Afghan War Blog: news-snippets

Showing posts with label news-snippets. Show all posts

Sunday, July 23, 2017

News Snippets

Former TAAC-South Cdr Promoted. Maj. Gen. S. Lee Henry, the former commander of Train, Advise, and Assist - South, has been selected to command the 36th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army National Guard. He was recently promoted to MG. See "The 36th Division holds Change of Command at Texas State Capitol", DVIDS, July 15, 2017.

Ambassador to Afghanistan Nominated - Finally. John Bass, currently the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, has been nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. The post has been vacant for several months. Bass has also seen service in Iraq - so he is somewhat familiar with nations in the midst of conflict. Bass has been the ambassador to Turkey since fall 2014. He is a career Senior Foreign Service officer. See "White House to Nominate John Bass As U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan", Radio Free Europe, July 21, 2017. View his official bio at DoS.

ANDSF and the "New" APPS. The Afghan Personnel and Pay System is an automated system that generates payroll information for the Ministry of Finance while integrating authorizations, personnel record management and payroll functions into one system for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. According to a press release by RS HQs . . . this is a new system. I don't know; seems like we have been rolling out this new system for about three years now. I could be wrong. Read "ANDSF gets new personnel, pay system", Resolute Support, July 21, 2017. Read more about the Afghan Personnel and Pay System.

More Troops to Afghanistan? Maybe Not? It is hard to get a read on President Trump as he is so unpredictable. A recent quote by Trump during a visit to the Pentagon is revealing. When asked if he would send more troops to Afghanistan he replied "We'll see. And we're doing very well against ISIS. ISIS is falling fast." Ummmm. Not sure what to say about that . . . so I will just leave it right there. For more see "Trump suggests that more U.S. troops might not be needed in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, July 20, 2017.

Afghan Girls Robotics Team. They won the silver in the U.S. in the First Global robotics competition. Lots of press coverage on this. Congratulations! The girls initially had some perplexing visa problems (denied twice by the State Department for no apparent reason - of course) but that got fixed.

'Fatemiyoun Division' - Iran's Afghan Shi'a in Syria. Iran has sent thousands of Afghan Shi'a to fight on its behalf in support of the Assad regime. Many of them are on the front lines after undergoing minimal training and the unit has suffered extremely high losses. Read more in "Iran Aims to Boost Prestige of Beleaguered Afghan Proxy Force in Syria", Radio Free Europe, July 15, 2017.

3rd ID HQs to Deploy. About 250 Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia are heading to Afghanistan. Many of the Soldiers will work at Bagram Air Field where they will function as the U.S. forces national support element in Afghanistan. Read more in "About 250 3rd ID Soldiers prepare for Afghanistan", Savannah Now, July 21, 2017.

SOSi Lands Another Afghan Contract. SOS International has won a $9 million contract to provide information dissemination and counter-misinformation services to Resolute Support. Read more in a news release by GOVCONWIRE, July 21, 2017.

Justice and Human Rights. Dr. Sima Samar, Chairperson of the Afghan Human Rights Commission, provides her perspective on what has gone wrong in Afghanistan and has recommendations on what the international community needs to do next. See "Afghanistan: This War Cannot Be Won With Bombs", Deutsche Welle, July 18, 2017.

Poppies - Not Just the Taliban. Many observers believe that the poppy trade in Afghanistan is controlled largely by the Taliban - not so much. Franz J. Marty, a freelance journalist in Afghanistan, writes up on who the poppy growers are in "Afghanistan's Opium Trade: A Free Market of Racketeers", The Diplomat, July 19, 2017.

MSF Back in Kunduz. Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) has reopened a small medical clinic in Kunduz. The new clinic is not at the same location as the trauma center destroyed by a USAF AC-130 in 2015. (Radio Free Europe, July 22, 2017).

UN Report: Increase in Civilian Deaths. Civilian loss of life in Afghanistan due to the conflict has risen when compared to last year. Read "UN reports increase in Afghanistan civilian deaths", Deutshe Welle, July 17, 2017.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Afghan War Blog Snippets

"Stocktake" Meeting. Each week members of NATO's RS HQs and coalition nations discuss the progress of the Afghan Anti-corruption Criminal Justice Center (ACJC) in a meeting know as the "Stocktake". Read "Resolute Support Counter-corruption professionals discuss ACJC Progress", DVIDS, July 7, 2017.

Role of Elders in Afghan Society. A short article posted on the website of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) provides insight in the role that the community elders play in resolving disputes at the local level. (UNAMA, July 13,2017).

UNOCHA Report on Afghanistan. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published Issue 65 (1-30 June 2017) of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Bulletin.

Afghan Fiction. A excerpt from a book about war in Afghanistan. "Crossing the River No Name", The New Yorker, Jun 12, 2017.

Pakistan and Afghan Border Security. Pakistan is building a fence along part of its porous border with Afghanistan. The nearly 2,600-kilometer border is largely unguarded making it impossible to control illegeal cross-border movement. Of course, the demarcation of the border is disputed by Pakistan and Afghanistan - so there's that. Read more in "Pakistan Takes Unilateral Steps Toward Afghan Border Security", Voice of America, July 15, 2017.

Assistance Needed by Afghans Fleeing IS-K Fighting. Afghans leaving the areas where fighting is continuing between the government security forces and fighters of the Islamic State - Khorsan find that government assistance is not abundant. Read "Afghan Families Displaced by IS Claim Lack of Assistance", Voice of America, July 14, 2017.

Afghanistan's Opium Industry. The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has published an article about the world's leading producer of opium (that would be Afghanistan). Read "AAN Q&A: An established industry - Basic facts about Afghanistan's opium-driven economy", AAN, July 11, 2017.

Afghan Girls Robotics Team. Twice rejected for U.S. visas, the all-girls finally arrived in Washington, D.C. early on Saturday (15 Jul) morning to compete in an international robotics competition. The U.S. State Department had to undergo an 'intervention' to realize the young ladies were not terrorists. We shall see if they all get back on the plane to return home! See "Allowed in by Trump, Afghan girls robotics team lands in DC", AP News, July 15, 2017.

Social Media and the Taliban. The use of information operations (IO) in a counterinsurgency conflict is paramount to gaining the populations support for both the insurgents and counterinsurgents. Initially the Taliban restricted its IO efforts to speeches in villages, night letters, and meetings. However, over the past 16 years of the current stage in the Afghan conflict the Taliban have become more savy. Read "Taliban Propaganda Meets the Digital Age", Gandhara, July 10, 2017. Read more about the importance of social media in the Afghan conflict.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Afghan War News Snippets

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Afghan War News Snippets

More Visas for Interpreters. A U.S. Senate committee has approved 4,000 more Visas for Afghans who worked for the U.S. military as interpreters or support staff. The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program is designed to help Afghans who assisted the U.S. in the Afghan conflict to immigrate to the United States. See "U.S. Senate Committee Approves 4,000 More Special Visas for Afghans", Gandhara, June 29, 2017.

Key Leader Training for RS HQs Advisors. The Resolute Support Headquarters conducts a 4-day training course for those military personnel who are assigned to be advisors to the MoD or MoI. One day the 'newcomer's briefing day' - learning the aspects of living and working in Afghanistan on Camp RS in Kabul. A second day is Guardian Angel training - ensuring that you are aware of and know how to respond to an insider threat or green-on-blue incident. Two days is spent on learning how RS HQs conducts its Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission and how the RS HQs staff works within the 8 Essential Functions framework. Read more in "Resolute Support trains its people, improving advisor training", U.S. Central Command, June 26, 2017.

Logistics Advising in Afghanistan. The current coalition mission in Afghanistan is to train, advise, and assist (TAA) the Afghan police and military. From a logistics standpoint, creating a self-sustaining afghan military is an important step forward to ensure the Afghans can independently secure their borders and provide for internal security. A logistics advisor, to be effective, must understand that the Western military logistics framework and culture is not a good fit for Afghanistan's military or culture. Read more in "Moving forward with logistics advising in Afghanistan", Army.mil, May 1, 2017.

Report: Islamic State in Afghanistan. Abdul Basit has penned a 21-page article entitled "IS Penetration in Afghanistan-Pakistan: Assessment, Impact and Implications", Perspectives on Terrorism, Volume 11, No 3, June 2017. IS is now competing with al-Qaeda and the Taliban over recruitment, resources, and the loyalties of local militant groups. This has complicated the militant landscape, contributed to the Sunni-Shia conflict, and adds complexity to the effort of the Afghan government and its coalition partners.

Air Force Cross Awarded. An airman was awarded the Air Force Cross for heroism during the 2002 Operation Anaconda that took place in the Takur Gar area of Afghanistan. TSgt Keary Miller provided critical medical care to 10 wounded U.S. service members under dangerous conditions. Read more in "Survival on Takur Gar", Air Force Magazine, August 2017.

Bowe Bergdahl Trial Update. Bergdahl's long, drawn-out trial is proceeding ahead. A military judge made a key ruling saying that prosecutors can try the soldier on the charge of endangering his comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. See "Bowe Bergdahl case: Judge lets rare misbehavior charge proceed", Army Times, June 30, 2107.

BBC Podcast on Silk Road. This 40-minute long podcast is entitled "Silk Routes: Two Thousand Years of Trading". The economic highway from China, across Central Asia and Afghanistan, to Iran.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p056srhv

China's Silk Road in Afghanistan is a Bumpy Ride. The Chinese have made some important steps forward in providing investments in some key sectors of the Afghan - most notable is the mining sector. However, the return on investment is disappointing due to the deteriorating security situation. Read more in "Difficult Trek on Silk Road in Afghanistan", Asia Sentinel, June 29, 2017.

Afghans Fighting for Assad in Syria. Iran, over the past several years, has pressed into service citizens of Afghanistan to fight for the Assad regime in Syria. There are an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 Afghans fighting in the Syrian conflict. Read "How Iran Recruited Afghan Refugees to Fight Assad's War", The New York Times, June 30, 2017.

General Dunford Visits Afghanistan. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (and former ISAF commander) visited Kabul and Helmand province to gain ground truth on the Afghan conflict. See "Dunford arrives in Afghanistan as Marines work to rekindle relations in Helmand", Military Times, June 26,2017.

Video of Guardian Angel Training. Australian troops in Afghanistan are conducting the train, advise, and assist mission. This entails advisors and trainers visiting Afghan police and Army installations and garrisons. With the constant threat of insurgent attacks as well as the insider threat the need exists for a force protection element to accompany the advisors on their missions. Watch a short video about Australian soldiers assigned the "Guardian Angel" task of keeping their fellow Aussie soldiers safe in Guardian Angels Protecting Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan, Perth Now, June 27, 2017.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Afghan War News Snippets

Afghan Interpreter Has New Life in U.S. An Afghan who worked for the U.S. military as an interpreter finds that life in the United States can be sometimes difficult. See "Afghan Refugee Makes Tough Transition to US", Voice of America, June 21, 2017.

RS Cdr Visits Command School. General John Nicholson, Resolute Support Mission commander, recently visited the Afghan National Army's new Command School on June 19, 2017. Read "General Nicholson brings message of unity to ANA New Commando School", DVIDS, June 20, 2017.

Special Rep for Afg-Pak Eliminated. The Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan office at the U.S. State Department is being disbanded. The functions of that office will be assumed by the office handling Central and South Asian Affairs. Read more in a news report by the Washington Post, June 22, 2017.

Taliban Won't Stop Fighting Until . . . The Taliban have said that they will continue to fight until the last foreign troops depart Afghanistan. (Stars and Stripes, June 23, 2017).

Afghan Silk Road. China's attempt to include Afghanistan and Pakistan in its economic sphere of influence depends in part on the stabilization of Afghanistan and also Pakistan. Read more in "Fear and loathing on the Afghan Silk Road", Asia Times, June 21, 2017.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Afghan War Blog Snippets

Ford Pickups - Right Country; Wrong Paint Job. Last month (May 2017) a freelance journalist took a photograph of Ford Ranger pickup trucks with the Afghan National Army's (ANA) logo on them. A lot of speculation occurred in the media on how that could happen. Rumors about corrupt Afghan officials selling them, to cross-wires on shipment orders, and other conspiracy theories soon were abundant. The U.S. DoD did a little investigation and found that the pickup trucks did arrive at the right destination - but just with the wrong paint job. The Iraqi MoD decided not to paint over the ANA logo . . . it seems. Read "Mistaken paint jobs blamed after dozens of U.S.-funded trucks surface in Iraq with Afghan logos", The Washington Post, June 14, 2017.

'Insider Attack' Victim Speaks Out. Webster Shipley, a civilian project engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, talks about the insider attack on August 5, 2014 at Kabul's Camp Qargha where he was shot twice by an Afghan soldier. Read "Victim of insider attack says US must remain committed to Afghanistan", Stars & Stripes, June 16, 2017.

Guam's 368th MP Company Completing Tour. The U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from Guam's military police company will soon complete their 9-month tour. They performed two different missions while in Afghanistan. One was a customs mission on Bagram and Kandahar Airfields and the other was a protective detail for COM RS. See "A long way from home: Guam sentinels serve in Afghanistan", DVIDS, June 12, 2017.

Report by Stability Journal on NGO's in Afghanistan. Stability: International Journal of Security & Development has published a research article entitled "NGO Presence and Activity in Afghanistan, 2000-2014: A Provincial-Level Dataset", June 13, 2017.
www.stabilityjournal.org/articles/10.5334/sta.497/

Report by Conciliation Resources on Peace. Conciliation Resources is an independent international organization based in London that works in the conflict field attempting to prevent violence, resolve conflicts, and promote peaceful societies. It has published a new 2-page report (June 2017) entitled Processing peace in Afghanistan.
www.c-r.org/resources/processing-peace-afghanistan

Afghan Interpreter Joins the USMC. Mohammad Nadir worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Marines in Helmand province for three years. Now he is serving in the U.S. military. Read "Afghan interpreter fulfills dream of becoming a U.S. Marine", Marine Corps Times, June 13, 2017.

Jail Time for 219th Corps Leaders. The 209th Corps military court found 34 Army personnel guilty of negligence in relation to the Camp Shaheen attack that left over 100 ANA soldiers dead. Read "34 Army Personnel Get Jail Terms Over Shaheen Corps Attack", Tolo News, June 14, 2017.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Afghan War News Snippets

Montenegro Joins NATO. Montenegro has officially become the 29th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The small Balkan nation on the Adriatic Sea will continue to contribute to the Resolute Support mission primarily with the Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission at Camp Marmal in northern Afghanistan.

Bombing at Herat Mosque. On Tuesday, June 6th a bombing killed at least seven (maybe ten) people at a mosque in the western Afghanistan city of Herat. The bomb was hidden in a motorcycle left in the parking lot outside the mosque. (The Independent, June 6, 2017).

New Book on Afghan War. Aaron B. O'Connell, a veteran of the War in Afghanistan, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and a former professor of American history at the U.S. Naval Academy. His has penned a new book recently released (April 2017) entitled Our Latest Longest War. Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan. Available at Amazon.com.
www.amazon.com/Our-Latest-Longest-War-Afghanistan/dp/022626565X/

Current State of Hezb-i Islami. A lot of commentary has been passed on in the media about the negotiated return of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul and the Hezb-i Islami group renouncing violence against the Afghan regime. Certainly this event promises to liven up the political environment in Kabul. But how does it affect the Hezb-i Islami foot soldier in the more remote areas of Afghanistan? Franz J. Marty, a freelance journalist based in Afghanistan, recently spent some time with a Hezb-i Islami controlled area in eastern Afghanistan and provides an insightful article on the topic in "Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?", The Diplomat, April 25, 2017.

U.S. Airstrike Kills Three Afghan ABP Members. Three policemen with the Afghan Border Police (ABP) were killed in a 'friendly fire' incident on June 9, 2017 in southern Afghanistan. (Reuters, June 10, 2017).

The Death of Two NPR Journalists in Afghanistan. Two NPR reporters died in June 2016 in Helmand province. Controversy surrounds the circumstances of their death. Read "Not a Random Attack: New Details Emerge From Investigation of Slain NPR Journalists", NPR, June 9, 2017.

TAAC Air Commander to Move On. BG David Hicks, currently commanding general of Train, Advise, and Assist Command - Air (TAAC Air), will be reassigned to the Pentagon to be Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements.

Blackhawks for Afghanistan - Horrible Idea. The U.S. Congress has effectively killed the ability of the U.S. military to supply the Afghan Air Force with the helicopters it needs. Instead, plans are to provide the AAF with expensive and hard to maintain Blackhawks. This is good for the Sirkorsky folks and politicians in Connecticut but not so good for the Afghans. The fielding plan - using U.S. instead of Russian helicopters - puts back the readiness of the AAF by two to four more years. Read more in a news article in Army Times, May 17,2017.

Fort Hood Unit Completes Afghan Tour. Members of the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade recently returned home after completion of their mission in Afghanistan. During their 9-month tour the unit was responsible for sustainment efforts supporting the Resolute Support Mission in the Combined Joint Operations Area - Afghanistan (CJOA-A). During the deployment three unit members died and ten were wounded. "Wagoneers return from Afghanistan", Fort Hood Sentinel, June 8, 2017.

ANA Refines Comms Procedures. Communications is a vital part of military operations and the ANA are fielding specialists that can provide for good comms. Read more in Afghan soldiers take essential communication skills to battlefield, DVIDS, June 7, 2017.

Cosmopolitan for Afghanistan? A small group of Kabul University students have launched a monthly women's magazine - Gellara. Read more in "Afghanistan gets Cosmo-inspired women's magazine", Fox News, June 5, 2017.

A Bad Month for Afghanistan. The disaster that occurred at Camp Marmel (209th Corp HQs attack killing more than 100 soldiers) coupled with the recent truck bombing in Kabul has made the past month or more very disheartening for those who want to see progress in Afghanistan. The past few weeks have been terrible. Read more in "A Black Week in Kabul: Terror and protects", by Martine van Bijlert and Thomas Ruttig of Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), June 4, 2017.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Female Journalists at Risk in Afghanistan. According to a recent news report "Afghanistan is Deemed Most Insecure Place for Female Journalists", Ariana News, November 14, 2016. Read more about the insecurity of Afghan journalists at the website of Reporters Without Borders.

Refugees Forced Back to Afghanistan. "After America's Longest War, Refugees Face Forced Return to Afghanistan", Lima Charlie News, by J. David Thompson, November 17, 2016.

Cash instead of Food, Tents, and Blankets. Some humanitarian organizations are looking at dispensing cash instead of material goods to the needy in Afghanistan. Read "The increasingly popular way to aid the needy in war-torn nations: Give cash", The Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2016.

Laura Bush Honored. Former First Lady Laura Bush was recently honored for her work on behalf of Afghan women. The International Republican Institute presented her with an award. (IRI, Nov 15, 2016).

UN General Assembly Supports Afghanistan. The United Nations unanimously adopted its annual resolution in support of the Government of Afghanistan. Of concern is the rise in civilian casualties and influence of violent extremists. Read more in a news release by the United Nations (17 Nov 2016).

$85 Million for a Kabul Hotel (that didn't open!). A hotel, built but not finished, is located right across from the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. It was to have more than 200 rooms, a conference center, and attached apartments. The plans to build the hotel were announced with great fanfare by the U.S. Embassy in 2009 . . . but . . . some things went very wrong. The money was funneled through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) - an agency run by the U.S. government to uses money to finance development projects overseas. A recent government watchdog report found that there was "troubling management practices and lax oversight". Hmmmm. The unfinished hotel is right across the street from the U.S. Embassy - how could you not be providing proper oversight? Read more in "How $85 Million Failed to Build a Swanky Hotel in Kabul", National Public Radio, November 17, 2016.

Trump and Afghanistan. Some believe that the Trump administration will want to fix Afghanistan right away - and in the process apply quick solutions that may not work. Observers believe that the Afghan conflict will only be solved with long-term strategies. Read "Trump's easy solutions won't work in Afghanistan", Deutsche Welle, November 17, 2016.

Germany to Repatriate Afghans. Some 12,500 Afghans have had their asylum applications rejected by Germany and will soon be on their way back to Afghanistan. It is estimated that about 5 percent of the 1/4 million Afghans who have reached Germany may be forced to leave. Read more in "Germany to repatriate about 12,000 Afghans", Deutsche Welle, November 17, 2016.

Where are the Visas? Thousands of Afghans served as interpreters for U.S. military forces across Afghanistan for a number of years. Many were promised Visas as a reward for their service in dangerous times. Now they are being hunted down by insurgents and they can't escape Afghanistan. The U.S. Congress and Department of State have fallen short in this respect. Read more in "Where are the Visas for the Afghans Who Helped American GIs?", The Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2016.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Afghan News Snippets

Remembering Afghan Elections of 2009. An American military officer assigned to a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gardez in Paktia province remembers the Afghan 2009 presidential elections in "American Export: Elections", The Atlantic, November 7, 2016.

How to Advise. The Resolute Support mission is to "Train, Advise, and Assist" the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) and the Afghan Security Institutions (ASIs). The U.S. has had over 15 years of experience in advising in both Iraq and Afghanistan. One such advisor - with advisory experience in both countries - provides his thoughts on how to advise in "My Lesson From 'The Long War'", Small Wars Journal, November 8, 2016.

Canada Remembers Fallen Service Members. 158 men and women died while serving in Afghanistan with Canadian Forces. On November 11th Canada remembered these individuals in a ceremony in Edmunton. See "Ceremony at Ainsworth Dyer Bridge remembers those who died in Afghanistan", Edmonton Journal, November 11, 2016.

"New Silk Road". A few years ago Europe yawned when it heard the news of a rebuilding of the "silk road" connecting Asia to the Middle East and Europe. Now times have changed. "Europe Finally Wakes Up to the New Silk Road, And this Could be Big", Forbes.com, November 10, 2016.

"No-Show Teachers". A recent news article informs us that the United States is providing bundles of money for teachers in Afghanistan who do not show up for work. "Afghan Watchdog: U.S. Pays Millions for No-Show Teachers, Students", NBC News, November 10, 2016.

Water Politics and Afghanistan. Iran and Pakistan are, in a big way, dependent upon Afghanistan for some of its water. The Afghan rivers, running downhill from its mountain snows, eventually flow into either Iran or Afghanistan. The relationship in the region is sometimes contentious over the amount of water leaving Afghanistan. Learn more in "Afghanistan's Water-Sharing Puzzle", The Diplomat, November 11, 2016.

Female Computer Programmers. In the western Afghan city of Herat female computer programmers are learning to code and are working in this fledgling industry. Learn about "Code to Inspire" - a coding school set up for women in November 2015 in "Meet Afghanistan's female coders who are defying gender stereotypes", The Guardian, November 7, 2016.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Afghan News Snippets

Should Taliban Consider Peace Talks? A former Taliban envoy thinks so. There are internal discussions going on within the Taliban's fragmented organization on whether to pursue peace negotiations with the Afghan government. A leading member of the Taliban has come out on the record to support the idea of reconciliation efforts with the government. Read "Taliban Envoy Breaks Silence to Urge Group to Reshape Itself and Consider Peace", by Mujib Mashal, The New York Times, October 31, 2016.

Radicalized Youth in Afghan Madresses. One of the sources of recruitment by insurgent groups are the many unofficial and unregistered madresses in Afghanistan. Read more in "Warnings Over Afghanistan's Unofficial Madrasses", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, November 4, 2016.

Virtual Tour of Battle of COP Keating. Battle assessments and staff rides are an important part of the education of NCOs and officers. Some battlefields are impossible to physically visit. Gettysburg is easy but visiting remote areas on the other side of the world is problematic (and expensive). Some battlefields are no longer accessible to the U.S. military. The site of the COP Keating battle that took place in eastern Afghanistan's Nuristan province in October 2009 is one inaccessible location. However, technology is now available to afford observers a virtual tour of the battlefield. The CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment is a virtual reality system that makes visiting contemporary battlefields possible. Learn more in "Revisiting an Afghan Battlefield in Virtual Reality", Modern War Institute, November 2, 2016.

Afghan Returnees from Europe. Many Afghan families and individuals are crossing the border from Iran and Pakistan - due to many reasons - but primarily from some state harassment. To add to the returnees from these two countries is the increased number of voluntary and non-voluntary returnees from Europe. The tide has shifted for those from Afghanistan seeking asylum in the northern European nations. Public support for immigrants from the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan is eroding due to the staggering number of refugees fleeing to Europe over the past few years. But are there programs in place to assist these returning Afghan refugees? Read more in "Afghan Exodus: Can the Afghan government deal with more returnees from Europe?", Afghanistan Analysts Network, October 31, 2016.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Afghan Snippets

World Bank Approves Grants. The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved $120 million in grants for Afghanistan. The grant will improve infrastructure and social services, strengthen Afghanistan's financial sector. This includes improving the capacity of the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank. (Khaama Press, Oct 29, 2016). See also a report by the World Bank entitled "World Bank Group Outlines Afghanistan Support to Cut Poverty", The World Bank, October 27, 2016.

Green Beret Describes 7-Hour Battle in Afghanistan. A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier was critically wounded during a long firefight in Shok Valley, Afghanistan in 2008. He describes being shot during an operation with about 100 Afghan Commandos. A bullet went through the side of his pelvis severely damaging the ball and socket of his hip. A second bullet hit him in the bicep and thigh. Read about the firefight and his MEDEVAC in this story (Scout, October 28, 2016).

Civilian Outreach? Conducting a counterinsurgency campaign is more than just military action against insurgents. COIN is a comprehensive approach that requires engagement with the civilian sector (economic, development, political, governance, etc.). This in turn requires the deployment of civilians with specific areas of expertise. One such discipline is that of civil engineering. Read the story on a civilian getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan in "Corps of Engineers Project Management Chief deploying to Afghanistan", DVIDS, October 28, 2016.

Video - Sling Load Opn in Afghanistan. How do you move big equipment containers to remote areas that have dangerous roads and rough terrain? Use a big U.S. Army Chinook helicopter and sling load the equipment container from below. Watch a 7-min video on a chopper sling load operation. (U.S. Forces Afghanistan, October 27, 2016)
www.dvidshub.net/video/489674/1cd-rssb-sling-load

ICRC Update on Afghanistan. The International Committee of the Red Cross helps displaced persons and impoverished communities in Afghanistan. Read an update of their activities over the past several months in "Afghanistan: Facts and figures, July-September 2016", ICRC, October 27, 2016.

Brick Kilns Along Bagram / Kabul Road. I used to drive the road connecting Kabul to the huge U.S. base north of Kabul quite often. I always wondered about the many brick kilns along the road. Now I now more after reading this article "At Afghanistan's Brick Kilns, Debt Can Last Generations", ABC News, October 28, 2016.

SIGAR Report - Road Infrastructure. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has issued SIGAR 17-11 Audit entitled "Afghanistan's Road Infrastructure: Sustainment Challenges and Lack of Repairs Put U.S. Investment at Risk", SIGAR, October 2016.

Podcast - Afghan Ambassador to U.S. The Afghanistan ambassador to the United States was recently interviewed by the Hudson Institute. Listen to the conversation here. (Iowa Public Radio, Oct 27, 2016)

Peace Talks and Women? Supposedly Afghanistan has a plan to include women in the peace talks with the Taliban and other insurgent groups. It was supposed to have been wrote and disseminated in 2015 but nobody has seen it. Read more in "Afghanistan's Mysterious Vanishing Plan on Women and Peace Talks", Human Rights Watch, October 27, 2016.

The Birth of a Nation. Three hundred years ago an Afghan tribal leader took on two of the most powerful empires in the world and won the independence for Afghanistan. Mir Wais Hotak, a chief of the Pashtun Ghilji tribe based in Kandahar, helped resist Persian pressure to convert the Sunni population to Shia Islam. In the process of this revolt he helped to found a nation called Afghanistan. Read more in an article by Akhilesh Pillalamarri in "300 Years Ago, Afghanistan's 'George Washington' Died", The Diplomat, October 28, 2015.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Air Advisors Assist Afghans with CAS. The Afghan Air Force (AAF) has a couple of platforms that will provide air strikes in support of its ground troops. However, this is not an easy task to master and NATO advisors are assisting the AAF to become more proficient in providing close air support. Read more in "NATO trains Afghan troops to make air strikes more accurate", Reuters, October 20, 2016.

TACP's Train ATACs. Members of the U.S. Air Force are working hard to get the Afghan close air support capability up and running. Part of this endeavor is to train up the Afghan Tactical Air Coordinators or ATACs. Watch a short video on this topic (DVIDS, October 18, 2016)

CIVCAS. The United Nations is concerned with the high rate of civilian casualties caused by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). I wonder if they have the same level of concern for casualties caused by the Taliban. Hmmmm. Read more in a news report by Gandara Blog, October 19, 2016.

RS Press Conference - Some Spin. The Resolute Support mission's deputy chief of staff for communications (BG Cleveland) said at a recent press conference that the ANDSF are improving but still have a ways to go. Currently government troops control almost 70% of the population (mostly in large or medium sized cities) while the Taliban control 10% of the population (mostly in rural areas). The other 20-30% is contested. Resolute Support is somewhat hesitant to say how much of the actual ground terrain is held by the respective opponents. That number would be somewhat discouraging and work counter to the RS messaging plan I suspect. Read more in a U.S. defense news release from October 21, 2016.

More Spin. When you tell the world that the Taliban's big objective is to take and hold a provincial capital then it is easy to say that the Taliban have failed during the Summer Campaign 16 fighting season. But if you look at the large number of districts held or heavily contested by the Taliban across the country then the security situation looks much different. Watch a short video by Gandhara Blog (Oct 17) where General Nicholson (Resolute Support commander) explains the apparent failure of the Taliban.

OIG Report on US Embassy Support. The U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General has published a report entitled "Lessons Learned from Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan, Operations and Maintenance Contract", AUD-MERO-17-04, October 2016. The report covers the maintenance and facilities contract awarded to PAE Government Services since 2011. Some irregularities to fix.
https://oig.state.gov/system/files/aud-mero-17-04.pdf

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Proxy War in Afghanistan. Ariane M. Tabatabai thinks that a proxy war in Afghanistan between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a real possibility. Read "Saudi Arabia and Iran Face Off in Afghanistan", Foreign Affairs, October 5, 2016.

Wakhan Corridor. A part of Afghanistan is extremely remote and almost untouched by the war. Read more in Daily Mail, October 9, 2016.

"Neutral" Humanitarian Aid. An organization providing medical care in Afghanistan has adopted a 'neutral' stance when it comes to providing medical assistance. Read more in "Afghanistan: challenging aid neutrality in war-torn Helmand", by Laura Cesaretti, Offiziere.ch, October 10, 2016.

Afghans Returning from Iran. Every day thousands of Afghans cross the border from Iran to Afghanistan. The sad story of their plight is told in this report - "Broken on the Border", International Organization for Migration (IOM), October 10, 2016.

Opium Production Increases in 2016. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports annually on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. The country is the world's largest producer of opium and heroin. Read more in "Afghan opium production increases as eradication collapses, U.N. says", Reuters, October 5, 2016.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets - 9 October 2016

ECC-A Transition Ceremony. In a ceremony on Sunday, October 2nd, the Expeditionary Contracting Command - Afghanistan (ECC-A) transferred mission authority for the Regional Contracting Center - Afghanistan form the 925th Contracting Battalion (Fort Drum, N.Y.) to the 901st Contracting Battalion (Fort Hood, Texas). Read more in "Contracting Battalion Transfer of Authority", DVIDS, October 2, 2016.

UN Envoy Provides His Perspective. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the United Nations envoy for Afghanistan, provides his perspective on the current political, development, and security situation in Afghanistan via UN Centre, October 3, 2016.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Afghan War Blog Snippets

Video - Mercy Corps. Learn how Mercy Corps provides economic opportunity for Afghan women in this short 5-min long video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=35BGPm1Flpk

Missing Afghan Food. One writer tells us of his fondness for Afghan food that he experienced as an Embedded Training Team (ETT) member during a deployment to Afghanistan. Read "Afghan Food Was One Great Thing about Deployment", Task & Purpose, September 26, 2016.

AGO and HOOAC in War of Words. There is disagreement between the Afghan Attorney General's Office (AGO) and the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption (HOOAC) about how much the AGO is doing in pursuing corruption within the Afghan government. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, September 26, 2016.

Gas-fired Power Plant to be Built. The Ghazanfar Group has been awarded a contract by the Afghan government to build and operate a 50 MW plant in Mazar-e-Sharif. The plant will increase the country's power generation capacity by 30%. Read more in "Gas-fired power plant a first for Afghanistan", Power Engineering International, September 2016.

2nd LT Artillery Officer Advising Afghan Police. A female U.S. Army 2nd LT on her first Afghan deployment is advising the Afghan police in Train, Advise, and Assist Command - East. Read more in "Atypical Afghan Advising", Army.mil, August 26, 2016.

Coalition Patrol Delivers Med Supplies. A combination of Czech Republic, Polish, Afghan, U.S., and other international members delivered medical supplies to the Charikar Hospital in Parwan province. Read more in a news report by Army.mil, September 21, 2016.

Kajaki Dam and COIN. Jeff Goodson, a former USAID employee with extensive experience in Afghanistan, writes about the Kajaki Dam and its role in counterinsurgency. Read "An Afghanistan Perspective: The Kajaki Dam - Counterinsurgency (Part II)", Real Clear Defense, September 27, 2016.

SIGAR Report on Lessons from Afghanistan. In April 19-20, 2016 the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) held a two day conference entitled "Lessons from the Coalition: International Experiences from the Afghanistan Reconstruction". Participants included senior officials and experts from the nations and organizations involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. A number of themes emerged from the conference. Read more in the 24-page conference report recently published by SIGAR (September 2016).
www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-16-59-LL.pdf

Female Afghan Musicians. If you are a female musician and performer in Afghanistan you face some daunting challenges. Read more in "Hip-Hop and the liberation of Women in Kabul", Pacific Standard Magazine, September 27, 2016.

Afghan War Supplemental Request. Congress will be presented a request for a supplemental spending measure to fund the continued involvement of the United States in the Afghanistan conflict. The request will be presented to Congress in November 2016 by the DoD. Read more in a news report by Defense News, September 26, 2016.

Presidential Debate and the Taliban. It seems the Taliban watched the presidential debate this past Monday night (from a secret location) and were disappointed that Afghanistan did not get much attention. (NBC News, Sep 27, 2016).

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Deploying. A small group of Soldiers from Fort Bragg, NC going on a deployment. Read "82nd Airborne Division postal unit headed to Afghanistan", Fayetteville Observer, March 7, 2016.

Flights to Bamyan. The road from Bamyan to Kabul is fraught with danger. The Taliban will stop cars at random along the east-west road and government troops are hard-pressed to defend the many static checkpoints setup on the throughway. So its good news that flights are now available for transport to/from Bamyan and Kabul. The Afghan airline known as Kam Air (and also known for drug smuggling for high-ranking government officials in years past) will take your money for a trip to Afghanistan's ski resort area. (Khaama Press, Mar 9, 2016).

Movie Review - Hyena Road. This film, released in October 2015, is set in Panjwei district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A Canadian unit is charged with building a road but there is a slight problem - insurgents. Read "Hyena Road Brings Grinding Complexity of Ground Combat In Afghanistan to the Screen", Task & Purpose, March 10, 2016.

Canadian Memorial for Afghan War. More than 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014. The previous Canadian government supported the establishment of a Afghanistan War Memorial; however, it is unknown what the present government plans are. Read more in "Former ministers press to save Afghanistan war memorial", iPolitics.ca, March 6, 2016.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Pakistan Harboring Taliban Leaders? It would seem this is true based on recent statements by Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's advisor for foreign affairs. In an unusually candid admission he said that Islamabad has considerable influence over the Taliban because its leaders live in the country. Read more in "Senior Official Admits Pakistan Housing Afghan Taliban Leaders", Gandhara Blog, March 2, 2016.

Pakistan and Durand Line. Former President Karzai recently said that Pakistani leadership wanted recognition of the imposed international border called the Durand Line in exchange for better relations with Afghanistan. Read a news report by Khaama Press, March 1, 2016.

Russia Seeking Role in Afghanistan. "More than two decades after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Moscow is once again seeking to play a major role in the country by boosting military and economic cooperation with Kabul." Read more in "Russia's new role in Afghanistan", Deutsche Welle, March 2, 2016.

Peace Talks? Move Along . . . Nothing to See Here. It appears that all the talk about talking about an end to the conflict is just that . . . just a lot of talk. Read more in "Afghan Taliban refuse peace talks with government", Associated Press, March 5, 2016. See also "Afghan Peace Talks Face Uncertainty", Voice of America, March 4, 2016. And one more "Paying High Price for Peace: The Afghan High Peace Council Quagmire", Eurasia Review, March 5, 2016.

Curbing the Afghan Refugee Influx. The northern European nations started out welcoming refugees of all sorts (Syrian, Afghan, African, etc.) but they were soon overwhelmed - and now the tune has changed. Read more in "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" Berlin Moves to Curb Afghan Refugees Influx", Spiegel Online International, March 2, 2016.

Young Boys as Refugees. There is a rise in the number of young Afghan boys who are now in Europe. Read more in "Afghan Boys: the New Face of Europe's Migrant Crisis", Associated Press, March 3, 2016.

UK Says Afghanistan "Safe". A United Kingdom court has ruled that Afghanistan is now safe enough to resume deportations of Afghan.

State Dept Fixes Blunder On SIV Visa. Some Afghan interpreters received a reprieve when the Department of State fixed a mistake in the government's management of a special visa program for Afghan interpreters. Some former interpreters had found out their applications had been denied through a faulty interpretation (or was it intentional?) by the State Department of a recent Congressional law. Read more in "State Department Fixes Unfair Visa Change", The New York Times, March 1, 2016.

Movie Review - "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot". Tina Feys new movie about a TV reporter on her first international assignment is getting mostly positive reviews. Read "Q. and A. With Tina Fey: Live Form Kabul, It's a Feminist Comedy", The New York Times, March 4, 2016.

Agricultural Research. Ongoing research on wheat and other crops in research farms across Afghanistan is contributing to better harvests and improved welfare among farmers. Read more in "Agricultural Research Gives Farmers a New Lease on Life", The World Bank, March 2, 2016.

Gender Stuff. The United Nations has released its 2015 report entitled The World's Women 2015: Trends and Statistics.

More on TAPI. "Afghanistan is preparing to start work on the key Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline project." The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum will be implementing the project. Of course, 735 kilometers of the pipeline will pass through Afghanistan . . . so what is the security plan? There is none other than some schemes and dreams on the part of the MoI and MoD. Read more in "Afghanistan Prepares to Start Work on TAPI", Tolo News, March 2, 2016.

India-Iran-Afghanistan Trilateral Transit Corridor. Afghanistan is attempting to revitalize its economy with a number of regional initiatives to revitalize trade and commerce. Of course, a huge factor is the establishment of security and stability in Afghanistan. Read more in "India-Iran-Afghanistan transit corridor talks in progress", Economic Times (India), March 2, 2016.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Afghan War News Snippets

Borders Closing to Afghan Migrants. The country of Macedonia has closed its southern border with Greece to Afghan migrants but will allow entry for Iraqis and Syrians. Countries to the north of Macedonia have closed their borders to Afghans so this has caused a 'domino effect' where no nation was to be the ultimate final stop for the migrants. Read more in "Greece: Macedonia has closed its borders to Afghan migrants", Associated Press, February 21, 2016.

Clashes as Result of Borders Closing. Clashes are taking place between Afghan asylum seekers and Greek riot police as a result of Macedonia closing its borders to Afghans. Read more in "Policy Shifts on Refugees Lead to Clashes Between Migrants and Police", The New York Times, February 23, 2016.

Afghan Migration Report. A couple of organizations, RUSI and BAAG, have collaborated on a report entitled Migration & Development: The Case of Afghanistan, London Roundtable - 16th December 2015, published on 19 Feb 2016.

Asylum Seekers Disillusioned. "A special plane from Germany carrying rejected Afghan asylum seekers has landed in Kabul. What prospects do these people now have in their home country?" Read "Disillusionment driving Afghan asylum seekers back home", Deutsche Welle, February 25, 2016.

Movie - Day One. This movie about an Afghan female interpreter has been nominated for an Academy Award in the short film, live active category. The director of the movie, Henry Hughes, is a combat veteran who spent a tour in Afghanistan with the 173rd. Read more in "Cavalry scout-turned-filmaker is headed to the Oscars, interpreter in tow", Military Times, February 25, 2016.

Afghan Interpreter Aided by Army Reservist. A U.S. Army reservist was instrumental in helping an ally from his war tour to gain entry to the United States. Read more in "Army Reserve Soldier welcomes former interpreter to America", DVIDS, February 24, 2016.

Movie - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. One of my favorite move stars, Tin Fey, stars in a movie about a news reporter in Afghanistan. Evidently it is based on the adventures of journalist Kim Barker who spent some time as a reporter in Afghanistan. Hits the theaters on March 4th. The blonde that plays her sidekick is "hot", so that alone is worth the price of admission. In the states she would be a "Ten"; in Afghanistan a "Thirty". Watch the trailer here. www.whiskeytangofoxtrotthemovie.com/

Bin Laden and McRaven. Admiral McRaven was head of the special operations unit that got the head of al Qaeda in Pakistan and many remember him for that but he would rather be remembered for the totality of 37 years service. Read more in "McRaven now appreciates impact in U.S. of his bin Laden raid", The Tampa Tribune, February 25, 2016.

U.S. Payments for MSF Clinic Bombing - Not Enough? The U.S. military is paying thousands of dollars to wounded survivors and relatives of the 2 Afghans killed when a U.S. AC-130 gunship attacked a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Kunduz city this past October 2015. Families of the deceased will receive up to $6,000. Read more in "U.S. payments to Afghans in hospital attack called inadequate", Military Times, February 26, 2016.

U.S. Money Still Flowing. "How to track the taxpayer money helping to rebuild the country is a key question as budget battles begin this week." Read more in "U.S. Money Will Keep Flowing to Afghanistan As Oversight Plummets", Huffpost Politics, February 24, 2016.

DoD Probe Into Afghan Sex Abuse. "The Pentagon's inspector general is launching a 'full assessment' into multiple reports that the U.S. military encouraged troops to ignore their Afghan allies' sexual abuse of children." The practice of bacha bazi - or boy play - is one that has captured the attention of the western media and that sometimes puts American servicemen into difficult cultural and moral situations. Read a memo by the DoDIG dated February 19, 2016 on this topic.

Kabul Power Restored? After weeks of a partial blackout in the capital city electrical power has been restored. Afghanistan's national power company repaired power lines near the northern border with Uzbekistan that were cut by Taliban insurgents in January. The lines supply 280 of the 600 megawatts of power consumed daily in Kabul. Bad winter weather and security concerns delayed repairs for weeks prompting may Kabul residents to question the Afghan government.

Video Games, Deployment, and Rage Quitting. I seen lots of Soldiers playing video games on deployments; I was never into nor did I have the spare time. But evidently there is something called "Rage Quitting" - which is what happens when you combine a slow deployment in Afghanistan and video games. Read more in "A True Story of Rage Quitting in Afghanistan", Task and Purpose, February 26, 2016.

Corruption in Afghanistan? Who Knew? An anti-corruption monitoring group says that the Afghan government's official commitment to address the problem is weakening. The independent Monitoring and Evaluation Committee or MEC has released its half-year report. Read more in "Monitoring Group: Corruption Still a Problem in Afghanistan", Voice of America, February 25, 2016.

Women's Rights. Lael Mohib, founder of the Enabled Children Initiative and spouse of Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States, is interviewed in "Advancing Women's Rights in Afghanistan: A Conversation with Lael Mohib", In Asia: Weekly Insight and Analysis, February 24, 2016.

Russia Gives U.S. "Cold Shoulder" Over Afghanistan. Russia is disengaging from any United States efforts to spur peace talks or to establish stability in Afghanistan. Instead Russia is concentrating efforts to ensure security prevails in countries north of Afghanistan. Read more in "Russia Pulls Back From Cooperating With U.S. on Afghanistan", The New York Times, February 20, 2016.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

News Snippets

CoC RS Commander. March 2nd will be the change of command from General John Campbell to recently promoted General John Nicholson. Gen Campbell will retire from the Army. Read "Pentagon Sets Date for Change of Command in Afghanistan", Voice of America, February 18, 2016.

Social Media and Young Afghans. Younger Afghans are increasingly finding marriage partners online using social media. This method allows them to circumvent the strict segregation of the sexes in this deeply conservative society. Read more in "Afghans skirt strict rules to find love on social media", CNS News.com, February 14, 2016.

Skiing in Afghanistan. Some day, many years from now, people will fly to Afghanistan to ski the mountains. But for now, the skiing opportunities are primarily limited to the central province of Bamyan. However, it is a work intensive sport. No ski lifts. So you trudge up a mountain for almost an hour for a couple of minutes of downhill pleasure. I will pass for now. Hopefully, if peace comes to Afghanistan . . . and if I live long enough . . . I too will ski the slopes of that picturesque country with beautiful mountains. But for now I must be content to watch this 3-minute long video entitled "Ski Afghanistan: A Challenge Unlike Any Other", Radio Free Europe, February 15, 2016.

Poker on Friday Nights. So how do the Resolute Support soldiers sequestered at "Camp Kabul" spend their free time? Evidently some try their hand at the card game of poker. Learn more by reading "Poker in Afghanistan: Strategy and Tactics at the NATO Base in Kabul", Poker News, February 15, 2016. The article also provides insight about life confined to a small base with lots of people.

Afghan Refugees / Migrants. According the the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Afghans represent 26% of the Mediterranean sea arrivals to Europe.
http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php

Child Soldiers. According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization the Taliban are training Afghan children in Madrasas to fight and plant IEDs. Read Afghanistan Taliban Child Soldier Recruitment Surges, HRW, February 17, 2016.

Video - ANA's Med Ctr Gardez. Watch a 2-min YouTube video posted by Resolute Support HQs on the ANA's regional medical center located in the 203rd ANA Corps region. Not in English!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXiszHz1VP0

Corruption . . . and more Corruption. Transparency International (TI) has release a report about one of Afghanistan's most serious problems - corruption. Read National Integrity System Assessment Afghanistan 2015, February 16, 2016.

FORSCOM CG visits BAF. General Robert Abrams, the commander of Forces Command, visit Bagram Air Field. Read more in a news release by DVIDS, February 12, 2016.

Bergdahl Probe. The Justice Department is considering whether to review allegations that the U.S. paid for SGT Beau Bergdahl's freedom and what the role the FBI played in his release. Read more in "Justice Department May Probe Alleged Bergdahl Ransom Payment", The Daily Beast, February 19, 2016.

Afghan Journalists Fleeing to Europe. So the people that report the news in Afghanistan have been making their way to Europe. Some are paying big money to make that dangerous trip. Many do it for economic reasons but some are in fear for their lives - as a result of their reporting corruption in Afghan society. Read more in "Hundreds of Afghan Journalists Have Fled to Europe", Gandhara Blog, February 18, 2016.

Afghan Interpreters - State Dept Folly. A recent rule change by the U.S. Department of State has left over 3,000 Afghan interpreters stranded in Afghanistan. These faithful interpreters who served the U.S. military in Afghanistan have already submitted their requests for U.S. visas so they can escape retaliation by the Taliban. However, the State Dept is once again doing everything they can to ensure they can't flee a dangerous situation. Read more in "Rule Change Dashes Hope for Afghan Military Allies Seeking Refuge in U.S.", Free Beacon, February 16, 2016.

Federal Court Rules on Afghan Interpreters. A federal district court in Washington, D.C. has ruled in favor of Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who are suing the U.S. Government over failure to act on visa applications. The decision reaffirms the government's obligations to thousands of U.S. allies trapped in life-threatening circumstances as a result of their service to the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more in a news release by the Urban Justice Center (Feb 16, 2016).

Another Afghan War Film. As is the case with many conflicts as they start to wind down Hollywood begins to crank the movie machine up. There are good, bad, funny, sad, accurate, and inaccurate movies about almost every conflict the U.S. has been in. We are now starting to see an increase in the frequency of films being released about the Afghan War (or so it seems to me). Just last week I reviewed a Danish film about Afghanistan - see movie review of A War. A new film soon to be released is about an Afghan interpreter. These folks are the unsung heroes of the Afghan War - without them the U.S. military was very ineffective. Read more about the new film in "Why a US Army Vet Cast a Muslim-American Woman to Lead His Afghan War Movie", Defense One, February 15, 2016.

Soviet Union Departure - Anniversary. February 15th was the 27th anniversary of the exit of the former USSR Red Army from Afghanistan.