TAAC-East Replaces RC-East

Regional Command East is no longer with us. It has been replaced by Train, Advise, and Assist Command East or TAAC East. The RC had a two-star commander; the TAAC has a one-star commander. U.S. Army BG Christopher Bentley will lead TAAC East - an organization comprised of 60 division staff officers and Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division (Fort Stewart, GA) and 1,000 Soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Fort Hood, TX).

TAAC East's mission is to train, advise and assist (TAA) the Afghan National Security Forces in eastern Afghanistan. The TAAC is no longer advising at the tactical level; the organization will work to strengthen ties between the operational and strategic levels - providing the connective tissue between corps-level Afghan units to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior.

The 201st ANA Corps is located in Laghman province and advisors will be stationed at FOB Gamberi to provide advise and assistance on a daily, persistent basis. It is believed that this is called "Level I" advising. The 203rd ANA Corps is located at FOB Thunder near Gardez; however, there is no "advisor platform" from which to project an advisory effort. Perhaps TAAC East will conduct "Level II" advising -which is basically a visit once or twice a month and some phone calls. (I wonder how that will work out?).

Read more in "3ID, 3CR form TAAC-E in eastern Afghanistan", DVIDS, November 5, 2014.

Afghan Detainee Transfer to U.S. - Analysis

The U.S. will soon be shutting down the U.S. administered military detention facility at Bagram. The questions remains of what to do with the non-Afghans currently detained there. One interesting development is the transfer of one of the detainees to the United States for prosecution. Read more in "Detainee Transferred from Afghanistan to US for Trial: A Model for GTMO Closure?", Lawfare, November 4, 2014.

Iran and Pakistan Destabilize Afghanistan

The Pentagon's latest assessment on security in Afghanistan has criticized Iran and Pakistan - stating that both countries are destabilizing regional security by supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Read more in "Pentagon Says Policies of Iran, Pakistan Destabilize Afghan Security", Radio Free Europe, November 5, 2014.

Video - COMISAF Speaks on Afghan Future

In a short video clip COMISAF (General John Campbell) speaks about transition, Afghan security, and the need for the Taliban to come to the peace table. See Changes Underway with Afghanistan Drawdown, DoD News, October 30, 2014.

Book - "Swimming with Warlords"

The journalist Kevin Sites has wrote a book on Afghanistan entitled Swimming with Warlords: A Dozen-Year Journey Across the Afghan War. His view on the current state of affairs in Afghanistan is not a pretty one yet he says that "hope" is alive and he is optimistic about the future of Afghanistan. The book is available on Amazon.com.

"The Long Goodbye to Afghanistan"

On November 6, 2001, Defense Security Donald Rumseld said "I do not think it will take years to deal with the Taliban or the al-Qaida organization". 13 years later the United States is leaving Afghanistan and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) will come to an end. However, the U.S. will keep 9,800 troops in country to continue the Security Force Assistance mission and conduct limited counter-terrorism operations. The Defense Department says the Afghan security forces can stand on their own; however, they seem to be having some difficulty in some parts of the country (Helmand and Kunduz provinces). Read more in "The Long goodbye to Afghanistan", Chicago Tribune, October 31, 2014.

Afghan's Minerals Law

Afghanistan has a new minerals law. The question is will it improve sector governance and catalyse the massive investment needed? Read more in "The new minerals law: breaking new ground for Afghanistan?", The Guardian, October 30, 2014.

Dismal Outlook for Helmand Province

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

Australia Combat Pay Cut

It seems that Afghanistan is a less dangerous place and the Australian combat troops will get their combat pay cut after 2014. Read more in "Defence says Afghanistan 'less dangerous' so cuts Australian military's pay", The Sydney Morning Herald, October 31, 2014.

Kerry, China, and Afghanistan

Secretary of State John Kerry took the opportunity to provide his insight on the relationship between the United States and China and outlining different aspects of that relationship in a speech before the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. (See Remarks on U.S.-China Relations, U.S. Department of State, November 4, 2014). While the speech was quite long and covered many subjects he did touch a little bit on China and Afghanistan. His comments on that topic are below:

"It can also make a difference in countering violent extremist groups like ISIL, which seek to harm people in every corner of the globe. And it can help in bringing stability to places like Afghanistan, where today we are partnering to support political cohesiveness and prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorists. We welcome China’s role as a critical player in the Afghan region. And just last week, in fact, President Ghani, our Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman, and President Obama’s counselor John Podesta all traveled to Beijing to participate in a conference focused on supporting Afghan peace and reconstruction."

Slain Afghan Official Mourned

The sub-governor of Kandahar, Abdul Qadim Patyal, was assassinated while he was attending a night class on Afghan literature. He embodied the hope of many who saw a youthful public servant who was not tied to a warlord or specific "tribal family" that would help bring Afghanistan out of the 14th century and into the 21st century. Read more in "Slain Afghan official, a poet, embodied hope of youth", Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2014.

Afghan 119 Information Center

The 119 Information Center service in Afghanistan is now five years old. Afghans can dial 119 on the phone to reach an emergency call center to report a crime, seek emergency assistance, or report insurgent activity. There is a main call center located in Kabul and several regional call centers around the country (Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, etc.). The call centers operate around the clock and have communication with the regional Operational Coordination Centers or OCC-Rs. The Ariana TV network and Awaz Productions are now broadcasting a program called Reaction 119 which provides information about the value of the government emergency call center service. The program, aired on the private television channel, is dedicated to demonstrating the services of the Quick Reaction Police and the 119 Information Center. Learn more in "Afghan 119 police services prevent violence", Central Asia Online, October 31, 2014.

Guest Articles, Posts, and Commentary Welcome

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition,we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Get Afghan War News Early in the Morning!

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Send an e-mail to staff@afghanwarnews.info or go to   www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box in the top of the right hand column. It is easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Last of Russian Helicopters Delivered

The last of 63 Russian Mi-17 transport helicopters have been delivered to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in October 2014. The Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation says it will assist with future helicopter deliveries to the Afghan military and help maintain the aircraft already in service. The U.S. funding for the purchase of the Mi-17s were widely criticized by members of Congress because of Russia's support of the Assad regime in Syria and Russia's annexation of the Crimea and support of the Ukrainian rebels. In addition, there appears to be a bit of price gouging going on as well by the Russians. The U.S. military are staunch supporters of the Mi-17 program as the Russian helicopters are best suited for the Afghan terrain and maintenance capabilities. Read more in Russia Delivers Last of U.S.-bought Helicopter to Afghan Military", DoD Buzz, November 3, 2014.

Interview with John Nagl - Author "Knife Fights"

Dr. John Nagl was recently (October 28, 2014) interviewed about his new book "Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice". Nagl is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and a former president of The Center for a New American Century. The book is an education in 21st Century Warfare - both its theory and its practice. Nagl first came into the public eye with his book "Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife" - about counterinsurgency and how the United States had to understand an insurgency and be flexible in its response and able to adjust its strategy to deal with the threat. The interview, narrated by Peter Bergen (no slouch himself on warfare, insurgency and terrorism) was recorded by The Center for a New American Century, it is 1 hour and 23 minutes long and can be seen at the link below on YouTube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6WLiErc2mw

More Aircraft for the Afghan Air Force

The United States will be providing additional aircraft to the Afghan Air Force. Read more in "Warplanes: Fixing the Afghan Air Force", Strategy Page,  October 30, 2014.

Afghan Refugees Die in Boat Disaster

24 people were killed in a boat sinking off the Turkish coast. They were part of a group of 42 Afghan refugees who paid a smuggler to transport them from Turkey to Europe. Read more in "24 killed in migrant boat disaster off northern Istanbul coast", Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey), November 4, 2014.

Afghan Withdrawal Timeline Reassessment

General John Campbell is reassessing the United States withdrawal time frame from Afghanistan. The electoral dispute and late signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement put a lot of planned programs to advise and assist the Afghans on hold. These programs were meant to prepare the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) for the full withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (except for 12,500 personnel under the Resolute Support mission). Insurgent attacks have reached the highest levels since 2011 and the ANSF has suffered high casualties in the 2014 fighting season. The recent events in Iraq, where the U.S. withdrew completely in 2011, have raised questions on the ability of the ANSF to hold out against the Taliban after ISAF leaves. Read more in "Top US commander of Afghan war reassessing US withdrawal timeline", Stars and Stripes, November 4, 2014.

Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to Aid Afghanistan

The two Central Asian countries of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are keen to see a secure and stable Afghanistan. The last thing these countries need is an unsecure northern Afghan border from which insurgents can cross causing internal security problems within their respective countries. To that end they are assisting with the delivery of electricity to Afghanistan at a reduced cost. Read more in "Turkmenistan, Tajikistan want to aid Afghanistan", Central Asia Online, October 28, 2014.