Showing posts with label ANDSF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ANDSF. Show all posts

Sunday, October 1, 2017

SIGAR Report - Reconstructing the ANDSF


A recent SIGAR report provides lessons learned about the train, advise, and assist mission for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The 283-page report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, published in September 2017, examines how the U.S. government (DoD, DoS, Justice Department) developed and executed security sector assistance programs for the Afghan security forces and institutions. A number of lessons learned are identified and recommendations are offered for improved performance in efforts to assist the ANDSF as well as other security sector assistance programs in future operations around the world.

The analysis by SIGAR finds that the U.S. government was not prepared to assist the Afghan army and police forces adequately. The U.S. lacked a comprehensive approach to security sector assistance and lacked a whole-of-government approach to develop a capable and self-sustaining Afghan security force. Read Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan, SIGAR, September 2017.

www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-17-62-LL.pdf

The report is also available as an interactive online resource
https://sigar.mil/interactive-reports/reconstructing-the-andsf/index.html


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Video - "Afghanistan's Proudest Achievement"

ANA Soldiers Exiting AAF Chopper (photo from GoIRA video)
An inspirational video pushed out by the Afghan government on September 21, 2016 provides a 3 1/2 minute look at the progress the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have made over the past 15 years. While the video states that the ANDSF have attained many of their objectives the reality is that they are not quite there. Not by a long shot! If you need to be inspired by how much progress the Afghans have made in the security arena and don't mind a lot of embellishment and wishful thinking then the video is worth watching.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-iBlUMmIkY

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Commentary


Gen Campbell on NATO's Commitment and Performance of ANDSF. COMRS or Commander Resolute Support has provided us with his perspective (think positive) on the situation in Afghanistan. He acknowledges that over the past year the persistence of the Taliban, growth of ISIS, continuing presence of al-Qaida, and insurgents pushed by a Pakistan-offensive into Afghanistan have presented challenges to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Yet he points to ability of the ANDSF to roll back Taliban gains (I guess he is ignoring places like Helmand, Bakdakshan, Nuristan, and other provinces), the formation of a new government (yes, he means the dysfunctional National Unit Government known as "NUG"), and the initiatives of the Afghan government and security forces to address corruption (Ummm, SMH), promote human rights and gender equality (which ISAF and now RS says about the Afghans each and every year). All in all this end of year pep talk includes all the important phrases such as "continuing improvement", "remain optimistic", "the insurgents cannot win militarily", etc. This assessment was issued just a week or so prior to six U.S. personnel being killed within the outskirts of the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan. Read "Commitment to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces is Working", Defense News, by General John Campbell, December 13, 2015.

Adm Stavridis on Afghanistan. The retired Admiral - now working at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy as "Dean", tells us that all is not lost in Afghanistan and he recommends 5 steps we should take to improve the situation. I think he is overly optimistic and somewhat influenced by the holiday spirit. (The World Post, Dec 23, 2015).

"Losing the War at Every Level". Anthony Cordesman injects some reality into the assessment of the Afghan conflict in his report entitled "Afghanistan a Year After Transition: Losing the War at Every Level", Center for Strategic & International Studies, December 22, 2015.

The Aftermath of Kunduz. Residents of Kunduz now live in constant fear that the Taliban will come back, retaking the city (if only for just days), and wreaking havoc once again. Read more in "Afghanistan: After Kunduz", by Patricia Gossman, The Diplomat, December 16, 2015.

Afghanistan - Another 30 Years War? Mark Thompson, writing for Time.com (Dec 22, 2015) says we might be in for another 15 years of conflict in Afghanistan. Read "Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan Echoes the 30 Years War".

An Assessment & Recommendations. Michael O'Hanlon gives us his take on the current situation and proscribes the way forward (what he would do if King) in "Why Americans Are Still Dying in Afghanistan", Politico Magazine, December 22, 2015. (Caution: Cheerleader at work!). Read an article by O'Hanlon entitled "Afghanistan - the case for staying", USA Today, December 28, 2015. (More of the same). O'Hanlon does, however, point out that we should maintain TAAC's at each of the six ANA corps as well as some selected brigades. Good insight to pick up on that and spot on. Why we pulled our brigade level Security Force Assistance (SFA) teams off is a mystery. And to pull the corps level advisory platforms off of the 203rd and 215th ANA corps is simply bewildering!

Essay on Ground Combat. The U.S. has an effective military that can fight extremely well in conflicts such as Desert Storm and the initial weeks of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It has not done so well in conflicts that are essentially irregular, hybrid, or insurgent in nature (as in Afghanistan). David E. Johnson, a historian with RAND Corporation, provides us with his thoughts in "Ground Combat", The Cipher Brief, December 20, 2015.

Rule of Law Culture. A 320-page publication and practical guide by the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) entitled Towards a Rule of Law Culture explores effective responses to justice and security challenges. (USIP, Washington, DC, December 2015).

What of the Taliban? Chayankika Saxena, a research associate at the Society for Policy Studies in New Delhi, provides her assessment of the current state of the Taliban - to include aspects including peace talks, ISIS, Pakistan, Helmand province, public support, and more. Read more in "What has become of Taliban in Afghanistan?", South Asia Monitor, December 29, 2015.

What is BPC? The U.S. has military members spread across the globe in an attempt to increase the security and counterterrorism capabilities of our allies. This type of mission has been called many different names to include Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Counterinsurgency (COIN), Security Cooperation (SC), Security Force Assistance (SFA), and many more. Each has its own niche to fill although the terms could really be interchangeable. One such term in 'Building Partner Capacity' or BPC. Read an explanation of BPC in What is "Building Partner Capacity?": Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report, December 18, 2015. This 64-page report is posted on the website of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). Pages 20-23 specifically address BPC in Afghanistan from 2001-2015.
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44313.pdf

UW - Can the U.S. Government and Military Accept It? Dave Maxwell, a retired SF officer and now Associate Director of the Center for Security Studies in the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, is one of the Special Force's community's foremost experts on Unconventional Warfare. In this article he talks about the recent passage of the NDAA of 2016 and verbiage in it that proscribes a more robust involvement of the govt and military in UW and counter-UW activities. Read "Congress has Embraced Unconventional Warfare: Will the US Military and the Rest of the US Government?", Small Wars Journal, December 29, 2015.

India-Pakistan Detente - Good for Afghanistan? Colin Cookman has penned an article entitled "How India and Pakistan Detente Could Carry Over into Afghanistan", World Politics Review, December 21, 2015. He examines the possibilities - but let's not hold our breath.

Afghanistan's Various Challenges. "Security in Afghanistan deteriorated in 2015, while the national government struggles to promote national unity and economic development". New Europe provides an analysis in this Dec 23, 2015 article.

CVE and Gender Inequality. Julia Santucci, she works women's issues at the State Department, has penned an article entitled "Countering Violent Extremism Means Countering Gender Inequality", War on the Rocks, December 16, 2015. Not so sure there really is a connection; but she seems intent on spreading the message.

Don't Abandon Afghanistan. Amb. Ron Neumann, Vanda Felbab-Brown, and David Sedney collaborate on a piece in Foreign Policy (Dec 22, 2015) encouraging the U.S. to stay the course. Read "Now is not the time to abandon Afghanistan".

Army War College. Adam Davidson recently spent time in a classroom at the United States Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Read his observations in "Rebuilding the Middle Class the Army Way", The New York Times Magazine, December 15, 2015.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Commentary


Anxiety Grows in Afghanistan. The security situation is going downhill in Kabul and across many parts of Afghanistan. One constantly hears the drumbeat of Resolute Support Headquarters that the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) are continuing to improve their capabilities; but that feeling of optimism is not reflected in the events on the ground. Read more in "Anxiety Grows as Conditions Worsen in Afghanistan", NPR Parallels, November 10, 2015.

Video - Foreign Afghan Interior Minister. In a 90-minute video by C-Span we hear about the security situation in Afghanistan and future prospects. The speaker, Mohammad Umer Daudzai,  served as President Karzai's chief of staff from 2003-2005 and 2007 to 2011. He also served as the Minister of Interior (MoI) for a period of time (2013-2014) as well as the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan and Iran.
www.c-span.org/video/?400457-1/discussion-future-afghanistan

WTO and Afghanistan. "After nearly 11 years of negotiations, Afghanistan and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have finally agreed on the country's terms of accession to the global trade body. But will this help revive the flailing economy?" Read "How joining the WTO could impact Afghanistan", Deutsche Welle, Nov 2015.

COIN and Development in FATA. Hijab Shah, a columist, has penned an article posted in Georgetown Security Studies Review, November 12, 2015, entitled "Counterinsurgency and Development in FATA: Lessons from US Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan". The Pakistani armed forces claim to have entered the decisive phase in their counterinsurgency operations against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). In order to consolidate the victory the government will need to step up its post-conflict stabilization activities in FATA.

Training for Human Domain. "This monograph offers an outline for educating U.S. and allied service personnel in fundamental human domain skills and argues against their being overlooked in favor of technical solutions.Experience from Afghanistan and Iraq has demonstrated the vital nature of understanding human terrain, with conclusions relevant far beyond counterinsurgency operations in the Islamic world." Read Training Humans for the Human Domain, by Dr. Steve Tatham and Mr. Keir Giles, Strategic Studies Institute, United States Army War College Press, 61 pages, November 2015.
www.hsdl.org/?view&did=788366

Gender Stuff and DoD. According to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) the worlds military's need to improve the way it addresses 21st century security challenges. U.S. Army I Corps recently incorporated WPS into the Talisman Sabre 2015 exercise (with Australia). Read comments on this development by Brenda Oppermann - a stability operations advisor, gender expert and human rights lawyer - in "DoD Finally Gets the Point of Women, Peace, and Security", Small Wars Journal, November 13, 2015.

New Strategy for Afghanistan Needed. Daniel L. Davis, a retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Army and now a analyst on national security, believes that the mission for Afghanistan needs to change. The focus on a military solution has not worked and will not work; we should try for a negotiated political solution to the conflict.  Read more in "America Needs a New Afghanistan Strategy", The National Interest, November 10, 2015.