S. Army Soldier in the spring of 2012. In recent years there have been a number of local uprisings by villages against the Taliban but not as many as had been hoped for by ISAF. Some of these uprisings are supported by the Afghan government while others are not. Many observers feel that the local uprisings should be quickly supported by the Afghan government and ISAF with the formation of Afghan Local Police, and supplies of weapons, uniforms, and money. However some local uprisings are not necessarily favorably inclined toward the corrupt Afghan government. In addition, the Afghan government is more interested in the political landscape of a district rather than in its security. The Afghan government (that would be Karzai and his political appointees found in the provincial and district leadership) are more concerned with the interwoven issues of political patronage, criminal activity, corruption, and warlords being taken into account; and give secondary consideration to the security, governance, and development needs of the local population.