Operation Zulfiqar - Not so Much

Operation Zulfiqar is now complete. The Afghan government claims that the Taliban have suffered huge losses and much of Helmand province is more secure to include Sangin district. Resolute Headquarters will crank up their Information Operations (IO) machine and issue the usual cheerleader proclamations - posted to Twitter, Facebook, the RS website, and DVIDS. The Afghan military launched Operation Zulfiqar in February in an attempt to secure the northern part of Helmand province and demonstrate the government's resolve to fight in the Taliban heartland. The 'clearing operation' is over. However, as is true in most 'clearing operations' - the 'clearing troops' are now departing the area of operations and the Taliban are moving back into the security vacuum. This is how clearing operations went with U.S. troops for a number of years and the same happens with the Afghan National Army (the ANA have learned well from the U.S.). Large unit formations move into an area for a week to a couple of months, look for insurgents, weapons caches, IEDs, get shot at, suffer casualties, accomplish almost nothing, and then . . . they leave. So they accomplish the "Clear" part of "Clear, Hold, and Build" - but . . . then they leave. And the Taliban filter back in to control the village, the valley, or the district. The corrupt Afghan police who are left guarding the district center(s) are ill-led and ill-equipped to fight the Taliban. So the police 'secure the district center'; which is usually a walled compound where the district governor may show up to work (usually not) and the district chief of police (DCoP) comes to a quiet understanding with the real power in the district - the insurgents. Read more in "Afghan Effort to Secure South Falters", The Wall Street Journal,  April 10, 2015.

Helmand Province - Taliban Offensive

The 2014 fighting season, typically over by this time of the year, is still ongoing in Helmand province. With the departure of British troops and U.S. Marines a few months earlier the 215th ANA Corps and the Afghan police are now on their own. The Taliban are pushing hard to take over one or more districts (one of them Sangin). The situation is so bad that the 215th ANA Corps commander was replaced recently. Read more in "Taliban Push Into Afghan Districts That U.S. Had Secured", The New York Times, December 22, 2014.

Taliban Bank Siege Ends in Helmand

The Afghan security forces ended an insurgent attack against a bank branch in Helmand province. Five civilians, one police officer, and two ANA soldiers were killed. Fourteen others were injured. Read more in "Police: Afghan forces end Taliban bank siege in Helmand province", CNN World, December 17, 2014.

Helmand Province - Taliban Territory?

A recent new report in a British newspaper penned by Bilal Sarwary paints a dismal picture of Helmand province since British troops and American marines have departed. With the threat of Coalition air power now diminished and very little intelligence being passed to the Afghan security forces the Taliban are now emboldened. The Taliban have increased their operational tempo and taken over a good part of Helmand province. Once you travel a few miles outside of any of the district centers in the province you are in a no man's land situation - where the government troops exert little influence and the Taliban and drug lords reign supreme. Improvised explosive devices or IEDs remain a critical problem and the lack of medical care for the sick and injured compounds the situation for the population of Helmand. Read more in "Vast swathes of southern Afghanistan already in Taliban hands only weeks after British troops depart", The Independent, December 14, 2014.

ANA Overrun at Sangin Base

A small Afghan National Army outpost in Helmand province was overrun by the Taliban on late Friday night. Fourteen ANA Soldiers were killed and several are missing. With the departure of the U.S. Marines and British troops observers have been predicting an uptick in violence in Helmand province. Read more in "Taliban Overrun an Afghan Army Base", The New York Times, November 29, 2014.

Book - "Dead Men Risen"

A book review on Dead Men Risen: An Epic Story of War and Heroism in Afghanistan is provided to us by George Vlachnoikolis of the War on the Rocks Blog (November 19, 2014). The book is about the story of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (1WG) and their deployment to Afghanistan in summer 2009. The book reviews the recent history of the battalion (to include the Falklands); however the main part of the book is about Helmand province. Read the book review here in "The Lessons of the Dead in Helmand". Book can be bought on Amazon.com here.

7th Special Operations Kandak - Helmand Province

The United States Marines and British troops have departed Camp Leatherneck and Camp Bastion. However, the Afghan National Army will remain in Helmand province. One of the best ANA units that will continue to operate in the area is the 7th Special Operations Kandak located at Camp Shorabak. The commando battalion has been operating in Helmand for about five years. They serve as a quick-reaction force as well as perform night operations targeting insurgents and high-level criminals. The kandak suffers from a lack of consistent rotary wing support - which decreases their ability to conduct surprise raids and to MEDEVAC their wounded. Much of the commando's fight is in Sangin district - whose security affects the regions around Kajaki and Musa Qala. Enlisted commandos receive the equivalent of $300 US dollars a month. (This post is a condensation of a news story - "Afghan commandos respond to call of duty", Khaama Press, November 14, 2014).

Reflections on End of Helmand Campaign

A writer who spent some time in Helmand province as a member of a Human Terrain Team (HTT) reflects on the departure from Helmand province by the Marines and other ISAF partners. Read "Sorrow, Memory and the End of the Helmand Campaign", by Ryan Evans, War on the Rocks, November 4, 2014.

Dismal Outlook for Helmand Province

The U.S has left Camp Leatherneck and the Brits have departed Camp Bastion. According to ISAF the transfer of the bases was smooth and the Afghan National Security Forces will be able to handle the security situation within Helmand province without the assistance of the International Security Assistance Force. But . . . some news reports seem to indicate otherwise. Read more in "Continued violence in Helmand elicits disillusionment, fear as coalition departs", Stars and Stripes, October 31, 2014.

ANSF Prepared to Defend Helmand

Many observers will cast a keen eye on what happens in Helmand province now that the Brits have departed Camp Bastion and the U.S. Marines have left Camp Leatherneck. Some observers predict doom but the the commander of the 215th Afghan National Army Corps says his troops will do fine. Read more in "Afghan Forces Prepare to Fight Alone as Foreign Troops Leave", The Huffington Post, October 28, 2014.

History of Marines in Helmand Province

The Marines have handed over Camp Leatherneck to the Afghan National Army. Only a few hundred Marines remain to do the final packing . . . and they too, will soon depart. What was once a sprawling base is a ghost town. A recently posted account of the Marines time in Helmand province can be found in "Marines leave Afghanistan after tough years", Stars and Stripes, October 27, 2014.

Departure from Helmand - Taliban Undefeated?

Map from Wikimedia.org

The U.S. Marines and the UK troops have departed Helmand province. Camp Bastion and Camp Leatherneck have been transferred to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Only a few hundred ISAF troops remain to complete the packing up process. It was a tough fight for the Brits and Marines over the past several years - both contingents losing hundreds of men to the conflict. At one time there were over 40,000 ISAF personnel (Marines, Brits, contractors, etc.) stationed at Camps Bastion and Leatherneck but now it is owned and run by the Afghans. More importantly, the ANA and ANP are now responsible for providing security in that part of Afghanistan and defeating the Taliban. But . . . that is the big question. Can they do that? Read more in "With Marines Gone, Can the Afghan Army Hold Off the Taliban", NPR Parallels, October 27, 2014.

Marines Change Command in Helmand

The Marines have changed command in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The ceremony took place at Camp Leatherneck at the Regional Command Southwest headquarters. During the peak of the surge there were over 20,000 Marines in the southwest; today there are about 4,500 (as of Feb 14). Read more in "Marines change command in Helmand", USA Today, February 5, 2014.

Marine Reflects on His Afghan Tour of Duty

A Marine who spent the good part of a year working at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan reflects on the progress made in the transition to Afghan control. Read "Shaping Afghanistan's future rewarding for assistant chief of staff", DVIDS, March 31, 2012.

The Fight In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

A war correspondent spent several weeks with the Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.  Read a news article he wrote for The New York Times (February 1, 2012) entitled "The Hard Way Out of Afghanistan".

Nawa-I-Barakzayi District, Helmand Province in Afghanistan Sees Turnaround

Solar energy project for Nawa district
bazaar.  (DoD Photo by Cpl. Jeff Drew)

According to recent reports by ISAF the Nawa District (sometimes called Nawa-l-Barakzayi District) in Helmand Province has seen a huge turn towards security and governance in the past two years.  This can be credited to individuals and organizations on the Afghan side and coalition who have put a lot of hard work into the improvements.  Relentless effort by the British forces, then the Marines, a hard-working district governor, establishment of the Afghan Local Police, increased education, and development projects such as construction of roads and solar power have all played a part in Nawa's new security and prosperity. 

"Extensive improvements in Nawa district and exceptional Afghan leadership has transformed the once improvised explosive device-laden area into a peaceful paragon of progress during the last year. Residents walk casually along roads and waterways, confident in local Afghan security forces to keep them safe. The growth of illegal drugs has been nearly eradicated as citizens have begun to see the benefits of growing legal crops. Interest in education is on the rise, ensuring a brighter future for the people of Nawa. The people are happy, healthy and hopeful."

Read more in "Nawa: the essence of progress", DVIDS, February 9, 2012.  Read more about Nawa-I-Barakzayi District here at WikipediA which has an enormous amount of information about this district. The UNHCR Sub-Office in Kandahar provides a Nawa-e-Barakzai District Profile on the aims.org website.  A map of Nawa-i-Barakzayi District is also available on the aims.org website.

Report on Counterinsurgency Efforts in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Jeffrey Dressler, a research analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, has penned a report entitled "Counterinsurgency in Helmand - Progress and Remaining Challenges" dated January 2011.  Topics in the report include counterinsurgency in Helmand, Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand, counternarcotics, governance, reconstruction and development, and a conclusion.  Various maps and illustrations help provide clarity to the report.  The report is almost 40 pages long and well-documented with endnotes.  The document is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file and can be found at the link below:

http://www.understandingwar.org/files/Afghanistan_Report_8_web.pdf

Camp Leatherneck - Gretal Kovach Reports from Afghanistan

A reporter from the Sign On San Deigo News, Gretel C. Kovach, is visiting Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan and will be reporting on a regular basis.  Click here for her first two stories "Afghanistan war diary: the flight in", Sign On San Diego, February 19, 2011 and "Welcome back to Camp Leatherneck", Sign On San Diego, February 20, 2011.

British Troops See Progress in Helmand Province

The British forces are seeing some progress in Helmand Province after several years of fighting there.  Read more in "War in Afghanistan: A 'breeze of change' blows in Helmand", The Telegraph, December 27, 2010.

Marines Mount Winter Campaign in Helmand Province

"Marine forces in Afghanistan have launched an “aggressive winter campaign” in Helmand province that will include special operations raids, conventional military operations and efforts to improve the economy by creating jobs, said the senior Marine commander in Afghanistan." 

Read the rest of the article in "Aggressive winter campaign in Helmand", Marine Corps Times, December 8, 2010.