Afghan War News Snippets

General Petraeus Sentenced. The retired four-star general, former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and former CIA director received a sentence of two years probation and $100,000. Some critics say if he was someone else the penalty may have been more severe. Others point out that he shared notes with a United States Army LTC of the Military Intelligence branch with a Top Secret clearance. No Harm, No Foul?

Half-Finished Construction Projects. Anyone who has spent any time in Afghanistan is tainted with just how badly the U.S. managed the many construction projects over the past decade. And the news isn't getting any better. I am a firm believer that we needed less 19-year-old kids from New York City and more accountants and contracting officials deployed to Afghanistan. Read "Americans Keep Paying for Bad Work for Afghan Contractors", by Matthew Gault, War is Boring, April 23, 2015.

Video. Watch a short video (30 seconds) of Afghan Air Force MD-530s firing on the range. (NATO, April 21, 2015). www.facebook.com/NATO/videos/889557661067566/

Cell Phone Towers are Targets. One of the favorite targets of insurgents are cell phone towers. Usually these are spared if they provide 'protection money'. It's not always insurgents that target the cell phone towers; the criminal networks will do the same. In some areas the Taliban allow the cell phone towers to remain operational - but only during daytime hours. A cell tower in Maidan Wardak was recently destroyed.

Holbrooke's Disagreement w/ Obama Admin. Richard C. Holbrooke was the Obama administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is now known that he kept a secret audio diary detailing his frustrations with the White House - believing that it was too willing to listen to the military and that it mistook domestic political calculations for strategic thinking. Read "Richard C. Holbrooke's Diary of Disagreement with Obama Administration", The New York Times, April 22, 2015.

ANA Slaughterhouse Construction under Investigation. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction is investigating the spending of $1.25 million for an Afghan National Army (ANA) slaughterhouse that was never completed. Read SIGAR 15-51 Inspection Report, April 2015. www.sigar.mil/pdf/inspections/SIGAR-15-51-IP.pdf

Border Police Missing. Policemen have gone missing after a Taliban attack on their checkpost in the Bala Murghab district of northwestern Badghis province. security has been deteriorating in this part of Afghanistan. (Khaama Press, Apr 23, 2105). See also this report which says the Taliban killed the nine border guards (ABC News, Apr 23, 2015).

National Strategy Needed by Afghanistan. Christopher Kolenda writing in Gandhara Blog (Radio Free Europe) on April 24, 2015 says that "Afghanistan Needs a National Strategy to Succeed".

Roadside Bomb Kills Six Civilians. A roadside bombing killed civilians in the country's southwest region. The six killed included four children and a man and a woman. (CTVNews.ca, Apr 23, 2105).

Australia Issues Travel Warning. On April 23, 2015 the Australia government issued a travel warning for Afghanistan. www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Afghanistan

IS in Pakistan. A writer examines the signs of the Islamic State moving into Pakistan. Read "Islamic State faces a complex web of militant groups and violence in Pakistan", New Statesman, April 23, 2015.

China and India. Central Asia is receiving a lot of attention from China, India and even Russia. That is leaving the U.S. on the edges. But, according to one analyst, that shouldn't concern Washington as the actions of China and India will result in greater development and stability for Central Asia. This is also the goal of the U.S. Department of States New Silk Road Initiative. Read more of this good news story in "Happy to Play Second Fiddle", by Michael Kugelman, Foreign Policy, April 22, 2015.

UAE - A dependable U.S. Ally. The UAE has supported American military adventures in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Kosova, and Afghanistan. Learn more in a news report in War is Boring, April 23, 2015.

Undermining Terrorist Financing. Dr. Seth Jones, a expert on the Afghan conflict (and many other security related topics) provided testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. Read it in "Breaking the Bank: Undermining Terrorist Financing", RAND Corporation, April 22, 2015.

Update on Women in Ranger School. The original 19 females in Ranger School are down to 8. Of the 381 men there are 184 left. The first four days of the Ranger course are tough and is called the Ranger Assessment Phase (RAP). Read about historic Ranger School statistics:
www.benning.army.mil/infantry/RTB/

A Feminist Perspective on Use of Drones. One writer argues against the strategic utility of drones to neutralize terrorist organizations in "Drones, Gender and Classical Realists", E-International Relations, April 17, 2015.

A Scholar Interviewed on Gender, Security, and Military Contractors. Paul Higate of the University of Bristol is interviewed on a number of issues in an news story posted on E-International Relations on April 22, 2015.

2014 Report on Security Clearance Determinations. The Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) of 2010 requires the President to submit an annual report on Security Clearance Determinations to Congress.  You can read the report on the website of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, April 23, 2015.

CRS Pub on SOF. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a report entitled U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress, by Andrew Feickert, April 9, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

SIGAR Ltr of Inquiry on Kandahar City Electric Power. The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has wrote to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, General Campbell, and a few others requesting information on the status of the U.S. government's efforts to develop a reliable and sustainable source of power for Kandahar City after September 2015. Read the April 17, 2015 letter at the link below.

www.sigar.mil/pdf/special%20projects/SIGAR-15-47-SP.pdf

Taliban Beheadings to Increase? A wave of kidnappings and subsequent beheadings have some observers thinking that the Taliban are in competition with ISIS for the headlines. Perhaps the Taliban are trying to show that they can be as brutal as the Islamic State with their decapitation of the Hazaras they have kidnapped. Read more in a news story by The New York Times, April 22, 2015. 

ISIS Bombing in Jalalabad - a Close Examination. The Islamic State claimed credit for the bombing in Jalalabad that claimed 35 lives - and the Taliban denied the attack. The folks at the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) take a closer look at this incident in "First wave of IS attacks? Claim and denial over the Jalalabad bombs", AAN, April 22, 2015.

Pakistan Perceptions of the Taliban. By now everyone should know that, from the Pakistan perspective - there exists the 'Good Taliban" and the "Bad Taliban". But it gets more complex than that. Read "Education and Attitudes in Pakistan: Understanding Perceptions of Terrorism", United States Institute of Peace (USIP), April 21, 2015.

Afghan Interpreter - A Better Life in U.S. is Elusive. In a detailed news story an Afghan interpreter relates his story of working for five years as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the frustrating journey to get here (that would be visa problems with our State Department), and the difficulties adapting to life in the United States. Read "Where the Grave Isn't Free: An Afghan Interpreter Struggles with US Resettlement", Voice of America, April 22, 2015.

70 % Afghan Police Illiterate. UNESCO has stated that statistics show Afghanistan security institutions are struggling with the issue of illiteracy among its staff - especially in the police force. Read more in "60,000 Afghan Police are Illiterate", Tolo News, April 22, 2015.

CIA  - Help Wanted. The Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service is looking for summer help. College students can apply for an internship. The pay looks pretty good!

www.cia.gov/careers/student-opportunities/ncs-intern.html

A Cost of War - Sexual Dysfunction. Here is an article I never thought I would read - but it opened my eyes a bit about combat injuries both physical and mental. Read "When the Costs of War Impact the Capacity for Intimacy", Task & Purpose, April 21, 2015.

IC Transparency Report. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released its "Calendar Year 2014 Transparency Report", April 22, 2015. This provides data, information, and statistics on the use of national security authorities.

Afghan Turkmen Caught in Middle. Fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan government forces have put some Afghan Turkmen on the northern Afghanistan border in a difficult position. Read more in "Afghan Turkmen Trapped Near Border with Turkmenistan", Eurasianet.org, April 22, 2015.

Contract Drone Pilots. Some companies are offering Air Force drone pilots up to twice as much money to fly drones as contractors. (matthewaid.com, April 22, 2015).

Obama Narrative Threatened by Taliban. The administrations' story-line on Afghanistan is put in question by recent activity of the Taliban. The security situation on the ground may derail the planned departure of the U.S. from Afghanistan. (Fox News, April 22, 2015).

Insufficient Support to Partner Nation SOF Forces. Leading members of the Global Special Operations Forces Foundation (Stuart Bradin and Meaghan Keeler-Pettigrew) say that U.S. security assistance is not supporting enduring programs that build credible special operations partners. They say that we are not selling or giving our partners the capabilities that are critical to defeating the imminent threats they face today in hybrid warfare. Read more in "Special Forces: What U.S. Gets Wrong", CNN News, April 22, 2015.

Why Groups Use Terrorism. A few college academics tell us about terrorism. (Political Violence @ a Glance, April 22, 2015).

Intelligence Reform. David Shedd and Matthew Ferraro provide us with six ways to make sure America's leaders and troops get the intel they need. Read "Intelligence Reform 2.0", Defense One, April 21, 2015.

Augmented Reality Glasses for the Battlefield. The Marines are testing a pair of glasses that provide intelligence to ground troops - using a head-up display and gun-mounted mouse. For a look into the future read this story in Popular Science, April 22, 2015.

Conference - Unmanned Systems 2015. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is running a conference and trade show on unmanned systems in Atlanta, Georgia on May 4-7, 2015. www.auvsishow.org/auvsi2015/public/enter.aspx

Afghan War News Snippets

A New Kandahar. The Washington Post's Kabul bureau chief, Sudarsan Raghavan, compares modern-day Kandahar to one he knew in 1996 under Taliban rule. Much has changed. The population has grown ten-fold, it has a modern airport, and the city is thriving economically. Read more in "The last time I saw Kandahar, it was a remote Taliban bastion. How that's changed", April 20, 2015.

Kandahar Explosion. Press reports say that two people were killed and 21 others injured in an explosion in Kandahar city on Tuesday morning. (Khaama Press, April 21, 2015).

205th Coalition Advisory Team (CAT). The Australians are part of the advisory team providing training, advise, and assistance to the 205th ANA Corps in southern Afghanistan. The Aussies are augmented with personnel from the United States and Bulgaria. The 205 CAT provides advisors across a range of functions including operations, intelligence and planning as well as other enabling functions. Read more in a Facebook posting by Resolute Support Hqs, April 21, 2015.

Typical Day for MG Mike Murray - Deputy Cdr USFOR-A. So what does a typical day look like for the commander of U.S. Forces - Afghanistan. Based at Bagram Airfield, the general starts and ends his day with operations update from his staff in the joint operations center (JOC). Then office meetings and sometimes trips off base. Read more in a Facebook posting by USFOR-A, April 21, 2015.

Shiite Hazara Worried. A recent spate of kidnappings of Hazaras over the past few months have put the Harzara community on edge. Read "Kidnappings Rattle Afghan Minority", The Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2015. (subscription needed).

16 New Cabinet Members Approved. Afghanistan is one minister short of having a full cabinet. The remaining empty seat is most likely the most important one. The cabinet nominees were approved by lawmakers in Kabul. Eight ministers had been approved by the Wolesi Jirga earlier. (Radio Free Europe, April 21, 2015).

New MoD Minister Nominee? News reports indicate that the National Unity Government (NUG) leaders have agreed on Abdullah Habibi as their nominee for leadership of the Ministry of Defense (MoD). Habibi hails from Kunar province and has an MA in Military Affairs. (Tolo News, Apr 20, 2015).

Visit to MoI Logistics Facility. On April 20th General Campbell (RSM Cdr) and MG Semonite (CSTC-A Cdr) visited the Ministry of Interior's logistic facility in Wardak province. A large part of continuing the Train-Advise-Assist mission is helping the Afghans develop and maintain systems and processes which will enable long-term sustainability for their security forces. (RSM Facebook, April 21, 2015).

RSM HQs Hosts International Issues Forum. On April 21st the Resolute Support Headquarters hosted forum with representatives from Italy, Germany, United States, European Union, UN, and NATO attending. The topic of the meeting was Afghanistan and NATO's Enduring Partnership and the support that each country / agency provides. (RSM Facebook, April 21, 2015).

UNAMA Meets w/ Kunduz Women. As part of its mandated work to assist the people of Afghanistan inlaying the foundations for peace and development in the country Human Rights officials from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) meet with rural women in the north-eastern province of Kunduz. The meeting with the women focused on women and their role in peacebuilding. (UNAMA News Update, April 21, 2015).

Friendly Fire Air Crew Returns to Duty. Despite an investigation that found some startling deficiencies no charges have been made. The Air Force B-1B air crew that dropped two bombs that killed five U.S. soldiers that were part of a U.S. Special Forces mission in Zabul province in 2014 in returning to duty. Read the news report in The Washington Times, April 20, 2015.

Funeral Held for Soldier Killed in Afghanistan. A funeral was held on Monday in Massachusetts for a U.S. Army Soldier recently killed from the 101st Airborne Division. (Kentucky.com, April 20, 2015).

Despair in Afghanistan. An Afghan who returned to her country in 2003 after years of exile expresses her disillusionment on the Afghanistan of today. Read "Afghanistan - - Where Is It Headed?", The Huffington Post, April 21, 2015.

Hearing on Global Terrorist Financing. The Committee on Financial Services will be holding a hearing on April 22, 2015 at 10:00 am (EST) on "A Survey of Global Terrorism and Terrorist Financing". Speakers include Dr. Seth Jones - director of International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation. Should be able to webcast it to your computer.
http://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=398891

Former Army Col Pleads Guilty. A former U.S. Army Colonel pleads guilty in connection with Afghan Mi-17 helicopter procurement contracts. (U.S. Department of Justice, April 20, 2015).

Caliphate - A Powerful Word. Rashid Dar explores the meaning and use of the word in his article "The Other C-Word: 'Caliphate'", Cicero Magazine, April 21, 2015.

Female Rangers. An opinion piece by retired general David Barno and Nora Bensahel says that "Female Rangers will lead the way, sooner or later", War is Boring, April 21, 2015.

Saving Deminers. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) says that at least 19 deminers abducted by militants of the Haqqani Network were rescued by operatives of Afghan intelligence on Tuesday. The militants were from Gardez, Paktia province (home of the 203rd Corps). Read more in a news report by Khaama Press,  April 21, 2015.

Taliban Admit to Beheadings. The insurgents say the beheadings of ANA soldiers took place during clashes last week in the northern province of Badakhshan. Read more in a news report in The Long War Journal, April 21, 2015.

Saving the A-10. Martha McSally, a retired Air Force officer, pilot, and now member of Congress, has penned a piece entitled "Saving a Plane That Saves Lives", The New York Times, April 21, 2015.

Political Process in Afghanistan Criticized. Some Afghan citizens complain that political parties are vehicles for personal advancement rather than public good. Read "Afghans Feel Let Down by Politics", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, April 21, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

MoI Support & Supply. General Campbell, Resolute Support Mission Cdr, and the Ministry of Interior Minister recently visited MoI support & supply center to assess current capacities and needs. The logistics operation for the Afghan police has been broke for a long time.

Hamid Karzai Visits Germany. Karzai, the ex-president is visiting Germany - he has lots of meetings, interviews, and speeches scheduled. He has been busy traveling overseas quite a bit since his departure from government.

Blood-Clotting Gel. The UK's Forces.TV  (April 20, 2015) is reporting on a battlefield advancement in medical care that could make a huge difference in surviving an injury or wound with severe bleeding. A graduate from Polytechnic Institute of New York University has invented a gel that can stop bleeding and seal serious wounds in 15 seconds. 

http://forces.tv/13424457

Ghani's Calculated Risk With Pakistan. President Ghani is pursuing peace talks with the Taliban and is hoping that Pakistan will cease its support of insurgent groups carrying out attacks against Afghanistan and that Pakistan will steer these insurgent groups to the peace table for talks. Read more in "Afghan President's Taliban predicament", by Aryaman Ghatnager, Observer Research Foundation, April 20, 2015.

India - A Thorny Issue. Stephen Tankel writes about the relationship between India and Afghanistan in "India in Afghanistan: Tackling a Thorny Issue", War on the Rocks, April 201, 2015.

China - and Relationships. China is trying to extend its influence in Central and South Asia for a number of reasons (security, economic, political, etc.). China has to balance a number of issues to ensure relationships with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the U.S. are not damaged - which could affect its aspirations in the region. Read more in "Reimagining the Triangle", Observer Research Foundation (India), April 20, 2015.

Paper on IEDs in Afghanistan. Hannah Bryce and Henry Dodd have a paper posted on the website of The Royal Institute of International Affairs entitled "The Impact of IEDs on the Humanitarian Space in Afghanistan", April 9, 2015. (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 15 pages).

USAID Empowering Women in Animal Health Services. USAID has posted a photo and short story on how it is ensuring women in Afghanistan have access to animal health services.

6th Annual Warrior Competition. The country of Jordan is running its annual Warrior Competition at the King Abdullah Special Operation Training Center. This annual competition pits anti-terrorism squads from 18 different countries against each in shooting and anti-terrorism skills. Afghanistan is sending a team from its Afghan National Security Special Forces (ANASF) to compete - as it has in previous years.

New Zealand Commits to Afghanistan. The Kiwis are staying in the fight until December 2016. Read more in "Extension of NZDF commitment in Afghanistan", Scoop.co.nz, April 20, 2015. See also a news story in The New Zealand Herald, April 20, 2015.

51st Battalion Completes Tour. Georgia's 51st infantry battalion completed its tour of Afghanistan. (Agenda.ge, April 20, 2015). http://agenda.ge/news/33601/eng

Video - BAF Base Defense Exercise. Watch a one-minute long video by US Forces Afghanistan on base defense at Bagram Airfield.

State Department Visit to Central Asia. The DoS is sending an interagency team to Central Asia for consultations about Afghanistan. The team will visit Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan from April 20-24. The group will discuss recent developments in Afghanistan, including the election of the Government of National Unity, the current security situation, and the NATO Resolute Support Mission. Read more in "Interagency Team Travels to Central Asia for Afghanistan Consultations", U.S. Department of State Media Note, April 20, 2015.
www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/04/240890.htm

$1B in Helicopters to Pakistan. A commentator asks "Why Are We Sending This Attack Helicopter to Pakistan?", The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2015.

Culture Clash in U.S. Miltary. Carl Forsling, as senior columnist for Task & Purpose writes about the departure of military officers and NCOs from the military and reasons for their leaving in "There is a Cultural Clash Erupting Within the Military", April 20, 2015.

Women Now in Ranger School. The first course to allow women to go through the very demanding Ranger School started on Monday, April 20th. As many as 20 women are expected to start this one-time integrated assessment. The assessment is part of a wider effort to determine whether and how to open combat arms positions to women. Read more in "Women to start Ranger School Today", Army Times, April 20, 2015. On the first day the prospective Rangers are administered a physical fitness test early in the morning. 19 women were among the 400 plus students. They were tested (same standards for men and women) in their ability to do a minimum of 49 pushups, 49 situps, six chinups, and a five-mile run in 40 minutes or less. 16 of the 19 female students passed the test (Ledger-Enquirer, April 20, 2015).

Women and Cultural Support Teams (CST). While much talk has been generated about bringing women into combat arms - it would appear that the Special Operations community has been already on board. A few years back the Army created the Cultural Support Team program to work along side Special Forces teams in Afghanistan. Read more about the CSTs in this news report in the New York Post (April 19, 2015)

Army vs Marines & Women in Combat. Unit assignments and gender integration research varies between the services according to Gretel C. Kovach in a news story posted in U~T San Diego, April 18, 2015.

Rumi Spice. A female veteran of the Afghan War and Harvard Business Student has formed a venture that imports saffron to the United States benefiting Afghan farmers and hopefully providing an alternative crop to opium. Learn more in a PBS Newshour report by Larisa Epatko, April 20, 2015. www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/afghan-grown-saffron/

Afghan Women Hindered from Access to Justice. Deutsche Welle (Germany) has published a news story on "How Afghan women are dissuaded from asserting their rights", April 20, 2015.

India Promoting Women's Rights in Afghanistan. Catherine Powell, writing in the Development Channel Blog of Foreign Policy (April 20, 2015) tells us that India can be a useful partner in promoting Afghan stability and advancing the future of Afghan women.

Export of Opium to India Trucks carrying opium from Afghanistan through Pakistan are entering India and the drug problem in India is getting bigger. Read more in "Kashmir's Heroin Highway", Slate.com, by Michael Edison Hayden, April 2015.

Trouble South of Border. Ambreen Agha writes about the enduring tragedy in Balochistan, Pakistan in Eurasia Review, April 20, 2015.

Obama's Drone Problem. Read "All the President's Drones: Obama's Targeting-Killing Problem", The National Interest, April 20, 2015 for Rachel Stohl's explanation of why the White House's secrecy regarding the U.S. drone program has not done it any favors. 

Author Interview. A fiction book wrote 40 years ago provides us a look at the military-civilian divide during the Vietnam War. The author says that the divide is more wide now (2015) than during the Vietnam War. Read an interview with the author of a science fiction war story called "The Forever War" in War is Boring, April 19, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

Ghani and Iran. Iran says it is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism in the region. Yep. They said that. I saw it on Twitter so it must be true. President Ghani is on a two-day (starting Sunday) visit to Iran to discuss security, drug trafficking, and refugee issues.

MoD Minister Nominated? News reports say that General Abdullah Khan has been nominated to head up the Ministry of Defense.

General Campbell on Key to Peace. General Campbell, in a DoD News video says the key to Afghan peace is the Taliban to engage in the political process. (April 17, 2015).
www.defense.gov/video/default.aspx?mediaid=2001038941

Nangarahar Bombing. The death toll from the suicide bomber on a motorcycle is around 33 fatalities with many more injured. The Taliban issued a statement saying they are not the guilty party; ISIS has claimed the responsibility. Resolute Support HQs issued a statement condemning the bombing on Facebook.

Afghan Law and Sharia Faculties in Competition. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funded the 2014-2015 Afghanistan National Rounds of the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Teams from nearly 550 law schools in more than 80 countries take part in the competition. Two Afghan teams took part in the competition outside of Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, April 19, 2015.  http://kabul.usembassy.gov/pr-04192015.html

ISIS and Afghanistan. Matt Chiavenz writes about "Afghanistan's Growing War With ISIS" in The Atlantic, April 18, 2015.

Lashkar Gar Police Station Attacked. Gunmen attacked a police station in Lashkar Gar, Helmand province on Sunday wounding two officers and a civilian. (Military Times, Apr 19, 2015).

Obama's Failed Afghan Peace Strategy. One commentator feels that Obama is fooling himself if he thinks he can get a peace settlement with the Taliban. Read his column in Project-Syndicate.org (India), April 15, 2015.

Controversial Border Security Trench. Pakistan is making good progress on the digging of a security trench along the Afghan-Pak border. The purpose of the trench is to limit cross-border activity of militants; however, Afghan officials have objected to the trench saying it will escalate tensions between the two countries. The 8 ft deep and 10 ft wide trench, when completed, will be 470 miles long and will travel along the Durand Line - which Afghanistan objects to - as it separates the Pashtun people on both sides of the border. Read a news report in UPI, apr 17, 2015.

Torture in Uzbekistan. A country to the north of Afghanistan is under the spotlight due to a report issued by Amnesty International that says that "Torture has become a defining feature of the Uzbekistani criminal justice system". Read more in "Turning a Blind Eye to Torture in Uzbekistan", by Catherine Putz, The Diplomat, April 16, 2015.

Central Asia Evolving. Read one commentators view of how Central Asia will become integrated with Europe, Russia and China. (Asia Times, Apr 18, 2015).

Deminers Abducted. Afghan officials report that 19 deminers were kidnapped by insurgents in Paktia province on Sunday.

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Afghan War News Snippets

Parliament Approves Ministers. It appears that President Ghani's cabinet is growing. The parliament has approved many of the more recent nominees for ministry positions. Perhaps the Afghan government can start governing now that the ministries have some leadership. Evidently enough bribes were paid to enough MPs to get all 16 ministers approved. Now if only folks could agree on the MoD minister - because, like, there's a war going on. Kate Clark, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, provides us a detailed look at the ministers and the approval process.

Ghani Visits Troubled Badakhshan. President Ghani visited this contested province and provided a speech calling Afghans to unite against the insurgents and to support the Afghan National Army. He indicated that the province's leadership was poor and dominated by a few powerful individuals. 

Jalalabad Suicide Bombing kills Scores. There were a lot of fatalities in Jalalabad on Saturday from a suicide bomb blast. Estimates indicate that there were about 35 fatalities with over 100 wounded. The Taliban have said they are not responsible; the Islamic State has claimed responsibility. News reports are below:

The Washington Post
Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe
UNAMA

Islamic State and Afghanistan. This news story covers a broad range of topics including the fear of the growth of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, persecution of the Hazaras, Afghan Local Police, militias, and warlords. Read "Has the Caliphate Come to Kabul?", by Leela Jacinto, Foreign Policy, March 23, 2015.

India and Pakistan - Proxy War in Afghanistan. Catherine Putz provides us with a summary of the involvement of India and Pakistan in the Afghan conflict and the evolving relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Learn more about why ". . . we may be fighting the wrong enemy in the wrong country". (The Diplomat, April 15, 2015).

Iran Shoring up the Shiites? President Ghani's charm offensive seems to be working. He has reached out to regional neighbors requesting assistance. Iran has responded with a statement by the Iranian Interior Minister (April 13th) that Iran was willing to execute joint operations with Afghanistan. Hmmmm. Does that mean providing stability to neighboring Herat and Ghor provinces (and maybe even Bamian) through advisors or even security forces ensuring that the Shiites are protected and that their favorite strongman is shored up (is that still Ismail Khan?). This could all be part of the wider Sunni-Shiite War currently engulfing the Middle East. Perhaps Iran is worried about Islamic State penetration in Afghanistan - a bordering neighbor to its east. So, Iranian advisors in Afghanistan working side by side with American advisors. Just like in Iraq! Actually they would probably be engaged with the Spanish and Italians in TAAC West. Are the Spanish and Italians in Iraq? Likelihood of it happening? 1%.

Russia Fearing Islamic State? On April 15th the Russian Foreign Minister said that his nation was prepared to support Afghanistan. This fight would be against terrorism and drug trafficking. A big part of the opium grown in Afghanistan finds its way to Russia's many addicts. In addition, Russia does not want to see the Islamic State make any inroads into Central Asia - an area of the region that Russia feels is in its sphere of influence - economically, politically, and militarily. Russia back in Afghanistan - wouldn't that be simply lovely. So . . . Russian advisors, probably assisting in northern Afghanistan working side-by-side with their TAAC North NATO allies at Camp Marmal in Mazer-e-Sharif. Wouldn't that be special. Likelihood of it happening? 1 %.

Cast Your Vote for "Return to Hope". NATOs web movie is one of three contestants for the 19th Annual Webby Awards. It is nicely done. You can cast your vote at webbyawards.com.

Britain Suspends $ for MoI/ANP Pay. Britain has suspended payments to a multi-billion pound aid project in Afghanistan following allegations of corruption and mismanagement of a UN-led payroll contract. Read "Corruption claims halt police aid for Afghanistan", The Times, April 17, 2015. Ahhh, good old Afghan corruption.

Book Review - "The CIA in Hollywood". Julius Taranto reviews a book about how the CIA helps out Hollywood in the film business and improves its public image (Lawfare, Apr 17, 2015).

Georgian CoS visits RS HQs. The Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces visited Resolute Support officials and Georgian troops currently supporting the RS mission at Bagram Airfield, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Kabul. Georgia has been assisting in the counterinsurgency fight since 2004 and they are currently the second largest contributing nation in Afghanistan. Read a news report by RS HQs, April 18, 2015.

'Muhajideen Special Group" training camp. The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan released a lengthy video of some fighters attending the "Mujahideen Special Group" training camp in Pakistan. This group is the movements version of  'special forces'. The film was released on April 17th by Umar Media - the official propaganda unit of the the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. Read more in a news story by Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal, April 18, 2015.

United Nations Women Peacekeepers. The UN has provided an info piece that shows women have become an increasingly part of the peacekeeping family. (UN, April 17, 2015).
www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/women/womeninpk.shtml

Capital Guardians Heading to CENTCOM. The D.C. National Guard's 276th Military Police Company is heading to the Resolute Support Mission. They will actually be at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait assisting in the management of the Theater Field Detention Facility. (ReadMedia, Apr 17, 2015).

High Cost of Afghan Weddings. Read Joseph Goldstein's story in The New York Times about Afghan weddings (April 18, 2015) - "At Afghan Weddings, His Side, Her Side, and 600 Strangers".

The F-35 We Can't Afford. A new report by the GAO says America can't afford the replacement for the A-10 and other types of aircraft. Read a news story on War is Boring, by Matthew Gault, April 18, 2015. You can read the GAO report here.

Afghan Novelist Reminisces. Rahnaward Zaryab is interviewed in this New York Times story by Mujib Mashal (April 17, 2015) - "Writer Retreats to a Kabul That Lives Only in His Memories and Books".

DCGS-A. The Big Army's IO machine is at work again trying to convince us that the Distributed Common Ground System - Army or DCGS-A is a good deal getting better. Read more in "Army says intelligence system is getting easier to use", Defense Systems, April 17, 2015.

New Acronym - "CF / SOF I3". You learn something new everyday while traveling through the Internet. www.specialforcestraining.info/glossary/glossary_C.htm

Afghan War News Snippets

NATO Soldier Wounded. Press reports say that a NATO soldier was wounded while training Afghan soldiers in Logar province. (Stars and Stripes, April 17, 2015).

MoD Spokesman Resigns. According to tweets on Twitter the MoD spokesman has resigned but he is still head of the Strategic Relations department of the ministry.

NATO Website Nominated for Award. A NATO website about its mission in Afghanistan has been nominated for the prestigious Webby Awards. The documentary Return to Hope is nicely done and worth viewing. Read more in a news release by NATO (April 15, 2015).

Fight over MoD Minister Position. The Afghan Ministry of Defense desperately needs leadership; but leadership at the helm of the government is lacking. Neither President Ghani nor CEO Abdullah can agree on who should lead the MoD. Many observes believe that there is an ethnic divide at play. Read more in "Rivals row over top Afghan defence posts as Taliban goes on attack", Thomson Reuters Foundation, April 16, 2015.

Paper - "How to Ensure Project Sustainability". The International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL) has published a paper by Ena Dion that addresses building RoL systems and processes that are sustainable by the host nation once the international community walks away. Could be useful for the Resolute Support Essential Function 3 - RoL advisors assisting and advising in the MoI and MoD.

http://inprol.org/publications/14646/how-to-ensure-project-sustainability

Rula Ghani. The 1st lady of Afghanistan has been selected by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people. (Time.com, April 16, 2015).

General Martin Dempsey. Rula Ghani is in good company. Another member of this year's 100 most influential people is the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Time.com, April 16, 2015).

Passengers Beheaded. Tolo News is reporting that four of 11 passengers kidnapped a week ago from Ghazni have been killed.

Women in Combat.  "Last week, the Marine Corps announced the scheduled end of an 18-month experiment to vet females through its Infantry Officer Course. The results were bleak: 0 of 29 women made it past the three-month course." The USMC trained the women to the same standards as men. Some critics think that medical research should be conducted to develop new physical fitness and training standards for women. Read more in "Opinion: It's time to reevaluate standards for women in the military", The Washington Post, April 16, 2015.

Bastogne Troops Return from Afghanistan. Fort Campbell welcomed home troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team after a six month deployment. (The Leaf Chronicle, Apr 16, 2015).

Bergdahl. Former platoon mates provide more info on his desertion. (Fox News, Apr 17, 2015).

Operation Reliable Tempo. This retrograde operation took place in Afghanistan from June 2012 to December 2014. Read about it in "Reliable Tempo draws down 13-year combat footprint in Afghanistan", DVIDS, April 16, 2015.

Army Morale Low. Most of the Army's Soldiers are pessimistic about their future in the military and many are unhappy with their jobs. The Army has spent over $247 million to improve morale over the past six years but seems to be making little progress. (Military Times, Apr 16, 2015).

Badakhshan Province Fighting. Mustafa Sarwar writes in Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe (April 14, 2015) that there are problems brewing in northern Afghanistan. Read "Afgahn Underbelly Exposed in Remote Region".

Failing Defense Strategy. One observer believes that the Afghan government is failing in the fight against the insurgents and that peace talks with the Taliban is futile. Read Dr. Florance Ebrahimi's thoughts on this topic in "Afghanistan with no defence strategy", Khaama Press, April 17, 2015.

CIA Agent - Afghanistan Overwhelmed with U.S. Assistance. A former CIA agent says the US intervention in Afghanistan undermined infrastructure-building efforts. The Daily Texan, Apr 17, 2015.

Drones - A War Crime? An article by Brenda Mwale explores the legal issues of using drones in a counterterrorism or counterinsurgency campaign. Read "Is Use of Drones a War Crime According to International Criminal Court", Euroasia Review, April 17, 2015.

Afghans Abused in Serbia. Human Rights Watch says that Afghan asylum seekers and migrants in Serbia are being harassed and abused by Serbian police. (Tolo News, April 17, 2015).

Haqqani Ldr  Killed in Pakistan. Government (and Taliban) sources say that a key commander in the Taliban-linked Haqqani Network has been killed in a clash with security forces in Pakistan's south Wazirstan tribal area. (Radio Free Europe, April 17, 2015).

Tajikistan: Religious practice controlled by state. Religion is tightly controlled by the government of this Central Asian country to the north of Afghanistan. Read more in "Tajikistan: No Hajj, No Hijab, and Shave Your Beard", The Diplomat, April 17, 2015.

Leidos gets Intel Contract w/ U.S. Army. The U.S. Army has a $7.2 billion contract for the provision of world-wide intelligence support services for the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). Leidos, a firm providing defense services, has been awarded a prime contract as part of the five-year program. (Shepard Media, April 17, 2015).

Video - Economy Faltering in Kleptocracy. Afghanistan's government, despite President Ghani's best efforts thus far, is a sophisticated kleptocracy. This rampart corruption in Afghanistan is hurting the ability of the Afghan government to finance its government, hurts the confidence of the Afghan people, and has an impact on the likelihood of continued international financial assistance in the future.. Listen to a video (4 mins, April 8, 2015, CNN) on this topic - "Afghanistan hit by faltering economy".

Effective Use of CAS. A U.S. Advisor to an ARVN Ranger Battalion recounts a day of combat where the South Vietnamese unit escaped annihilation because of superb close air support. At the end of the day only 32 Rangers of over 400 escaped the battlefield. Read "Memories of Vietnam: Bombing our way out of being encircled by the VC", The Best Defense Blog, Foreign Policy, April 16, 2015.

U.S. Woman Shot in Karachi. A U.S. woman was shot by gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan who claim Islamic State allegiance. The incident happened on April 16th. The gunmen says she was targeted because she was from the U.S. Debra Lobo was a vice principle at a dental college in Karachi. She was shot in the face and hand by gunmen on a motorcycle while driving home from her office. (Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, April 17, 2015).

Afghan War News Snippets

Electoral Reform Commission. There is lots of confusion about who is heading up the Afghan ERC. Currently Shukria Barakzai insists she is a member of the commission but others say she has been removed.

Fighting in Badakhshan. The Afghan government will be (or currently is) launching a counteroffensive to reverse some recent gains by insurgents. Khaama Press reported on Twitter that the Interior Minister, Noorulhaq Uloomi, recently visited Badakhshan checking things out. Other reports indicated that four Afghan Local Police were killed in the province recently. It appears that the Taliban pickup a lot of military equipment as a result of the recent fighting. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, April 16, 2015.

Afghan Institute for Civil Society (AICS). This organization was recently established in February 2015 as an independent, national agency to improve the quality and credibility of Afghan Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The AICS will also strive to act as a national platform for fostering cohesive relationships between CSOs, the government, donors and the broader sector. The process for establishing this Institute has been facilitiated by the Agha Kahn Development Network with support from the USAID-funded Afghanistan Civic Engagement Programme. Read more about the AICS in an news report by the director of the AICS, Maiwand Rahyab, in "A step forward for civil society", posted on the British & Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) website, April 16, 2015.

Drug Trafficking and Russia. The EastWest Institute has released a new report that says Russia and the United States can jointly combat narcotrafficking out of Afghanistan. Much of the Afghan heroin finds its way to Russia to supply the many addicted customers living there. Read more in "Can the United States and Russia Jointly Combat Afghan Heroin?", by Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat, April 16, 2015.

Lariam - Problems with Use Plague UK Military. The United Kingdom military is under fire for continuing to use a drug that has resulted in cases of mental health problems among British soldiers who served in Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by The Independent, April 16, 2015.

Video about Magnetic Bomb on ANP Vehicle. In this video - "Lucky bomb escape leaves clue for Afghan police", NATO Channel, April 13, 2015. (3 minutes, posted on YouTube.com).

https://youtu.be/Ul4gOkbwhxI

Pakistan Army Discovers Small Unit Tactics. The Pakistani military is adapting the way it trains so it can field a more effective counterinsurgent fighting force against the Pakistani Taliban and other insurgent and terrorist groups. They are incorporating something bizarre called 'small unit tactics' or SUT into their COIN training. This is something Resolute Support could encourage the Afghan National Army to do  - but at the moment the RSM advisors are concentrating on some essential functions in the areas of procurement, strategic planning, personnel management, and other areas at the ministry level - because the ANA already knows how to fight - and presumably uses SUT as well. Read more in "To Fight the Taliban, Pakistani military turns to unorthodox but simple tactics", by Tim Craig, The Washington Post, April 16, 2015. 

Police Commander Killed. A local police commander was killed by the Taliban in Bati Kot district, Nangarhar province. Tolo News, April 16, 2015.

Ghani Going to India. President Ghani is due to visit India; probably around April 27th. There's lots to talk about - continued Indian support in the economic sector, military training, and India-Pakistan relations.

Book Review. Leigh Neville has penned The British Army in Afghanistan 2006-2016 (Osprey Publishing, 2015). His book is reviewed by George Vlachonikolis in War on the Rocks, April 16, 2015.

Podcast on Kabul Security. Tom Bowman, NPR correspondent, provides us his thoughts on Kabul security and the Afghan security forces in "Kabul Appears to be More Tense Since U.S. Troop Drawdown", NPR podcast, April 16, 2015 (3 minutes). Podcast.

Anti-Corruption Advisor for Ghani. A news article profiles an anti-corruption advisor for President Ghani. One of his first inquiries was the Ministry of Defense (MoD) fuel contract. (aquila-style.com, April 16, 2015).

News Clip on JIEDDO. The director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) explains the organizations mission in this short (1 min) video posted on YouTube.com on April 16, 2015.

https://youtu.be/quPMEe9IzYA

Another News Clip on JIEDDO. The short news clip (1 min) explains how JIEDDO was recently realigned (can you say downsized?) to become a combat support agency - because our future enemies will be using jet fighters, big tanks, submarines, and aircraft carriers - not homemade explosives. Posted on YouTube.com on April 13, 2015.

https://youtu.be/UR98w6TiFcg

Afghan War News Snippets

Islamic State 'Psychological Warfare'. A former Afghan spy chief (National Directorate of Security) Amrullah Saleh says that the presence of the Islamic State amounts to propaganda and does not reflect reality on the ground. Read more in a news report by Gandhara (Radio Free Europe), April 14, 2015.

Ismail Khan on ISIS. In an interview the former warlord, governor, cabinet member, muhjahideen fighter, and "Lion of Herat" says that the Islamic State is a huge problem. (Yahoo! News, April 14, 2015).

IED in Kandahar. A road planted IED killed two civilians in Podena village of Arghandab district on April 15th. (@KandarharMedia, Twitter).

Kabul Hail Storm. Kabul saw some big chunks of hail fall on Wednesday.

Faryab Province Under Taliban Control? A member of the Afghan parliament representing northern Faryab province says that insurgents have much of the province under their control. He says that a prominent leader of the ANSF in the area is corrupt and he has sent his family to Canada and Sweden to live. He also says that clearing operations are ineffective - as soon as security forces depart a 'cleared area' the insurgents move back in. See news report. (Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, April 15, 2015).

Blackwater. The private military corporation known as Blackwater was in the news again. This company provided many security contractors (and other specialties) to the Iraq and Afghan conflicts over the years. Former employees involved in an incident in Baghdad years ago were just sentenced to lengthy prison sentences. James Risen and Matthew Rosenberg look into the history of Blackwater in their article "Blackwater's Legacy Goes Beyond Public View", The New York Times, April 14, 2015.

Afghan Cabinet. Some nominees for the cabinet are having difficulty with current or past dual citizenship status. Many are 'technocrats' with years of foreign work experience and residence but that is a hard sell for some conservative members of the Afghan parliament.

Soft Security Issues in Central Asia. Kazakhstan has taken regional leadership on soft security issues (water management, regulating migrations and refugees, disaster preparedness, etc.) in Central Asia. Read more in "Addressing Soft Security Challenges in Kazakhstan and Central Asia", Central Asia Program (CAP), February 15, 2014.

MARSOC and Glock 19. It appears that the Marines Special Operators will be using the 9mm Glock 19. Read a recent news report in the Daily Caller, April 145, 2015.

Women in Combat and the "Silent Majority". Those members of the military who favor the integration of women into infantry units and on Special Forces Operational Detachments (ODAs) usually will not be suffering the consequences - as they are far removed from those units activities on the battlefield or the training environment. On the other hand - there appears to be a majority that are keeping their opinions to themselves - worries about retaliation for not supporting the administration's efforts and because they are avoiding the label of 'chauvinist'. Read more in "Women in Ground Combat Units: Where's the Data?", by Anna Simons in War on the Rocks, April 15, 2015.

Women and Ranger School. The Washington Post has a news story about the women that are helping the Army with integrating women into Ranger School. (April 14, 2015).

F-35 Fighter's Maintenance System. The next-generation software system designed to detail maintenance problems and issues for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is having some debut issues. Read a news story in Air Force Times, April 15, 2015.

Pentagon Channel No More. The Defense Department's Pentagon Channel is being discontinued. Read more in Defense One, April 14, 2015.

Afghan Interpreters and the UK. There are some who say that the United Kingdom has let down the loyal Afghans who served as interpreters for British forces in Afghanistan. Read a news story on the topic (Express, April 15, 2015).

Afghan War News Snippets

Badakhshan Woes. The recent fighting in this northeastern province of Afghanistan resulted in some heavy casualties for the ANSF. Some Twitter accounts say that up to 28 army soldiers were beheaded; other reports say only 8.. There are concerns that "Daesh" is working with other insurgent groups in the province. There is a criminal element involved in the provincial fighting as the province has gem mines that provide revenue and the province also serves as a transit route for drug trafficking. General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Army Staff, says that "issues in leadership" was the main cause of the casualties according to a Khaama Press news report. (Khaama Press, April 14, 2015). Read more on this topic (Badakhshan) in a news report by Reuters (April 13, 2015).

Fighting Season Begins. Usually the Taliban will officially announce the beginning of the fighting season - giving it some glorious name to inspire the rank and file. Sometimes they put an actual date to the beginning. I am not sure if they have done that yet but by my observation it seems the fighting season has already begun - irregardless of whether the snow has melted in the mountain passes.

Foreign Fighters Helping the Taliban. Sudarsan Raghavan, the bureau chief in Kabul for The Washington Post says "Foreign Fighters are spilling into Afghanistan, helping the Taliban" (April 14, 2015).

Long Flight Home for Contractors. Anyone familiar with the Dubai-Dulles or Dubai-Atlanta flights will appreciate this article - "Airplane Seat Swapping Turns Rough-and-Tumble", The New York Times, April 13, 2015.

Kill or Capture. In times gone by the typical mission statement for some SOF units contained the words "kill or capture". If you could capture a mid- to high-level insurgent you could possibly gain some valuable intelligence - killing sometimes made that difficult. In the counter terrorism world capturing is preferred but it appears that the killing methodology (using drones) has taken priority. Read more in an news report in Foreign Policy by Micah Zenko (April 14, 2015).

MD 530F Helicopters. IHS Jane's 360 provides us with a brief description and pictures of the MD 530F helos recently field to the Afghan Air Force. View the news report (April 12, 2015).

Afghan Army to be Tested. Joseph Goldstein writes that the Afghan army will have an intense fighting season in 2015. He says this past winter there was an increased fighting level than past winter seasons. Read his column in "Afghan Army is Tested by the Taliban as Fighting Season Begins", The New York Times, April 13, 2015.

Two ANP Killed in Takhar. According to Tolo News two policemen were killed by the Taliban in Takhar.

TAAC North advises RMIC. The Regional Media Information Center (RMIC) located in the 209th Corps area of responsibility (northern Afghanistan) is a collaboration between TAAC North, public affairs officers of the ANSF, and the local media. Strategic Communications is one of the 8 Essential Functions that Resolute Support advisors are working in to improve the capability of the ANSF. Read more on this topic in a RSM Facebook posting and visit the website of the RMIC. Sounds like the Europeans have got it going on in the old Regional Command North AO. I wonder if TAAC East, South, and West are working with similar organizations in their area of operations?

9 Abducted Civilians Released. According to Pajhwok Afghan News nine civilians abducted by the Taliban in Sar-i-Pul province two weeks again have been released as a result of negotiations with local leaders.

Two Killed in Kabul. According to Pajhwok News two civilians were killed by armed men in police district 11 of Kabul on Tuesday morning (Apr 14).

Cabinet Nominees. Five cabinet nominees addressed Afghanistan's lower house of parliament on Monday. They got the opportunity to present their proposed agendas. The parliament will need to approve their nominations.

MCSCG Deploys to Republic of Georgia. The Marines and troops of Georgia have a long-standing close partnership that pays off in dividends. The program puts Marines into Georgia to train up with Georgian Army units that are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan. Then, the Georgian units deploy into Afghanistan with U.S. Marines. Read more in a news report by Marines.mil (April 14, 2105).

Bergdahl. The opinion pages of The New York Times seems to think that there is "No Need to Prosecute Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl", March 26, 2015. Hmmmm.

Is Russian Hyping the IS Threat in Central Asia. There is lots of concern by the Central Asian states to the north of Afghanistan that the conflict in Afghanistan will spill over the border into the their territories. Some dismiss the Islamic State threat and say that the situation is being exaggerated. Others are accusing Russia of hyping the IS threat so they can put more pressure (military, economic, political, etc.) onto countries in the region to counter inroads by China and western nations. Read more in "Islamist Threat: Why is Russia Scaring Turkmenistan?", Qishlog Ovozi Blog - Radio Free Europe, April 14, 2015.

NUG Stalled. The National Unity Government (NUG) of Afghanistan is not so united. The Afghan government is in a holding pattern while the two competing camps (Ghani and Abdullah) fight over the appointments of ministers, governors and other government officials.

Karzai Engaged. Former President Karzai is still engaged in the political world of Afghanistan. He recently met with district administrators, police chiefs and other leaders from two southern provinces.

Air Quality in Kabul? Not very good. Of course, you just have to breath or smell the air to know that. CNN has a news report on the air quality of the five worst capitals in the world. Did Kabul make the top five? Of course. Read the news report in CNN, April 13, 2015.

Minister of Defense Wanted. The job of Minister of Defense is still vacant. Two nominees have been presented to the Afghan parliament. The first, General Karimi - Chief of the Army Staff - would have been an excellent choice according to many informed observers but was rejected by parliament. The second nominee withdrew his name after determining he was a disputed choice. Hopefully Ghani and Abdullah can come to some agreement soon as the 2015 fighting season now here.

Women Attending U.S. Army Ranger School. Dan Lamothe writes in The Washington Post (April 13, 2015) of the progress the U.S. Army is making in selecting women to attend Ranger School.