Book Review - "Why We Lost"

Carter Malkasian has penned a book review of retired LTG Daniel Bolger's book entitled "Why We Lost". LTG Bolger has been very critical of how the Iraq and Afghan War's were conducted. According to Malkasian, the book is a 500-page history filled with stories of Soldiers and Marines in firefights and close combat and provides input into how the United States should wage war. Malkasian points out the strengths and flaws of Bolger's book. Malkasian is the author of "War Comes to Garmser". He works at the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), spent several years in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was the political advisor to General Joe Dunford (COMISAF) in Afghanistan from May 2013 to August 2014. Read "Book review: 'Why We Lost,' a general's account of two wars, by Daniel Bolger", The Washington Post, January 2, 2015.

India-Afghan Relations?

A news article by Shakti Sinha, a former civil servant who worked in Afghanistan for the UN for three years, examines India - Afghanistan relations. He states that the new Afghan government of President Ghani poses some challenges for India. He believes that India is becoming marginalized in regional affairs involving Afghanistan and states that India "seems missing in action". He believes that India should continue its practice of low-profile assistance in the economic, development, and reconstruction sectors. That continued assistance along with the ability to provide advanced medical care in India for Afghan citizens (at least those who can afford the travel costs) can provide much needed help to Afghanistan and maintain (at least to a small degree) some influence. Read "India-Afghan Relations: Road to Nowhere? - Analysis", Eurasia Review, January 2, 2015.

How Advisors Build Rapport

A recent post online discusses how trainers and advisors conducting Foreign Internal Defense or FID can build rapport with their counterparts. Special Forces personnel receive extensive training in how to advise foreign military units. One aspect of this training is building rapport. The SF students first exposure to rapport building during Special Forces training takes place during the unconventional warfare exercise called Robin Sage. Good information for those personnel training up to deploy on a Security Force Assistance mission to Afghanistan. Read more in "Foreign Internal Defense Tips, Pt. 3, Rapport Building", SOFREP, January 3, 2015.

Video - CNN clip on New ISAF Mission

A recently published news video explains ISAF's new mission in Afghanistan - Resolute Support. There is a massive change in the size of the international forces and its mission. There is a transition from combat operations to a Train, Advise, and Assist mission. The size of the international force is now down to about 13,000 of which 11,000 are U.S. personnel. Combat operations are restricted to force protection and self-defense. There will be operations that will continue to target remnants of al-Qaeda still in Afghanistan. In addition the Coalition will provide limited air support to the ANSF. Watch "U.S. mission is changing", CNN International, by Jim Sciutto, December 30, 2014.

Who are the Taliban?

Azam Ahmed writes about how unruly factions hurt the Taliban's bid to capture Afghan hearts and territory. (New York Times, Jan 2, 2015). Kidnappings and robberies hurt the Taliban's cause in Helmand province. Article examines what happened to the senior leaders of a decade ago and who the Taliban are now.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 5, 2015)

Afghanistan's orphans live a very vulnerable life. Funding of orphanages is limited and hampered by the corruption of the Afghan officials. Read more in "A decade of aid cash brings little cheer for Afghan orphans", France 24, January 4, 2015.

Afghan news outlets say that a dozen rebels were killed in a Ghazni province clash recently. 

Six foreign militants are believed to have been killed in an American drone strike in the North Wazirstan tribal region of Pakistan on Sunday morning (Jan 4, 2015).  According to a Pakistani security official two drone missiles were fired into a compound on early Sunday morning. Reportedly a small group of Uzbek militants were killed. (The New York Times, Jan 4, 2015).

38 % of the U.S. public thinks the Afghan War was worth the costs. This figure is reportedly rising according to a ABC poll. (The Washington Post, Jan 4, 2015).

It seems that members of the U.S. military are the best customers of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select whiskey. Read more here. (The Tampa Tribune,  Jan 4, 2015).

Afghan Cabinet. Reportedly the new Afghan cabinet will be announced on Wednesday. President Ghani had promised to announce the cabinet within 45 days of taking office. It has been three months. The delay is attributed to disagreements on the cabinet selections between President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah (CEO). (Khaama Press, Jan 4, 2015).

Tamim Asey writes about the year to come (2015) for Afghanistan. He identifies six key trends to watch. 1) NUG survival, 2) parliamentary election, 3) peace process, 4) security sector reform, 5) dwindling economy, and 6) reform agenda. (Eurasia Review, Jan 3, 2015).

Task Force Sabre and USAID met with members of the Parwan provincial leadership recently to discuss future coordination and the changing nature of international assistance for Afghanistan. The shura was organized by the program director for USAID on Bagram Airfield and hosted at the Justice Center in Parwan by general officers of the Afghan National Army. (DVIDS, Jan 4, 2015).

A female doctor from eastern Ghazni province was shot dead by militants late on Saturday night. The motive is not clear. (Khaama Press, Jan 4, 2015.).

The Georgian defense minister paid a visit to Afghanistan to meet Georgian troops stationed there. (Radio Free Europe, Jan 3, 2015).

Two Afghan soldiers have been arrested in connection with the deaths of people attending a wedding party in Helmand province. Eight more soldiers are under investigation. The incident took place in Sangin district. It appears that it was either mortar or artillery fire - news reports are unclear. (ABC News, Jan 2, 2015).

There are quite a few illegal armed individuals in the Kabul area - many of them involved in criminal activities in the city. The Kabul police will soon be launching an effort to disarm these illegal individuals and groups. (Khaama Press, Jan 4, 2015).

The Afghan first lady is engaged in coordinating for the dispense of relief supplies to those endangered by the arrival of winter weather. Read more in "Afghanistan's first lady steps into public eye with rural aid project", The Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2015.

The former chairman of the high office of oversight and anti-corruption, Azizullah Ludin, has died in the United States. He was undergoing medical treatment in the U.S. 

Blog Contributors Wanted

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 blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Get a Jump on the Afghan War News

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Students of Afghan Air Force

Flying students in the Afghan Air Force (AAF) attend their training at Shindand Airbase in western Afghanistan. The aircraft they learn on is the Cessna 182T. Shindand Airbase is about 60 miles south of Herat and 75 miles from the Iranian border. The airfield, a former base for the Soviet Union, opened for flight training in September 2011 with the arrival of the first C-182T. The U.S. Air Force is working in conjunction with Integration Innovation, Inc. (www.i3-corps.com); the firm that provides contract instructors for the flight training program. The first I3 class started in December 2011. The students learn to fly Cessna 182Ts, Cessna 208s, and other aircraft. Find out more about the Afghan Air Force flight training program in "Learning to fly in a war zone", Blue Force Tracker, December 29, 2014.

Cost of Afghan War

Cost of Afghan War. Mark Thompson @MarkThompson_Dc has penned an article entitled "The True Cost of the Afghan War May Surprise You", Time.com, January 1, 2015. Thompson says there are different ways to calculate the cost of wars. For instance, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has cost us $1.6 trillion. He says a truer measure of the wars' total cost could come in at between $4 trillion and $6 trillion. A large part of his argument pins on the cost of long-term expenditures such as medical care for the injured, disability payments for the injured and wounded veterans, retirement payments and health insurance for the increased size of the military, social and economic costs, and costs of military equipment that may not have been bought (MRAPs, drones, etc.) if the wars were not fought.

Turkey's Role in Afghanistan

Turkey has been a key player in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and in the development of the Afghan national security forces. They have contributed troops, staff and leadership to the NATO-led Coalition in Afghanistan from the very start of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. Turkey will continue that strong involvement into 2015 as part of the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "Turkey's role in post-2014 Afghanistan", Todays Zaman, January 2, 2015.

Refugees Find Hard Times

Winter is a tough season for the many thousands of refugees who have returned home from Pakistan. More than 5.8 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2001 and the fall of the Taliban. There are still 2.5 million Afghan refugees in other countries; principally Iran and Pakistan. Unfortunately, for the returning refugees there is little economic opportunity. Read more in "Limited options leave Afghan refugees reluctant to return home", Stars and Stripes, January 2, 2015.

German Probe into NATO Hit List

German lawmakers called for an investigation into reports that German military and intelligence agencies contributed to a NATO list of Taliban targets in Afghanistan. It seems, according to NATO documents, Germany added names of insurgents to the alliance's Joint Prioritized Effects List or JPEL. Hmmmm. Seems to me that when using intelligence in a counterinsurgency you would want to identify insurgents and place them on a priority list so they can be detained, captured, or neutralized. One method is to use the F3EAD process to 'attack the network' and maintain a prioritized list for targeting. Guess I am missing something here! Read more in "German Opposition Urges Probe Into NATO 'Hit List'", The New York Times, December 30, 2014.

Taliban Delegation and China

China is emerging as a possible facilitator of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. According to reports a delegation of Taliban officials recently visited China to meet with Chinese officials. Read more in "Taliban delegation hold talks with Chinese officials on Afghanistan", Khaama Press, January 2, 2015.

SPECTRUM Management Program

In a sign that progress is being made in the development of the Afghan National Army (ANA) into a professional military the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense will take the lead on SPECTRUM - a critical Command and Control (C2) responsibility. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) recently signed states that Afghanistan communication units will lead the way in effectively targeting insurgents and ensures special operations will continue to be conducted with full respect for Afghan sovereignty, Afghan law, and the Afghan constitution. The MOU moves forward the process where the Afghan military will successfully command and control the development of the Ministerial Spectrum Management Office (MSMO) and the transfer of the spectrum management authority from ISAF to MSMO. SPECTRUM XXI is a client/server, Window-based software system that provides frequency managers with a single info system to address spectrum management automation requirements. Read the full story by Capt. Nicole White from Resolute Support HQs in "ANSF takes lead on SPECTRUM Management Program", RS News, December 29, 2014.

Afghan News Snippets (Jan 4, 2015)

Nolan Peterson writes why soldiers miss the war. (Blue Force Tracker, January 2015)

The Afghan public is frustrated with the delays in forming the government cabinet and in the continuing Taliban attacks. (The Washington Post, Jan 2, 2015).

A book review by Brock Dahl of Jack Fairweather's "The Good War" can be read here. (The Washington Free Beacon, January 3, 2015).

An editorial by The New York Times (Jan 3, 2015) says that President Ghani is over-reaching. They cite his insistence that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) relinquish responsibility for the management of the fund provided by western donors to operate and pay for the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Police. The Law and Order Trust Fund managed by the UNDP has been criticized by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) for miss-management and a lack of oversight. President Ghani appears to be over-confident about the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) ability to manage funds. The MoI is notoriously corrupt and President Ghani, despite being in office over three months, has failed to appoint his cabinet.

A book review of "The Dogs are Eating them Now" can be read on The LA Times (Jan 4, 2015). Graeme Smith's book, a Canadian, focuses on his observations in Kandahar based on over 17 stints between 2005 and 2011.

Afghan intelligence foiled a suicide attack by the Haqqani Network in Laghman province. The NDS says the would-be suicide bomber was to use a motorcycle packed with explosives.  (Khaama Press, Jan 3, 2015).

It appears that Afghan National Army (ANA) members will be court-martialled over the wedding rocket attack in Helmand province. 17 people, mostly women and children, died in the attack and over 53 others were wounded.  The numbers of killed and wounded are in dispute with conflicting reports. (Khaama Press, Jan 2, 2015).

Bulgaria. Over 8,000 Bulgarian soldiers served in NATO's Afghanistan mission. The first contingent arrived in 2002 and the last Bulgarian contingent left in December 2014. Currently only 110 Bulgarian military advisors and instructors remain in Afghanistan. (Sofia News Agency, Jan 3, 2015).

Max Boot comments on the recent ceremony held at ISAF headquarters celebrating the end of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. He feels, despite statements to the contrary by President Obama, that the Afghan War is in full swing. He cites Helmand province as an example - where not only combat troops have been pulled out but advisors as well. Read more in "Max Boot: Afghanistan is still at war", The Gulf Today (AE), January 3, 2015.

A retired Pakistan general offers his observations of the United States involvement in the Afghan War. Read "NATO Wraps Up its Flag from Afghanistan", Scoop Independent News (New Zealand),  January 3, 2015.

Guest Contributors Needed

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 blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Daily News - Start off Day Right!

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Khowst and CIA - 5 Years Later

"Five years ago, on a cold, gloomy December afternoon in the mountainous region of Khowst Province in southeastern Afghanistan, an al-Qa'ida terrorist detonated a bomb strapped to his chest and killed seven CIA officers and injured six others; one of the deadliest attacks ever conducted against Agency personnel. The suicide bomber had been recruited as a CIA informant and taken to Afghanistan to infiltrate the upper ranks of al-Qa'ida. For months, he provided the Agency with independently verifiable intelligence on the terrorist network, and he promised to lead the CIA to the group's most senior members. Instead, the asset was an al-Qa'ida double agent"

Read the rest of this story published by the CIA in "Khowst - 5 Years Later", CIA News & Information, December 2014.

CIVCAS Afghan Wedding

News reports indicate that six members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) have been arrested in the wake of the civilian casualties from the recent attack on a wedding. The bride was wounded and is reported to have died of wounds in the hospital. The rocket exploded at a wedding in Sangin district,  Helmand province on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Many of the 17 victims were women and children. The incident took place while there was a government and insurgent fight in the area. Afghan officials have said that the ANA was responsible for the incident. Read more in a news story (Radio Free Europe, Jan 1, 2015).