Ashraf Ghani Sworn in as President

Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in as the new president of Afghanistan. At his inauguration Ghani said he would eliminate corruption, work for long-term peace, encourage development and reform, end poverty, and clean up the judiciary. He acknowledges that establishing security is key to accomplishing his other objectives. Read more in "Ashraf Ghani sworn in as new Afghan president", BBC News Asia, September 29, 2014.

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Slovak Land Force Ends Mission in Kandahar

The Slovak contingent operating in Kandahar has ended its mission in September, 2014. The Slovak element had a two-fold mission: base defense and advising an Afghan army kandak. The base defense mission involved the guarding of entry control points where vehicles and visitors were searched as they entered and left Kandahar Air Field (KAF). In addition, the Slovak unit fielded the Security Force Assistance Advisory Team (SFAAT) that trained, advised, and assisted the 4th Kandak, 2nd Mobile Strike Force of the Afghan National Army (ANA). The Mobile Strike Force or MSF had a unique mission and was designed to rapidly deploy wherever needed. Read the entire story in "Slovak Land Force ends mission in Kandahar", DVIDS, September 24, 2014.

Report - Social Outreach Program, USAID and SIGAR

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has provided a report entitled USAID's Afghanistan Social Outreach Program: Audit of Costs Incurred by AECOM International Development, Inc. The report, SIGAR 14-94 Financial Audit, was published in September 2014.

"USAID signed a contract with AECOM International Development to establish community councils (shuras) at the district level and promote communication and collaboration between the Afghan government and communities. This support to the Afghanistan Social Outreach Program (ASOP) was intended to expand the role of the traditional shuras, overcome corruption, and increase participation in the political process by woman, youth, and other marginalized groups". 

Railroads - Promise of the Future

The country of Afghanistan is completely dependent upon funding from the international community to pay for its security forces and to run its government. Afghanistan's rich mineral resources will take years to develop into a revenue-producing enterprise. In addition, without railroads it will be difficult to market and export these valuable minerals. Fortunately, neighboring countries are working on improving their rail systems and this could have an impact on the railroad development program for Afghanistan. Turkmenistan is one of those neighboring countries. Read more in "Turkmenistan Becoming Regional Railway Hub", The Jamestown Foundation, September 22, 2014.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan at Low Point

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached a low point. The Pakistan intelligence service support (money, training, sanctuary, etc.) of the Taliban has continued through the years and the Afghans are not shy about voicing their dismay. The Pakistanis deny the charge but the evidence is clear. As NATO and the U.S. continue their withdrawal there are fears that the animosity between the two countries will escalate. According to Afghanistan - Pakistan is interested in maintaining an unstable Afghan government. Supposedly this is in the interests of keeping an India-Afghanistan alliance from maturing and to ensure that a "second front" does not open up in Pakistan's rear areas as it defends itself against possible future attacks from India. One of President Karzai's constant complaints about the United States was the unwillingness to confront Pakistan on Taliban support and the Taliban sanctuaries. Read more in "Mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan soars as U.S. forces depart", The Washington Post, September 25, 2014.

Night Eagle System Services Extended for Afghanistan

The Department of Defense is extending the use of the Night Eagle system in Afghanistan for an additional year (ending December 25, 2015). A contract modification was awarded to Leidos, Inc. to the tune of almost $14 million for the Night Eagle counter-improvised explosive device detection system. Read more below.

"Leidos, Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $13,848,212 modification (P00015) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract W909MY-12-C-0046 to extend services for the Night Eagle counter-improvised explosive device detection system operating in Afghanistan. Services include logistics, hardware/software maintenance, flight operations, and the associated facility and system support. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $13,848,212 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Afghanistan; United Arab Emirates; Germany; Reston, Virginia; Las Vegas, Nevada; San Diego, California; Santa Rosa, California; Silver Springs, Maryland; Princeton, New Jersey; and Bridgewater, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 25, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Fort Belvoir Division, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity."

Information from U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations, No. CR-185-14, September 25, 2014
www.defense.gov/Contracts/Contract.aspx?ContractID=5384

Information on Night Eagle can be found on the Global Security website
www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/night-eagle.htm

Elections - Will it Solve Afghanistan's Problems?

The recent election in Afghanistan (well, . . . not so recent) has many observers commenting on the future prospects of Afghanistan. Some people think the entire process was flawed and puts the future of Afghanistan in jeopardy; while others are more optimistic. Read the thoughts of someone who sees the glass half-full in "Afghanistan's Best Bet", Foreign Affairs, September 25, 2014.

Osama bin Laden's Son-in-Law - Life Sentence

The son-in-law of Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to life in prison as a result of his involvement with the terror plots against the United States. A New York court has convicted him of three counts of conspiring to kill Americans and providing support to terrorists. Read an online news account of the trial here from The Telegraph (September 2, 2014).

The Cost of the Election in Afghanistan

The international community forked over millions of dollars to enable the election to take place.There was more than a financial cost to the Afghan election.  The resulting dispute between the two leading presidential candidates (lasting three months) hurt the Afghan economy. And . . . there is a cost to the democratic process. While the power-sharing deal between Ghani and Abdullah to establish a unit government is hailed as a breakthrough many observers are wondering what happened to the free, fair, open, and transparent elections. Read more in "This new era for Afghanistan has come at a cost", The Guardian, September 25, 2014.

Possible Linkage b/t Taliban and Islamic State

There are some reports of a possible linkage between the Islamic State (Syria and Iraq) and insurgent groups in Afghanistan. Local Afghan officials in southeastern Ghazni province have concerns based recent proclamations of Taliban militants. An Afghan news media outlet provides more info; read more in "Islamic State expanding activities in Ghazni province", Khaama.com, September 26, 2014.

Abdullah Confirms He Will Join Government

The international community (as well as all of Afghanistan) is carefully watching the actions and listening to the words of Abdullah Abdullah to see how he will approach his role in the new "unity government". He has the power to ensure that a cooperative working relationship exists between President Ghani and he but also to cause the government to slip into a quagmire. Read more in "Afghan Runner-Up, in Tone of Compromise, Confirms He Will Join Government", The New york Times, September 25, 2014.

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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 AWACS E-3A Departs Mazar-e-Sharif

The last AWACS E-3A stationed at Mazar-e-Sharif departed on September 23, 2014 for its home station. NATO has stationed E-3As in northern Afghanistan (at Camp Marmal) for the past several years. The air field at MeS does not have the high-end radar systems to monitor and control multiple aircraft (helicopters, fighters, transports, contract aircraft, civilian aircraft, etc.) so the AWACS provided that ability. Now that ISAF is withdrawing and there are only a few NATO aircraft left in the north the E-3A is no longer needed. The E-3As were flown and staffed by NATO aircrews from across Europe. The primary function of the E-3A is airborne surveillance, command, control, and communications. The aircraft has an endurance of more than 8 hours and can be refueled in the air.

The following links provide information on the AWACS. You can visit the NATO AWAC E-3A Component website, get a virtual (online tour) about the E-3A here, see the NATO E-3A Component Facebook, view a video clip about the features of the plane, and view a video of an USAF E-3 Sentry mission over Afghanistan. (Photo by Wiel Borghans shows the last E-3A departing Mazar-e-Sharif airfield).

Demise of COIN?

One of the frequent conversations among members of the military (and observers of the military and conflict in general) is the future of counterinsurgency within the armed forces. Another observer has weighed in on the conversation. The writer wonders, with the closing of the Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, who will pick up the functions of educating the force on COIN doctrine. While the draw down of forces capable of conducting COIN are probably necessary; there still needs to be an organization that picks up the responsibilities previously done by AIWC. This is especially true given that the U.S. military is more likely to engage in counterinsurgency type operations rather than general war in the near future. Read "Is COIN No Longer Relevant?", by Whitney Kassel in Cicero Magazine, September 22, 2014.

SIGAR Report - DoS Demining Activities in Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has published a report - Department of State's Demining Activities in Afghanistan: Audit of Incurred Costs by Mine Clearance Planning Agency - (SIGAR Report 14-95 Financial Audit) published in September 2014. There were four internal control deficiencies and one instance of noncompliance in the audit of costs incurred by the Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA). The MCPA is an Afghanistan-based international humanitarian demining organization. The MCP received over $13 million in grands to provide support for the removal of land mines and unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan. The report finds that there was $688,206 in unsupported costs that should be scrutinized and possibly recovered.

Drugs in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan

The country of Afghanistan is known for its export of narcotics but what is less well-known is the staggering number of drug-addicted person within the country. The easy accessibility of drugs and corrupt judiciary and police sectors contribute to the drug addition problem. Read about the drug problem in Nangarhar province (border Pakistan in the east) in Drug Use Rampant in East Afghan Province, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, September 25, 2014.

EC-130H Compass Call in Afghanistan

Photo by SSG Evelyn Chavez 455th Expeditionary Wing

There are all sorts of aircraft flying overhead in Afghanistan. Some are small and some very large and they all have specific missions. What those missions are is sometimes a mystery. Most everyone knows that an A-10 provides Close Air Support, a C-17 will be your ticket home, a Black Hawk will get you to that remote FOB (well, it used to - the small FOBs have or will be going away). But what does a EC-130H Compass Call plane do? Fortunately the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing located on Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan provides us with a little information on the EC-130H and the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron. The EC-130H Compass Call aircraft " . . . conducts electronic attack operations in order to deny, degrade or disrupt enemy communications". The aircraft can provide " . . . the ability to engage and receive real time target sets . . . " and helps to create a safe mission environment for the troops on the ground. Read the entire article in "41 EECS Scorpions execute theater electronic warfare", DVIDS, September 22, 2014.

Karzai's Parting Shot

"We don't have peace because the Americans didn't want peace".

"To the U.S. government, give them my anger, my extreme anger".

These quotes are just a few that Karzai has delivered to a nation that lost thousands of its young men and billions of dollars (much of that money now in Karzai's Dubai bank accounts). However, Karzai is not the first ungrateful foreign leader to take the money and run. Read "Karzai joins a long list of leaders ungrateful for U.S. support", The Washington Post, September 25, 2014.

Ralph Nader Likes Ashraf Ghani

Ralph Nader, a consumer advocate, lawyer, author, extreme liberal, (former presidential candidate?), and now, it seems, observer of international conflicts - has come out with a glowing description of the president-elect of Afghanistan - Ashraf Ghani. Well, if Nader likes Ghani then why shouldn't the rest of us? Read Nader's worship of Ghani in "Afghan Voters Choose a Better Future", The Huffington Post, September 24, 2014.