Commanders Testify Before Congress About Afghanistan

"Two senior American military commanders spent the past two days putting into context recent negative news about the U.S. effort in Afghanistan. At the same time, they tried to get members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees to realize that U.S. units will remain in that country long after combat troops depart in 2014."

Read the rest of the article here at "Key commanders have their say on Afghanistan", The Washington Post, March 7, 2012.

APPF Signs Contracts with Three Companies for Security Services in Afghanistan

The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) signed three contracts with International Relief and Development (IRD) for security services for development projects that IRD is performing for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The APPF also signed contracts with Louis Berger - Black and Veatch, and Afghan Fleet & Group Services (AFGS). AFGS is an Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA).  Read a news release on the signing of the APPF contracts -  "Afghan Public Protection Force signs first contracts", ISAF News Release, March 8, 2012.

Amnesty International Worries that U.S. Will Abandon Afghan Women

A recent blog post on the Amnesty International website expresses concern that the United States will abandon the cause of Afghan women in the interests of a political settlement with the Taliban at the negotiation table. Read more in "US: Don't Abandon Afghan Women", Human Rights Now Blog, March 8, 2012.

Karzai Endorses Clerics Ruling of Gender Segregation in Afghanistan

A council of Afghan clerics has recently issued restrictive guidelines for Afghan women and President Karzai has embraced these guidelines.  This has causes much concern for Afghan women. Read more in "Afghans lampoon clerics over women ruling", BBC News Asia, March 8, 2012.

Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team to Deploy to Afghanistan

The Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) will deploy for Afghanistan soon.  The team has 54 members and will soon be in Nangarhar Province to assist Afghan farmers with agricultural practices.  The team is composed of agricultural specialists, engineers, instructors, legal advisers, and security force personnel. Read more in "Agribusinees Development Team leaves for Afghanistan March 9", digitalBURG.com, March 8, 2012.

DoD Announces Spring 2012 Unit Rotation to Afghanistan

The Department of Defense has announced three major units will be deploying to Afghanistan during the Spring 2012 scheduled rotation.  The deployment includes one corps headquarters (V Corps HQ in Wiesbaden, Germany), one division headquarters (1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas), and one Brigade Combat Team or BCT (4th BCT, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado).  See the news release dated March 8, 2012.

Agriculture Development Team One in Zabul Province, Afghanistan Has Success and Frustrations During One-Year Tour

Agriculture Development Team One deployed for one year to Zabul Province, Afghanistan in February 2010.  While there they worked with special operations teams and elements of the Romanian Army on agricultural projects in Zabul Province. Their work took them to all 13 districts of Zabul Province. They closely coordinated with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, & Livestock or MAIL and the provincial Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, & Livestock or DAIL. The agricultural team was able to construct two "demonstration farms" that allowed the team members to show Afghan farmers different ways to improve their crop and farm animal yields.  The team also provided help in the way of agricultural seminars to various locations throughout Zabul Province.  Over their year-long tour they experienced quite a few successes. They also had the Taliban to deal with and the never-ending corruption of Afghan government officials. Read more about Agriculture Development Team One in "US military agriculture team succeeds despite Taliban", Western Farm Press, March 7, 2012.

Afghanistan: Moving Forward - Panel Discussion on Importance of Civilian Engagement

A roundtable discussion was held in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2012 about the continued need for international aid for Afghanistan in the future.  Read more at the links below:

http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/article/ambassador-hakimi-speaks-on-afghanistans-plan-for-transformation-beyond-2014

http://www.di-development-blog.com/regional/afghanistan-moving-forward

82nd Agribusiness Development Team to Help Afghan Farmers

The 82nd Agribusiness Development Team of the Wisconsin National Guard will be helping Afghan farmers to develop their agricultural sector.  Read more in "National Guard to train Afghans on ag", Green Bay Press Gazette, March 6, 2012.

Afghan Air Force Running Drugs in U.S. Bought Aircraft According to Allegations

U.S. authorities are looking into allegations that the Afghan Air Force is running drugs with their aircraft.  This would come as no surprise as Afghanistan provides 90% of the worlds opium and Afghanistan is cited by Transparency International as the second most corrupt nation in the world.  Read more in "U.S. probes allegations Afghan Air Force involved in drug running", Reuters, March 8, 2012.

Red Cross Warns that Health Gains in Afghanistan are at Risk

Medical clinics recently set up in Afghanistan may close due to lack of funding. As the international community begins to leave Afghanistan international donors are providing less aid.  Read more in "Health gains in Afghanistan at risk, warns Red Cross", Reuters, March 8, 2012.

Afghans Prefer Taliban Justice Over Afghan Judicial System

Afghans prefer the Taliban justice system over the Afghan governments courts.  Citing corruption, requirements for bribes, and a slow process - many Afghans prefer to have their legal cases settled by tribal leaders or the Taliban. Read more in "Leery of courts, Afghans seek Taliban justice", Marine Corps Times, March 7, 2012. The rule of law has a long way to go in Afghanistan.

Harsh Winter May Relieve Drought Conditions in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's harsh winter may reverse years of drought when the snowfall in the mountains melt and flow into the river valleys watering agricultural areas.  Afghanistan has seen some dry growing seasons over the past year but farmers are hopeful for 2012.  Read more in "Harsh winter gives hope to Afghan farmers", Asia One News, March 2, 2012.

Radio In A Box - RIAB Essential Tool in Information Operations Fight in Afghanistan

The Radio in a Box or RIAB has proved to be one of the most useful tools the U.S. has deployed thus far in the counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan. These RIABs are run by Afghans, are low-cost, and very sustainable to operate in harsh and remote areas. In addition, the Radio In A Box provides a method for ISAF and the Afghan government to get a positive message out to the Afghan population. Read more about the RIABs in the link below:

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/IO/RIAB.htm

SIGAR Hotline - Report Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption in Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has established a hotline to facilitate the reporting of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, and corruption in programs that are associated with Afghanistan reconstruction efforts that are funded by the U.S. taxpayer.

Learn more by visiting the SIGAR Hotline.
http://www.sigar.mil/hotline.asp

Afghan Forces Now Lead Night Raids in Afghanistan

The head of USSOCOM told U.S. senators that Afghan forces are now leading all U.S. special operations night raids.  The conduct of night raids has been a constant complaint of President Karzai and a topic of discussion during the negotiations between Karzai and the U.S. on the relationship of the two nations after 2014.  Admiral McRaven stated that Afghan forces are always the first through the door during a night raid.  McRaven said that the U.S. special operations forces in Afghanistan are working in two key areas. The first is the use of forces to conduct lethal and direct approach, often through night raids. The second is to build Afghan security, development, and governance through Village Stability Operations or VSO and working with programs such as the Afghan Local Police or ALP.   Read more on this topic in "Socom Commander Discusses Progress in Afghanistan", American Forces Press Service,
March 6, 2012.

SOLARA Course for Afghanistan July 2012

The George C. Marshal European Center for Security Studies will conduct a two-week course entitled "Stability Operations: Legal Aspects of ROE/RUF Afghanistan (SOLARA)" from July 23, 2012 to August 2, 2012 at the Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island.  You can learn more about this course here and by reading the course description below:

Stability Operations: Legal Aspects of ROE/RUF Afghanistan (SOLARA) (MASL P176017)

"The two-week SOLARA course focuses on the Legal Aspects of Rules of Engagement (ROE) and Rules for the Use of Force (RUF) relevant to stability operations. It is designed for forces that are deploying, continuing, or supporting deployments to Afghanistan.
The objective is to address the legal, operational, and policy aspects of rules of engagement in Afghanistan, through case studies and discussion of real-world incidents, including: the relevant law of armed conflict; coalition rules of engagement; and insurgent use of various improvised explosive devices. The resulting analysis explains the necessity to vary supplemental rules of engagement.
This course also examines the challenges and procedures for deploying forces to Afghanistan, working with public affairs, international human rights laws, fourth generation warfare, and counterinsurgency doctrine. It includes a review of ISAF Rule of Law Operations, combatant detention and detention scenarios, and the legal and operational challenges of concealment methods and techniques.
Participants visit New York City, where they have an opportunity to speak with anti-terrorism experts at the United Nations and in the New York area. They also take part in cultural familiarization activities in Newport, RI and New York City under the DIILS Field Studies Program (FSP)."

Military's Public Relations Struggle in Afghanistan

The U.S. military continues to provide positive reports about the war in Afghanistan.  However it is hard for the media to verify these reports.  Read more on this topic in "The PR challenge in Afghanistan", The Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 2012.

Difficulties of Empowering Women in Afghanistan

One of the toughest places in the world to live as a woman is Afghanistan.  Attempts have been made by the international community to change the plight of women in Afghanistan but the progress has been slow.  Learn more on the problems with advancing the status of woman of Afghanistan in "Donor policies fail to bring real and sustained change for women", The Guardian, March 5, 2012.

Analysis of Afghan Reaction to Koran Burnings

The Institute for the Study of War has published an analysis of the Afghan reaction to the inadvertent burning of the Korans that took place in February 2012. The report can be found online. See "The Afghan Response to the 2012 Koran Burning Incident" published on March 2, 2012 by Paraag Shukla and Isaac Hock.