Video - Aftermath of the Endless War

The Miller Center of the University of Virginia presents a one-hour long video discussing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The panel consists of John Nagl and Daniel Bolger. Nagl, a retired Army LTC, was an early convert to the use of counterinsurgency to fight against the insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a co-author of FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency, 2006. Bolger, a retired three-star general, served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Nagl is the author to two books and numerous articles published in various publications and Bolger is the author of a recent book entitled Why We Lost: A General's Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Nagl has an optimistic view of our accomplishments in both wars but Bolger has a more pessimistic view of the outcomes thus far. You can watch the panel discussion in the video found at the link below.

http://millercenter.org/events/2015/the-u.s.-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-what-have-we-learned-about-politics-and-mi

Daily News Snippets (March 3, 2015)

Argument for Enduring Counter-terrorism Mission for Afghanistan. Michael O'Hanlon, an observer of conflict and military affairs, has provided us his perspective on the Obama timetable for a time-based departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. O'Hanlon argues that we need to keep a counter-terrorism capability (drones, special operations, helicopters, etc.) located at three key bases in Afghanistan (Kandahar, Bagram, and Jalalabad). Read more in "We still need U.S. bases in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, February 19, 2015.

How is that NUG Working? Aljazeera has published a news article that looks at how the National Unity Government (NUG) in Afghanistan is doing. The article examines the way that Ghani and Abdullah are working together to get things done. It asks the question - "Can two former political foes overcome a bitter election stalemate to combat the country's endemic corruption?". Read the excellent article in Afghanistan's Team of Rivals, February 19, 2015.
http://projects.aljazeera.com/2015/02/afghanistan-rivals/

President Obama says that combat operations in Afghanistan are over. He should tell that to the Marines! A small element of U.S. Marines are engaged in "operations" helping in the defense of Bagram Air Field. They work alongside the 51st Light Infantry Battalion of the Georgian military as part of the Georgian Liaison Team. Read more in "Marines continue fighting alongside Georgians in Afghanistan", Marine Corps Times, March 1, 2015.

The New York Times provides us with some metrics on how women in Afghanistan have seen considerable improvement in living and work conditions over the past decade and more. The situation for women of Afghanistan is compared with women in the nearby countries of Iran, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Read more in "Narrowing the Gap" (March 1, 2015).

Nathan S. Webster provides us with his thoughts on the new book by Elliot Ackerman entitled Green on Blue. Read "Elliot Ackerman Nails Afghan's Endless War", The Daily Beast, March 2, 2015.

The U.S. Air Force is trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog but it is meeting resistance among critics who say the replacement  - the F-35 - is wholly inadequate to conduct close air support. Read more in "The Case for the Warthog", National Review, March 2, 2015.

Afghan Experience 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

Early Morning News on Afghanistan

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.

Pop-Centric COIN: Protect the Population

"COIN is Population-Centric. The development of a proper COIN approach starts with the acceptance of the people as important to COIN operation." Counterinsurgency strategy should " . . . protect the population from insurgent violence; . . . " Page I-3, Joint Publication 3-24, Counterinsurgency, 22 November 2013.

"Security Sector Reform. SSR is primarily a means to strengthen the capabilities, capacity, and effectiveness of the HN security apparatus, which in turn improves the capabilities of the security forces to secure and protect the population from insurgent/terrorist violence." Page VIII-11, Joint Publication 3-24, Counterinsurgency, 22 November 2013.

www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_24.pdf

Stated at the top of the first page of the ISAF Commander's Counterinsurgency Guidance, signed by General McChrystal, are the words "Protecting the people is the mission".

www.nato.int/isaf/docu/official_texts/counterinsurgency_guidance.pdf

The Host Nation, Afghanistan, is conducting counterinsurgency operations to defeat the Taliban and other insurgent groups. The Resolute Support Mission, comprised of NATO and other countries, is engaged in Security Sector Reform (a U.S. doctrinal term) through its Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission to help the Host Nation conduct its counterinsurgency war. So how is the COIN population-centric campaign going?

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has released its 2014 Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, dated February 2015. Afghan civilian deaths rose 25 percent in 2014. Below is a chart from the report depicting the continuing rise in Afghan civilian casualties in the war from January 2009 to December 2014. Based on the United Nations data it would appear that the "protect the population" component of the COIN population-centric campaign is not going so well.

The entire report can be read at the link below. It is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

2014 Annual Report - Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

The Resolute Support Headquarters Information Operations machine was hard at work in response to the UN report. See the RS HQs press release entitled UNAMA 2014 Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Report, February 18, 2015 at the link below.

www.rs.nato.int/article/rs-news/unama-2014-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict-report.html

NATO RSM Mission - Facts and Figures

NATO has posted a document that provides the names of the Resolute Support leadership and key facts and figures on troop contributing nations. According to the chart over 40 nations are providing troops - From Albania to the United States. Some points of interest:

Macedonia is referred to as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". I guess that is so we don't offend the Greeks. Countries from as far away as New Zealand, Mongolia, and Australia are participating. The smallest contingent is Luxembourg (1) and other smaller contingents include Estonia (4), Greece (4), Iceland (4), and Ukraine (10).

The nations providing the highest number of troops are:

United States - 6,839
Georgia - 885
Germany - 850
Romania - 650
Turkey - 503
Italy - 500
United Kingdom - 430
Australia - 400

ISAF / RS General Officer Assignments

A number of general officers (with ties to ISAF or RS or SOF) have received new assignments according to a recent DoD news release (Feb 13, 2015).

MG Scott D. Berrier, currently the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence of the Resolute Support (and the Director of Essential Function 7 - Intelligence), will go to Fort Huachuca to be the commanding general/commandant for the Intel school and center.

MG Mark R. Quantock, deputy for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Virginia goes to be the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan; and will likely become the Director of EF7.

MG James B. Linder, currently commander of Special Operations Command Africa, heads to Fort Bragg to command the USAJFKSWCS which, among other things, conducts Special Forces training.

BG Donald C. Bolduc - with many Special Forces deployments to Afghanistan - has been selected to be the commander of Special Operations Command Africa. He is currently deputy director for operations at U.S. Africa Command headquartered in Germany. (Fayetteville Observer, Feb 22, 2015).

Video - Essential Function 5 Explained

Resolute Support Headquarters (RS HQ) has been rolling out an information campaign on the Eight Essential Functions or 8 EFs. The essential functions are a methodology for organizing the work of the Coalition in the mission of "train, advise, and assist" of the Afghan Security Institutions (ASIs) and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Part of this info campaign is a series of short videos on each of the essential functions. Thus far, the most entertaining video has been presented by Essential Function 5 - Sustain the Force. The director of EF 5 - a Mr. Pat Dulin - provides us with an entertaining 2-min video explaining the work that advisors do in the EF 5 area. This guy should sell used cars or perhaps vacuum cleaners! Or something as dry and boring as maintenance and logistics. Whoever said logistics couldn't be exciting!

https://vimeo.com/120277389

A-10 - A Deadly Attack Aircraft

The A-10 Warthog is considered one of the best close air support aircraft ever designed and flown in combat. A recent article ranks it as one of the 5 most deadly attack aircraft. The A-10 was the product of some inter-service rivalry - the Air Force didn't want the aircraft yet did not want the Army to take on the role of close air support. Even today, the Air Force plans to retire the A-10 to be able to fund the multi-role F-35 - an aircraft far from able to perform CAS (it's gun system carries only 105 rounds).  Read "Bombs Away: The 5 Most Deadly Attack Aircraft", The National Interest, January 28, 2015.

Women in ANSF - Western Values Imposed

One diplomat says "It's the absurdity of  imposing our liberal Western beliefs" when describing the insistence of ANSF recruitment of women into the security forces. Afghanistan is a culturally conservative country and some say that women's rights might have been an issue too far when transforming Afghanistan. Read more in "Afghan Policewomen Struggle Against Culture", The New York Times, March 2, 2015.

Paper - Defining RoL

Dr. Vivienne O'Connor of the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law has penned a practitioner's guide entitled "Defining the Rule of Law and Related Concepts". The document, published in February 2015, explores the topics of Rule of Law, Justice, Access to Justice, Human Rights, Human Security, and more. A good primer for those SFA Rule of Law Advisors working in Resolute Support Mission Essential Function 3 - RoL.

RS IO Machine at Odds with Reality

In the seminal 1230 report that is delivered to Congress every six months the status of the fight in Afghanistan is provided. This past 1230 report from October 2014 provided a favorable outlook on the situation in Afghanistan and the ability of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to defeat the Taliban. Except . . . most long-term observers of the conflict say otherwise. Read more in "Experts dispute upbeat views on Afghan fight", Stars and Stripes, February 19, 2015.

PEO Soldier Slide Show

The Program Executive Officer Soldier (PEO Soldier) provides the U.S. Army's Soldiers with the capabilities to ensure they remain decisive and dominant throughout the full spectrum of military operations. PEO Soldier manages more than 450 products and programs to provide the best equipment (weapons, sensors, individual equipment, radios, clothing, parachutes, etc.) to ensure the Soldiers can face present and future challenges. PEO Soldier has provided us with a 264 page slide presentation (Adobe Acrobat PDF) which depicts (pictures and text) the different types of equipment it manages. Very informative.

www.peosoldier.army.mil/portfolio/

DoD Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request

The Department of Defense's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request was submitted to Congress recently. You can view the 28-slide rollout presentation at the link below. (Adobe Acrobat PDF). The second link will bring you to the DoD FY2016 Budget Fact Sheet (Adobe Acrobat PDF).

www.defense.gov/pubs/FY16_Budget_Request_Rollout_Final_2-2-15.pdf

www.defense.gov/pubs/DoD_Budget_FY2016_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Oversight for Aid Projects Diminishes

A few years back there were over 100,000 U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan. USAID could use these personnel scattered across hundreds of FOBs and COPs as a set of eyes to provide oversight over aid projects that were being implemented by various humanitarian organizations and contractors. However, in 2015 there are only 11,000 U.S. military personnel confined to a few relatively large bases (Herat, Mes-e Sharif, Bagram, Gamberi, and Kandahar) and oversight on aid projects is problematic. Alone with the diminished oversight is a likely growth in corruption and failed aid projects. Read more in "US agencies adjust to shifting landscape in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, February 14, 2015.

Musharraf: Pakistan Cultivated the Taliban

Former Pakistan president Musharraf admitted that Pakistan "cultivated" the Taliban amid fears that former president Karzai was under the influence of the Indian government. He saw the ISI support of the Taliban as a counter to the heavily Tajik-dominated Afghan government. With the recent election of President Ashraf Ghani he hopes that ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan can improve and that India's influence in Afghanistan will diminish. Read more in "Musharraf: Pakistan and India's backing for 'proxies' in Afghanistan must stop", The Guardian, February 13, 2015.

Gen Campbell Testimony before Senate (12 Feb 15)

General Campbell, commander of the Resolute Support Mission, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 12, 2015. You can watch the proceedings at the link below or download the official transcript. (The video is 2 hours and 27 minutes long).

Senate Armed Services Committee Testimony
www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/15-02-12-situation-in-afghanistan

Official Transcript of General Campbell Testimony
www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Campbell_02-12-15.pdf

Article - "The Narco-State of Afghanistan"

Najibullah Gulabzoi writes about the nexus between drug trafficking in Afghanistan and the country's national security in "The Narco-State of Afghanistan", The Diplomat, February 12, 2015.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/02/the-narco-state-of-afghanistan/

Updated Info for Afghan SIV Program

The U.S. Department of State has updated their website with information about the Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who were employed by/on behalf of the U.S. Government. The webpage can be viewed at the link below.

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/types/afghans-work-for-us.html

Foreign Detainees in Afghanistan

Although the United States tried it failed to get rid of all the foreign detainees held at the Bagram detention center before it was turned over to the Afghans. As a result the Afghans inherited six foreigners that the U.S. could not find country willing to take the prisoners. Read more in "The Other Guantanamo: What Should Afghanistan do with America's foreign detainees?", by Kate Clark of Afghanistan Analyst Network, March 2, 2015.