Apologizing for Mistakes in Afghanistan

With all the mistakes being made in Afghanistan - killing sprees, Quran burnings, urinating on Taliban bodies - the President and others have been doing their fair share of apologizing.  There are different ways of apologizing and varying views on whether saying "I am sorry" is necessary or effective. Read more in "The Politics of Sorry", by Karl E. Meyer in Foreign Policy, March 12, 2012.

Insurgents Turn to Peace in Qala-e-Naw, Badghis Province - Reintegration at Work

A British war correspondent, Sean Rayment, visits Qala-e-Naw, Badghis Province, Afghanistan to view the Afghan governments reintegration program at work. The reintegration of insurgents back into society is aided by the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program or APRP.  While in northwestern Afghanistan the correspondent observed the APRP process and met with several Taliban to include a former Taliban commander. Read his in depth article on how the APRP process is working in this northwestern part of Afghanistan in "The drive to turn the Taliban to peace", The Telegraph, March 11, 2012.

Statement by SecDef Panetta on Panjwei Killing Spree

Statement by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta
on the Tragic Incident in Kandahar Province
(March 11, 2012)

“Today I spoke to President Karzai to offer my deepest condolences and profound regret for the tragic incident in Kandahar province that resulted in the loss of life and injuries to innocent Afghan civilians, including women and children.

“A full investigation is already underway. A suspect is in custody, and I gave President Karzai my assurances that we will bring those responsible to justice. We will spare no effort in getting the facts as quickly as possible, and we will hold any perpetrator who is responsible for this violence fully accountable under the law.

“I condemn such violence and am shocked and saddened that a U.S. service member is alleged to be involved, clearly acting outside his chain of command. I told President Karzai that the American people share the outrage felt by President Karzai and his fellow citizens. This tragic incident does not reflect the commitment of the U.S. military to protect the Afghan people and help build a strong and stable Afghanistan.

“As we mourn today with the Afghan people, we are steadfast in our resolve to work hand in hand with our Afghan partners to accomplish the missions and goals on which we have been working together for so long. This terrible incident does not reflect our shared values or the progress we have made together. As I told President Karzai, I am fully committed to ensuring that our cooperation continues. It is essential to forging a more peaceful future for the citizens of both our nations.”

View the news release here.  Learn more about the Panjwei civilian killings by US Soldier.

High Peace Council Member Provides Insight on Negotiations with Taliban

A member of the Afghan High Peace Council, Maulvi Qalamuddin, provided an interview that gives some insight on the possible path that future negotiations with the Taliban may take.  Maulvi Qalamuddin is a former member of the Taliban and was the former deputy minister for the General Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Elimination of Vice during the Taliban regime.  He was appointed to the High Peace Council in September 2010 by President Karzai.  The High Peace Council is engaged in reaching out to Taliban leaders as well as overseeing the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP).  Read more in "A new kind of Taliban: An interview with Maulvi Qalamuddin", AFPAK Channel, March 8, 2012.

ISAF Press Release on Civilian Casualties of Shooting Spree in Panjwai District, Kandahar Province

The ISAF Deputy Commander has released a statement on the Panjwai District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan civilian casualties caused by a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant. The text is below:

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Deputy Commander, International Security Assistance Force, Lt. Gen. Adrian J. Bradshaw, released the following statement today:

“In my role as in-theatre commander of ISAF in Gen. Allen’s temporary absence on duty, I wish to convey my profound regrets and dismay at the actions apparently taken by one coalition member in Kandahar province. One of our soldiers is reported to have killed and injured a number of civilians in villages adjacent to his base. I cannot explain the motivation behind such callous acts, but they were in no way part of authorized ISAF military activity. An investigation is already underway and every effort will be made to establish the facts and hold anyone responsible to account. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with those caught in this tragedy. I wish once again, on behalf of Gen. Allen and all members of ISAF, to convey our deep regrets and sorrow at this appalling incident.

Learn more about this incident at Panjwai Civilian Shooting Spree by US Army Soldier.

Read the ISAF news release online here:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/85060/isaf-deputy-commander-statement-civilian-casualties-kandahar

US Soldier Kills Afghan Civilians in Panjwai District, Kandahar Province

A US Soldier has reportedly killed at least 16 Afghan civilians in the early morning hours of March 11, 2012 in the Panjwai district, Kandahar province. The deaths include women and children. The Soldier had reportedly suffered a breakdown before the attacks.  Read news accounts and learn more about the killing of Afghan civilians in Panjwai district.

Use of APPF for Security in Afghanistan Limiting Development Firms Operations

Some private firms that do development work for the United States government in Afghanistan are apprehensive of the security that will be provided by the Afghan Public Protection Force or APPF.  The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan has caused a reassessment of whether the development firms can continue their work. Billions of dollars of projects are at risk. At least two companies have decided to finish their current projects and then leave Afghanistan and other firms have slowed down the pace of the projects in order to protect their workers. The aid workers are very critical of the switch from private security firms to the Afghan Public Protection Force. They point out that the Afghan National Police (ANP) is one of the least effective institutions in the country rife with corruption and inefficiency and doubt that the APPF will do any better than the ANP. The Ministry of Interior has control of both organizations. Read more in "Security Fears Lead Groups to Rethink Work in Afghanistan", by Matthew Rosenberg and Graham Bowley, The New York Times, March 10, 2012.

An Analysis of the Afghan Koran Burning

Ricard Falk, an international law and international relations scholar, provides an in depth analysis of the recent Koran burning incident in Afghanistan by U.S. military members. He concludes that the United States government does not appreciate the seriousness of the incident.  See "Koran Burning in Afghanistan: Mistake, Crime, and Metaphor", Foreign Policy Journal, March 10, 2012.  Read more about the Koran burning incident.

Detention Center in Afghanistan to Come Under Afghan Control

A U.S. run prison (detention center for combatants) will be turned over to the Afghanistan authorities in a phased planned that will span six months.  Many western military observers worry about the security of an Afghan-run prison system citing many human rights abuses and corruption.  Members of the Taliban have frequently been able to bribe their way out of detention in Afghan prisons.  Read more in "U.S. reaches agreement to turn over Afghan detention center", CNN.com, March 9, 2012 and "US gives up Afghan jail in deal to stay after 2014", The Sydney Morning Herald, March 11, 2012.

Danish Special Forces to Train Afghan Special Police Response Company

Soldiers from the Danish Navy SEALs and the Hunter Corps (Special Forces units within the Royal Danish Navy and the Royal Danish Army) have taken over responsibility for the training of the Afghan special police force in the city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of the Helmand province.

They will teach, advise, and mentor 125 Afghan policemen for the next two years. It is part of the overall plan to enable the Afghans to be in charge of security operations from 2014. Until now British soldiers have trained the rapid reaction force but from Monday, March 5th, the Danish soldiers from DANCON Team 13 will continue their work. The Afghan Response Company will react quickly to high-risk tasks in the entire province.

On this training mission, the Special Forces will be joined by several advisors from the Danish police and civil services. This will ensure that the Afghans are introduced to a comprehensive training programme that will also include evidence collection, planning of operations, etc.

Info taken from "Danish Special Forces train Afghan Special Police Force", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, March 7, 2012.

Zabul, Afghanistan DAIL Representatives Take Lead in Agriculutural Seminars

The efforts of some US Agribusiness Development Teams (ADT) are paying off in Afghanistan.  The ADT from Minnesota has been working with representatives of the Zabul Province Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (DAIL) to take the lead in organizing agricultural events.  The job of the Zabul ADT is to partner with the Zabul Province DAIL staff and conduct agricultural outreach and activities throughout Zabul Province.  Read more of the Zabul ADT in "Afghan partners take lead role in Zabul province veterinary seminar", DVIDS, March 2, 2012.

British Ambassador Comments on Mistakes in Afghanistan

Sir William Patey, the British ambassador to Afghanistan, will be leaving his post soon. In a recent interview he provided some comments on the mistakes the coalition has made in the past and on future prospects for Afghanistan. Read more in "Our big mistake was to assume we had won, says British ambassador to Afghanistan", The Telegraph, March 10, 2012.

US Lawmaker Wants Karzai Investigated for Corruption

Representative Dana Rohrabacher has requested an investigation by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to see if President Hamid Karzai is diverting foreign aid money to family and cronies. Rohrabacher is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations. Corruption in Afghanistan has been a huge problem and Karzai is responsible for much of the corruption that takes place. Read a news report on this topic at "US lawmaker wants Afghanistan's Karzai investigated", Google Hosted News, March 10, 2012.

Afghanistan's Railroads - The New Silk Road

There are rich mineral deposits in Afghanistan; however, to move the mineral raw materials to processing plants requires the building of railways.  Currently there are not that many railways in Afghanistan; in fact, almost none. Read a recent news article on the topic entitled "Afghanistan joins the railroad era - 100 years late", by Kay Johnson, Associated Press (hosted on Google News), March 10, 2012. Learn more about railroads in Afghanistan.

A German Perspective on Afghanistan War

A retired general officer of the German Bundeswehr (German Army) has wrote an article entitled "German Perspective On Lessons Learned From Afghanistan - Analysis", posted on Eurasia Review - News and Analysis, on March 10, 2102. The author is LtGen (Ret) Dr. Ulf von Krause, a retired officer of the German Bundeswehr. The article describes the scope of deployments of the Bundeswehr to Afghanistan ranging from 100 members of German Special Forces (GERSOF) in the early part of the war to over 5,000 troops to participate in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). At first German troops were stationed in and around Kabul but eventually the German forces moved into Northern Afghanistan and commanded Regional Command North (RC North). The author discusses the Rules of Engagement (ROE), types of missions, the multilateral aspect of German commitment to the Afghan conflict, German support of the NATO alliance, the difference in objectives of ISAF (stabilization and political reconciliation) and the US (combat operations), the German populations' perception of the war, parliamentary process and the escalation of the German participation, lessons learned, and the future of Afghanistan after 2014. A very good read. Access the article here.

Leonie Industries Under Fire for Afghan Contract and Not Paying Taxes

Leonie Industries has been awarded a lucrative contract to conduct Information Operations in Afghanistan - to the tune of $20 million. However, the two principal owners owe $4 million in federal taxes. Two senators are interested in whether the defense department has tried to recoup the federal taxes.  Read more in "Two senators target government contractors with back taxes", USA Today, March 8, 2012.

Will USAID Workers Be at Greater Risk With Switch to APPF Security?

Officials in Washington are concerned about the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) assuming the security for USAID projects and workers.  President Karzai has mandated the use of APPF security personnel for all development projects.  Learn more about the APPF here and USAID's switch to the APPF for security here.

US to Handover Prisons to Afghans in Six Months

The U.S. and the Afghan governments have agreed that the U.S. will hand over control of the U.S. detention facilities to the Afghans. The detention facility in Parwan holds almost 3,000 war prisoners - mostly insurgents. The Parwan facility is next to Bagram Air Field just north of Kabul. While the transfer will be a good sign that Afghanistan is enjoying more sovereignty it will be troublesome for human rights activist who worry about the treatment the prisoners will soon be receiving. In addition to poor treatment of prisoners the coalition should also be concerned with poor security. Afghan prison officials and guards have an extremely poor record of keeping the prisoners in prisoner.  Last year over 500 Taliban escaped from a prison in Kandahar.

Read more in "US, Afghans reach deal on handover of prisons", Fox News, March 9, 2012.

Afghan Government Officials Hinder Afghan Air Force Drug Smuggling Investigation by U.S.

A recent news report says that Afghan defense officials are hindering an investigation that members of the Afghan Air Force are using pilots, crew, and aircraft to smuggling drugs across Afghanistan. The U.S. suspects that smuggling operations are happening in a section of the Kabul airport that only Afghan Air Force personnel have access to. Flight plans are not being filed for irregular flights, undocumented cargo is being unloaded, and many night-time flights are occurring with no apparent reason. In the last two years the United States has spent over $20 billion dollars to train and equip the Afghan security forces - to include its Air Force - but there is very little accountability on where this money has gone. Corruption in Afghanistan is rampant throughout the Afghan government and security forces. Many U.S. service personnel working in Afghanistan have come to the conclusion that the U.S. is being taken to the cleaners by the Afghans and we are letting it happen because we don't want to get Karzai mad at us. Maybe its time we dump Karzai. We probably need to send less combat troops and more contract accountants to follow the money. Read the news article here "Afghans Hinder Smuggling Inquiry", 2 U.S. Officials Say", The New York Times, March 9, 2012.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) Member Turns on His Own

A member of the Afghan Local Police or ALP is sought after being accused of allowing Taliban to enter a checkpoint located in Oruzgan Province and kill nine other Afghan police. Read more in "Afghan Officer Sought in Killing of 9 Colleagues", The New York Times, March 8, 2012. There are currently about 12,000 Afghan Local Police employed across Afghanistan who are under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior and advised and trained by US special operations forces.