Negotiating a Political Settlement in Afghanistan - Report by International Crisis Group (ICG)

The International Crisis Group (ICG) based in Brussels has released a report that is very critical of the current negotiations being held (or not being held) with the Afghan insurgents. The ICG believes that peace talks are extremely important if there is to be "any chance of delivering sustainable peace in Afghanistan". The recent report is entitled "Talking about Talks: Toward a Political Settlement in Afghanistan", Asia Report No 221, 26 Mar 2012.

Read the ICG press release about the report here "Toward a Political Settlement in Afghanistan", ICG, 26 March 2012. The actual report can be read or downloaded here in Adobe Acrobat PDF format - "Talking about Talks: Toward a Political Settlement in Afghanistan". Learn more about the Afghan peace talks and read recent news articles on the Afghan reconciliation process.

Security Force Assistance Team Training at Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, LA

As part of the transition of ISAF troops reducing combat operations and assuming the 'advise and assist' mission units preparing to deploy to Afghanistan are undergoing training at Fort Polk, LA. The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) has adapted its training environment for those units that are forming up the Security Force Assistance Teams (SFAT) that will deploy alongside Afghan ANA units over the next couple of years. Read more on the training in "Security Force Assistance Team nets 'high value' training", DIVIDS, March 25, 2012.

Bagram Detention Facility: Some Details about the MOU

The United States and the Afghan government reached a last minute deal on the proposed turnover of the Bagram detention facility where over 3,000 detainees are currently held under the control of the U.S. President Karzai has been strongly insisting that the facility be turned over to Afghan control. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed transitions this control to the Afghans over a six-month long period. Read a note of concern on the proposed turnover by Kate Clark of the Afghanistan Analysts Network entitled "The Bagram Memorandum: Handing over the other Guantanamo", AAN, March 21, 2012.

The Fight for Eastern Afghanistan - Paper by Institute for the Study of War (Isaac Hock)

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has published a paper entitled "Fact Sheet: The Fight for Eastern Afghanistan". The author is Isaac Hock, a Research Analyst at the ISW. A summary of the fact sheet is below:

Security gains made by the addition of U.S. “surge” forces in southern Afghanistan have denied the Taliban its historical safe havens in Kandahar and Helmand. The campaign in Afghanistan must now focus on the East, which received few surge troops. The provinces surrounding Kabul are strategically important for controlling the capital and connecting the city with the rest of Afghanistan.

173rd ABCT Completes Counterinsurgency Training in Preparation for Afghanistan

The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team has recently completed three-weeks of counterinsurgency training in Hohenfels, Germany. The BCT is preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan. Read more in "173rd ABCT wrap counter insurgency training ahead of deployment", Stars and Stripes, March 24, 2012.

Afghan Force Package for 2013

In a recent interview (Friday, March 23, 2012) with Public Broadcast System's Charlie Rose program - General Allen, the ISAF Commander, provided insight for how troop levels in 2013 and 2014 will be determined. He said that a number of factors and considerations will provide input into his recommendation to President Obama.

Some of these factors include the state of the insurgency, the operational environment, level of partner nation troop levels in 2013 (could be around 40,000), the status of the partnership with the Afghan government,

Read more about Gen Allen's statements during the interview about Afghan force levels in 2013 in "Allen to Examine Afghanistan Force Package", American Forces Press Service, March 24, 2012.

View the hour-long interview on the PBS Charlie Rose website. Other topics in the interview include observations on Karzai, corruption, Koran burnings, Panjwai massacre, and night raids.

General John R. Allen bio on ISAF website.

Fake Afghan Village at JRTC (Fort Polk, LA) Helps Train Troops for Deployment

One of the training venues that U.S. troops use to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan is a fake Afghan village with Afghan role players located at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The village provides realistic training to troops who will have to interact with Afghans in a counterinsurgency role. Read more in "The Army Built A Fake Afghan Village In Louisiana So Soldiers Can Practice", Business Insider, March 24, 2012.

Alcohol on the Battlefield

The recent tragedy of the Panjwai massacre and the alleged shooters use of alcohol on the night before has people looking at the "no-alcohol" policy in Afghanistan. Some say that keeping Soldiers at a zero-level use of alcohol promotes binge drinking at a later time - usually just after redeployment. Many enjoy alcohol as a stress reliever and believe that rationed alcohol (as many ISAF partner nations adhere to) would relieve the stress that many Soldiers endure during a deployment. Read the comments of one military member in "When Booze Comes Off the Battlefield", At War Blog on The New York Times, March 23, 2012.

Thunder Lab - Pilot Training in Afghanistan Overcoming Illiteracy and Corruption

KABUL — After more than 30 years of war, the few qualified pilots in Afghanistan are largely graying veterans of the old Soviet-backed military who haven’t flown a MiG in decades. Now, the U.S. Air Force is playing catch-up, with programs to develop young Afghan pilots, as well as rank-and-file airmen, called soldiers by Afghans. Long before pilots can get in the cockpit, mechanics under the hood or enlisted soldiers to checkpoints, there are two basic problems to address: literacy and, in the case of the pilots, the ability to speak English, which is the international language of aviation.

Read the rest of the article in "Coalition troops hope to improve Afghan pilots' literacy and, eventually, aviation skills", Stars and Stripes, March 19, 2012.

Is General Allen In Tune with US Mood on Afghanistan?

Juan Williams, a Fox News commentator, has published an opinion piece about General John Allen's recent testimony before Congress. Williams says that Gen Allen is not reading US public opinion accurately and does not realize that the US population is overwhelmingly in favor of getting out of Afghanistan sooner rather than later. Read his article in "Could we leave Afghanistan early?", Fox News.com, March 23, 2012.

Paper - Sustainable Governance in Afghanistan

The Civil-Military Fusion Centre has published a paper entitled "Towards Sustainable Governance: Funding & Capacity". The paper, dated February 2012, is authored by Stefanie Nijssen - a governance and rule of law desk officer. The paper discusses in detail governance in Afghanistan in the future under fiscal constraints as aid to that country decreases. The paper is available for reading or downloading through a link provided by ReliefWeb - http://reliefweb.int/node/485078. The introductory paragraph of the paper, seen below, provides a description of the paper contents.

The United States Institute of Peace’s (USIP) handbook on “Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction” states that effective governance requires domestic capacity. This capacity comprises skills and capabilities as well as adequate financial resources. However, according to Deutsche Welle, the Afghan government may face significant challenges in financing its operations and its security services in the coming years if, as the World Bank predicts, aid to the country decreases significantly. This report examines various ways in which the Afghan government and the international community have responded to the dual challenges of fiscal sustainability and skills building.

Criminal Charges Preferred Against SSG Robert Bales (Panjwai Massacre, Afghanistan)

The Soldier alleged to have committed the killing of 17 civilians in Panjwai district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan has had criminal charges preferred against him by the military under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). SSG Robert Bales is currently being held in pretrial confinement at the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The next step in the military justice process is for the special court-martial convening authority at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to decide whether to direct an investigation of the charges under the UCMJ's Article 32. Read more in "U.S. Forces Afghanistan Prefers Criminal Charges Against Bales", American Forces Press Service, March 23, 2012.

Pakistan and US Discussing the Opening of Supply Routes Through Pakistan

Pakistan and the United States may soon reopen talks about reopening supply routes through Pakistan. The routes have been closed for a few months as a result of an airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan-Pak border in November 2011. Currently all supplies are transiting the northern route through the Central Asian countries to the north of Afghanistan. Read more in "US-Pakistan to discuss supply routes soon", Miami Herald, March 23, 2012.

UN Security Council Extends Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

The United Nations Security Council extended in an unanimous vote Resolution 2041 (2012).  The vote extends the assistance mission in Afghanistan until 23 March 2013. As a result of the resolution the Security Council decided that the Mission would continue to lead and coordinate international civilian efforts in the country in accordance with the results of international conferences. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) "would continue to lead the international effort to strengthen the role of Afghan institutions in democratic governance, the rule of law, control of drugs, human rights, humanitarian assistance and related areas". Read the full text of the resolution here in a news release dated 22 March 2012.

Commentary: Success in Afghanistan

Senators McCain, Lieberman, and Graham have penned an opinion piece that points out the U.S. national security interests at stake in Afghanistan and defines the path to success in the Afghan War. They state that "significant progress" has been made in Afghanistan, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have increased in capacity and capability, and that the U.S. should not abandon Afghanistan as we have in the past. Read the article in "Sustaining success in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, March 21, 2012.

TAPI Natural Gas Pipeline Not in Afghanistan's Future Soon

A recent article states that the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline is not going to be built soon. This endeavor would entail a pipeline built and carrying natural gas from Turkmenistan, across Afghanistan and Pakistan, and into India for processing and shipment to customers. For Afghanistan, the pipeline would mean increased revenue for its national budget. However, the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan has put this very important project on hold. Read more in "Collateral Damage From Afghan Turmoil - - the TAPI Pipeline", Huffington Post, March 21, 2012.

Obama's War of Necessity - Not so Necessary

President Obama, in years past, has described Afghanistan as a 'war of necessity' - which, he was quick to point out, the Iraq War was not. The words 'war of necessity' are being used less now that we have a time-table for withdrawal (2014), a questionable outcome, and pressure is mounting within the United States for an accelerated departure. Obama is banking on negotiations with the Taliban (which the Taliban have temporarily withdrawn from) and the strengthening of the Afghan National Security Forces. Unfortunately, he has two very difficult problems - an ineffective and corrupt Afghan government without the support of the population and an insurgency with sanctuaries in Pakistan and support from the Pakistani military and intelligence services. Read more on this topic in "Obama's Retreat from his 'War of Necessity'", By Marvin Kalb, Brookings, March 19, 2012.

Gen Allen and Congress: Corruption and Insurgent Safe Havens in Pakistan

General Allen has been testifying before Congress the last few days. During his testimony he stated that two of the biggest problems in ending the Afghan War successfully are corruption in the Afghan government and the insurgents access to sanctuary in Pakistan. Read more in "Allen: Corruption, safe havens block Afghan success", The Washington Times, March 22, 2012.

Legal Path Ahead for SSG Bales (Panjwai Massacre)

The legal journey for SSG Bales, the accused killer in the Panjwai massacre, will be a long journey under the military judicial system. Read more in "Accused Sergeant Heads Down a Long Legal Road", NPR, March 21, 2012.

ISAF's Future Strategic Plan for Afghanistan

General Allen, in his testimony before Congress this past week, revealed parts of the "new" ISAF strategic plan for Afghanistan. Prior to President Obama's announcement that the U.S. would speed its withdrawal plans up from 2014 to mid-2013 the plan was supposed to be:

ISAF consolidates its hold in southern Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. Then in 2012 (we are now at the beginning of the 2012 fighting season) US forces would be shifted to East Afghanistan to defeat (or disrupt) the insurgency along the Afghan-Pak border.

But . . . along came President Obama's "early withdrawal" plan. Instead of moving troops from Southern Afghanistan to Eastern Afghanistan - they are to come home.

So who does the fighting to secure the East of Afghanistan? According to General Allen - the new plan is for the Afghan security forces to accomplish this. So it appears that U.S. troops will concentrate on Southeastern Afghanistan - or the "Southern" RC-East area while the ANSF will be responsible for Northeastern Afghanistan - or the "Northern" RC-East area.

This new plan involves no small measure of "risk taking". In other words, leaving the "Northern RC-East" territory to the Afghans probably means that the insurgents (Taliban and Haqqani Network) will continue to maintain their grasp on this area and perhaps gain even more territory. The south of Afghanistan (where much progress has been made over the past two years due to the 30,000 troop surge) are to be handed over to the Afghan security forces as well (we shall see how that works out).

CJ Radin of The Long War Journal explains this more fully in his article "ISAF's new plan for Afghanistan" posted on March 22, 2012.  He has a handy map of Afghanistan depicting the areas of RC East as well.