Afghan Ethnic Minorities On Guard About Karzai Peace Initiatives

"PANJSHIR VALLEY, Afghanistan—President Hamid Karzai's moves to make peace with the Taliban are scaring Afghanistan's ethnic minorities into taking their weapons out of mothballs and preparing for a fight.  Mindful that Karzai's overtures come with NATO's blessing, and that U.S. and NATO forces will eventually leave, they worry that power will shift back into the hands of the forces they helped to overthrow in 2001. Such a peace deal won't be easy in a country with a complex ethnic makeup and a tradition of vendetta killings. With ethnic and tribal differences having sharpened during the violence of the last 30 years, there's little indication that Karzai's overtures are gaining much traction.  Still, some mujahedeen -- commanders of the Northern Alliance of minority groups that fought the Taliban -- are taking no chances. They speak openly of the weaponry they have kept despite a U.N. disarmament drive."

Read the rest of the article in "Wary of Taliban, Afghan mujahedeen ready for fight", The Boston Globe, November 13, 2010.

Canada's Withdrawal From Afghanistan Includes Civilian Workers and Officials

Canada is, in addition to removing combat troops from Afghanistan, also looking to withdraw some of its aid workers and civilian advisers and officials.  It will continue an Afghan troop training mission.  Read more in "Canada quitting Kandahar and making deep cuts to Afghan aid", The Globe and Mail, November 17, 2010.

Canadian Trainers to be sent to Afghanistan

Up to 1,000 Canadian trainers and support staff could be sent to Afghanistan.  Read more in "Canadian trainers could be spread across Afghanistan", National Post, November 12, 2010.

Foreign Trainers and $1 Billion a Month to Build Afghan Army

The US is betting that recent operations with its troop surge will have put a dent into the Taliban's fighting force and caused it to be less effective.  Over the long-term the strategy is to train the Afghan army.  Read more on this topic in "U.S. bets foreign trainers, $1-billion a month can build powerful Afghan army", The Globe and Mail, November 16, 2010.

Group Seeks Help on Afghan Ban on Private Security Contractors

"Private contractors supporting multimillion-dollar development projects in Afghanistan are seeking an exemption from the Afghan government's controversial ban on the use of security contractors to guard key infrastructure projects.  On Monday, the Professional Services Council, an Arlington, Va., trade association, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that she advocate for the full exemption of private development firms and nongovernmental organizations from the prohibition on hiring private security. PSC represents many of the private development firms in Afghanistan that the U.S. Agency for International Development has hired."

Read the rest of the article in "Group seeks exemption to Afghan private security ban", Government Executive, November 10, 2010.

Petraeus and His War with The Beltway

It appears that General Petraeus has had his way with the Washington crowd.  2011 is now 2014. Read more on this topic in "Foreign Policy: Petraeus' War Inside The Beltway", NPR, November 15, 2010.

Survey of Afghan People Conducted by The Asia Foundation

A recent poll conducted by The Asia Foundation is being used by supporters and detractors of the Afghan War to support their arguments.  The polls seems to be legitimate yet it is interpreted in various ways depending on your outlook of the war.  You will find the media is citing it quite frequently in news postings.  The blurb below is from The Asia Foundations website and provides info on the survey.

"On November 9, 2010, The Asia Foundation released findings from Afghanistan in 2010: A Survey of the Afghan People – the broadest public opinion poll in the country. Conducted by The Asia Foundation's office in Afghanistan, the 2010 survey polled 6,467 Afghan citizens across all 34 provinces in the country on security, development, economy, government, corruption, and women's issues to assess the mood and direction of the country. In-person interviews were conducted from June 18 – July 5, 2010 with a multi-stage random sample of Afghan citizens 18 years of age and older, both women and men, from different social, economic, and ethnic communities in rural and urban areas."

Read or download the survey by The Asia Foundation entitled "Afghanistan in 2010: A Survey of the Afghan People" .

Karzai Wants U.S. Troop Levels Reduced in Afghanistan

President Karzai of Afghanistan has once again called for a reduced U.S. troop footprint and the ending of Special Operations night raids - saying that both are counterproductive and incite resistance to the Afghan government and coalition forces. This puts him at odds with the coalition military that believe recent successes have been a result of the 30,000 troop surge and the very effective night raids by Special Operations forces that are rolling up mid-level Taliban leaders.  Read more in "Karzai wants U.S. to reduce military operations in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, November 14, 2010.

Interview with Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad - A Veteran Jihadi Leader (By Jamestown Foundation, Nov 2010)

"Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad is a former member of the Hizb-e-Islami leadership council, a party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Waqad was one of three key anti-Soviet leaders of the mujahideen and served as Hekmatyar's lieutenant. He is a graduate of the Islamic Law Faculty of Kabul University and is now a leading member of the National Front, an opposition group to Hamid Karzai's administration. Waqad recently spoke with Jamestown analyst Waliullah Rahmani in Kabul."

Read the interview here at "Afghanistan's Veteran Jihadi Leader: An Interview with Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad", The Jamestown Foundation, November 2010.

CIA World Factbook on Afghanistan

The CIA World Factbook on Afghanistan provides a wealth of background information on the country to include geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues.  To view click on the link below:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html

CIA Predator Attacks in Pakistan More Effective Than Media Reports

"Widely-cited reports of the inaccuracy and disproportionality of civilian to militant deaths in the CIA’s ongoing Predator drone campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan are grossly misleading. The most detailed database compiled to date, assembled by the authors of this article, indicates (among other important findings) that the strikes have not only been impressively accurate, but have achieved and maintained a greater proportionality than either ground operations in the area or targeting campaigns elsewhere."

Read the rest of the article at "New Light on the Accuracy of the CIA's Predator Drone Campaign in Pakistan", The Jamestown Foundation, November 2010.

Afghan COIN Academy Briefing by 1st Commando Brigade G3

"CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan - The Afghan Commando Brigade was represented by one of their own at the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan, also known as the COIN Academy, Nov. 6 at Camp Julien in Kabul, Afghanistan.  Afghan Col. Bismellah Wazari, 1st Commando Brigade G3, briefed a wide range of attendees, from multiple countries, on the progress Afghan National Army Commandos and ANA Special Forces are making and how."  Read the rest of the article in "Commandos, ANASF represented at COIN Academy", DVIDS, November 13, 2010.

"The Last Patrol" in Arghandab River Valley of Afghanistan - Atlantic Monthly (Nov 2010)

The Atlantic Monthly has published an article about a platoon of the 82nd Airborne Division that has just completed a one-year tour in Afghanistan entitled "The Last Patrol" in the November 2010 issue.  The platoon suffered numerous casualties in one of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan - second platoon of Charlie Company of the 2-508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division - was posted in the Arghandab River Valley near Kandahar, Afghanistan.  The Soldiers of 2nd Platoon named their area of operations "The Devils Playground".

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/the-last-patrol/8266/

Survey Says Afghans Optimistic on Direction of Country

A recent survey has found that some Afghans are becoming more optimistic about the course of the war.  The survey was conducted by the Asia Foundation - a U.S. based organization - and was financed by U.S. AID.  Some say that the survey is overly optimistic citing the need for the U.S. to show some positive results in the war.  Read more in "Nearly half of Afghans believe country is moving in the right direction", The Christian Science Monitor, November 10, 2010.

Adm Mullen says Afghans have resources needed to win

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11, 2010 – After years of under-resourcing the war in Afghanistan, the coalition has put in place the pieces needed to win the counterinsurgency battle in the country, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen made the comments as part of the Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture Series on the UCLA campus here. Renee Montagne, the daughter of a Marine and co-host of NPR’s Morning Edition, hosted led conversation.

Mullen said that while the United States has been at war in Afghanistan since 2001, only recently has the conflict received the attention and resources it requires. The war followed an arc that was promising in the early days, but seemed to plateau until 2006, when the Taliban came back with a vengeance.
When Mullen became chairman in 2007, Iraq was the main U.S. conflict. The surge was in full swing and American forces were spending 15 months at assignments in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. There were more than 150,000 Americans in Iraq and under 40,000 in Afghanistan. It was a conservation of force mission in Afghanistan, meaning the United States was sending just enough resources to maintain the combat forces there, he said.

Read the rest of the article at the link below:
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=61658

Operation Dragon Strike - Different Views of Outcome

Operation Dragon Strike has concluded in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan.  A reporter has commented on the success (and failures) of this major operation.  Read more in "U.S. Thrust Has Unintended Effect on Kandahar City", NPR, November 12, 2010.

Leaving Afghanistan - 2011 or 2014?

It appears there is a shift in the strategic communications about U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.  The withdrawal date of summer 2011 has shifted to the right it seems.  Read more in "U.S. Tweaks Message on Troops in Afghanistan", The New York Times, November 10, 2010.

Paktya Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Delivers Humanitarian Supplies in Afghanistan

A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is actively working with Afghan troops to deliver humanitarian supplies within the Paktya province.  Read more in "PRT links Afghan faces to Afghan progress", CJTF 82, November 10, 2010.

Are We Winning in Kandahar, Afghanistan? Time Magazine, Nov 9, 2010

A Time Magazine article questions whether we are winning the fight in Kandahar.  The article says that optimistic reports by the military authorities are at odds with what the media and NGOs are saying is happening on the ground.  Read more in "Afghanistan: Is the U.S. Military Succeeding in Kandahar", Time Magazine, November 9, 2010.

UAV Attacks in Afghanistan

A recent article by Peter Bergen has been posted online that addresses the topic of armed UAVs attacking insurgent targets in Pakistan.  Read "The Drone Wars: Killing by remote control in Pakistan", The Atlantic, December 2010.

Improvements in Helmand Province Security

The governor of Helmand Province in Afghanistan has stated that security is getting better.  An influx of U.S. Marines with abundant resources has helped the security situation.  Read more in "Helmand governor: US improving security in Sangin", The Washington Post, November 3, 2010.

Progress Seen in South of Afghanistan

A recent online news article states that some progress is being made in southern Afghanistan.  Read more in "Afghan villagers get stronger against Taliban", USA Today, November 4, 2010.

Afghan Government in Kandahar Failing

While the security situation in Kandahar is improving the Afghan government is not meeting its objectives in setting up a civil administration.  Read more in "Afghan government falters in Kandahar", The Washington Post, November 3, 2010.

Canada Looks to Train Afghan Police in Southern Afghanistan

The head of the Canadian forces serving in Afghanistan recently stated that his troops are trying to train and expand the effectiveness of Afghan National Police (ANP) units - rather than try to field Afghan Local Police (ALP).  Read more in "Canadian general would rather boost Afghan police", CTV News, November 3, 2010.

Canada's PRT in Kandahar 'Wildy Successful'

A U.S. diplomat who has worked in the south of Afghanistan recently had kind words for a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) headed up by Canadian forces.  Read "Canada's PRT in Afghanistan 'wildly successful': US diplomat", The Montreal Gazette, October 31, 2010.

Australians Wonder About Matiullah Khan of Oruzgan Province

Australians are questioning its armed forces involvement with a warlord called Matiullah Khan in Afghanistan.  Read more in "Cultural norms in Afghanistan", Brisbane Times, October 31, 2010.

Regional Command East on Twitter

Do you want to keep pace with events in Regional Command East Afghanistan?  You can follow along on Twitter.  Click on the link below:

http://twitter.com/rcea

Taliban Dispute Effectiveness of Special Operations Night Raids in Afghanistan

The Taliban is disputing the effectiveness of Special Forces raids against high- and mid-level Taliban leaders.  Read more in "Taliban claim success against Nato's night raids", The Guardian, October 31, 2010.

Development Projects in Nangahar Province Lack Coordination

A recent news article is critical of aid projects in Nangahar Province, Afghanistan.  Read "Development aid in key Afghan province lacking in oversight, audit finds", The Washington Post, October 26, 2010.

XM-25 Grenade Launcher Heads to Afghanistan

The Army is sending a high-tech weapon to Afghanistan for testing.  Over 800 XM-25 Grenade Launchers are heading over to be used by the 101st Airborne Division. The launcher shoots a 25-mm high-explosive round that some call a "smart" grenade.  Read more in "Men in Black Computerized Grenade Launcher Heads to Afghanistan", Wired.com Danger Room, October 14, 2010.

Neighborhood Watch in Marjah, Afghanistan - Afghan Local Police Initiative

"ARLINGTON, Va. — Neighborhood watch programs, typically the domain of riled-up, would-be crime stoppers in community associations across America, are apparently catching on in the Marjah district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

The top U.S. commander there told the Pentagon press corps Tuesday that Marines are seeing increasing interest among residents in organizing formal groups to keep an eye on villages.

Some are unarmed and mostly provide information about insurgency activity to local forces. Others are designated and paid by the district police chief, carry weapons and set themselves apart with arm bands, said Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman, head of Task Force Leatherneck.

The latter are part of the newly sanctioned Afghan Local Police initiative that got its start last month. They’re a sort of Afghan National Police light. Defensive only, with limited powers, they are “essentially neighborhood watch programs,” Osterman said. He’s quick to point out that they are not local militias roaming with impunity (for the trouble that can cause, see: Iraq). Osterman said they are ensuring the neighborhood groups are under government control." 

Read the rest of the article in "Neighborhood watch gaining foothold in Marjah", The Stars and Stripes, October 27, 2010.

The AMD-65 Rifle - A Poor Choice for Afghan National Police (ANP)

A writer provides a lengthy article on the pros and cons of the AMD-65 Rifle issued to the Afghan National Police (ANP).  The article comes to the conclusion that the rifle was a poor choice and that it was not well-received by the ANP.  Read more in "One Poor Choice in Arming the Afghans, and Its Repercussions", At War - The New York Times, October 26, 2010.

The Australians and Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is responsible for the Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.  To that end the Australians have deployed special forces troops and other units as well. They are advising the Afghan National Army (ANA) 4th Brigade, assisting in reconstruction, and providing training to some of the local police units.  They face some problems - mostly corruption on the part of the Afghans, tribal difficulties, and lack of an effective Afghan government to work with the population - and of course, the Taliban.  A professor at the Macquarie University's Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism provides more info on the Australian efforts in Uruzgan Province.  See "Wishful thinking in Afghanistan", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 27, 2010.

Canada Considers Afghan Village Defence Initiative

"The Canadian military is considering taking part in a controversial program to help Afghan villagers defend themselves against the Taliban amid reports that a growing number of locals are standing up to insurgents in the incendiary Panjwaii district — often with violent results."

Read more in "Canada considers militarizing Afghan villagers", The Globe and Mail, October 8, 2010.  Learn more about village defense initiatives in Afghanistan.

184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Afghanistan

A unit of the Mississippi Army National Guard is now serving in Afghanistan.  The 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command recently finished training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and Fort Bliss, Texas in preparation for its deployment.  Read more in "184th has arrived at Kandahar Airfield", Clinton News, October 14, 2010.

MG Campbell Provides Info on RC East in Interview (October 2010)

Major General Campbell, the 101st Airborne Division commander, has provided an interview on how the war is going in Regional Command East along the Pakistan border.  See "Update from Maj. Gen. John Campbell, 101st Airborne commander", The Leaf Chronicle, October 26, 2010.

Canada Plans Its Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Canada is planning for its withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Read more in "Canada starts planning for Afghanistan withdrawal", The National Post, October 14, 2010.

Reading Lists for Afghanistan War

There are lots of recommended reading lists that have been compiled and disseminated over the past several years for the Afghan War.  Think tanks, government agencies, the Pentagon, and military units have all drawn up recommended books and publications for privates, generals, civilian contractors, State Department officials and others heading to Afghanistan.  A recent news article discusses the nature of the recommended books.  He compares the number of books published during the Vietnam era with the number of books published about the Afghan War - and notes that there was twice as many books published on Vietnam.  Not only that, but he notes that the main topic of books during the Vietnam era was about how wrong the war was, how badly it was being fought, and how to exit.  The majority of the books on Afghanistan are about how to fight the war better; specifically how to employ the doctrine of Counterinsurgency or COIN in Afghanistan.  Read his article here - "Getting the Right Read on America's Afghan War", CBS News, October 15, 2010.  See Amazon.com for a listing of books about counterinsurgency. 

Corruption Remains a Major Hindering Factor in Afghanistan

An Australian construction manager in Afghanistan has provided us with his view on the Afghan war and what needs to be done to fix it.  Read "Progress is hard to recognize in Afghanistan", The Australian, October 16, 2010.

Afghan Police on Track for Taking Over According to Defense Spokesman

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2010 – Significant progress over the last year in training the Afghan National Police has put Afghanistan’s interior ministry on track to care for its country’s own security by 2014, a senior official involved in the training effort said today.

Maj. Gen. Stuart Beare of the Canadian army, deputy commanding general for police at NATO Training Mission Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, briefed Pentagon reporters via teleconference from the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Beare said he’s impressed by the scope of the intervention playing out across the International Security Assistance Force mission, especially in the training mission for the “comprehensive development of the Afghan security forces, both army and police, from the [interior] ministry to the troops in the field.”

“I'm also struck by the scale of the intervention in terms of the quality of people and the amount of people that we are now covering down on or using to cover down on -- ministries, institutional systems, training centers and partnering in the field -- and the amount of money that is being applied to that to make it all work,” Beare said.

In terms of strength, the police force numbers have risen from 95,000 to nearly 120,000 in less than 12 months. The Afghan police force comprises uniformed police, border police, civil order police, the anti-crime police forces and the Afghan public protection forces.

“We're on track to growing the forces entirely to 134,000 by this time next year,” Beare said. “And we know we have the capacity in our training system to do that. We know we have the recruiting base to achieve that. And we've taken on enough trainers to be able to continue to deliver that.” More trainers will be needed, however, to grow and sustain the force beyond 2011, he added.

The challenge of growing and “professionalizing” the Afghan police force also depends on the effectiveness of ongoing anticorruption efforts in Afghanistan, Beare said, noting that Interior Minister Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi has six priorities for the police force: training and education, leadership, anticorruption, taking care of the force, structure reform, and using a reward-and-punishment system.

http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=61374

Australia Having Problems at Home with Military Decision in Afghanistan

There are problems on the Australian home front (at least a minor uproar) over the prosecution of three commandos over the deaths of some Afghan civilians and about the Rules of Engagement (ROE).  Read more in "Top brass shoot down Coalition campaign", The Australian, October 15, 2010.

Special Operations Forces Hitting Taliban Hard in Northwest Afghanistan

Special Operations targeted raids are having an effect on the leadership of the Taliban.  Read more in "U.S. strikes at the heart of the Taliban leadership", The Washington Post, October 23, 2010.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) Program to Double in Size

The Afghan Local Police (ALP) program may double in size from 10,000 recruits to 20,000 recruits.  General Petraeus is a huge supporter of the program that is being spearheaded by U.S. Army Special Forces.  Read more in "U.S. seeks a larger village police force in Afghanistan", The LA Times, October 19, 2010.

Afghanistan - A Comprehensive Approach to Local Engagement - By Eric Furey

A retired Special Forces officer, Eric Furey, has produced a paper entitled "A Comprehensive Approach to Local Engagement in Afghanistan".  The author has experience in Afghanistan where he worked on tribal engagement and local security defense initiatives.  The next two paragraphs are from the paper's executive summary and provides a description of the paper.

This paper intends to provoke thought on the connection between Stability Operations and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) reduction. Stability Operations emphasizes the need for a simultaneous bottom-up, top-down, and whole of government approach in order to “…outsmart the insurgents and wrest away the initiative.” Ultimately, the end state is to link the informal (traditional) local sub-national consensus governance structures with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghan Central Government) at the district level. Therefore, one may reasonably ask whether an engagement program with local villagers might also diminish the IED threat.

Experience demonstrates it can. Interviews with US Army Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (Special Forces Team{s}) conducting the Local Defense Initiative program from July 2009 until January 2010 provide evidence that a population-centric, bottom-up local engagement program within the rural areas of Afghanistan can reduce the number of IED incidents. What was further revealed was that indigenous reporting of IEDs and related information increased proportionately to the degree of trust, respect, and credibility developed between local village elders and United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets).

Good reading for someone who is headed that way.  The paper is posted on the Small Wars Journal website.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2010/10/a-comprehensive-approach-to-lo/

Petraeus Sees Progress in Zhari and Panjwai Districts of Afghanistan

General Petraeus is seeing some progress in the fight against the Taliban in the areas west of Kandahar.  He reports that there are areas of stability taking hold where the Taliban used to control.  Read more in "Gen. Petraeus says progress is faster than expected in Afghanistan operation", The Washington Post, October 23, 2010.

A Guide to Understanding the Taliban (or Talibans)

Foreign Policy Magazine has recently published an article (November 2010) entitled "Inside Talibanistan".  It is a revealing look at our enemy in Afghanistan - commonly referred to as the Taliban.  The authors state that the Taliban is not the monolithic enemy we think it is - but rather a loosely aligned group of militant organizations that "sometimes diverge widely in their allegiances, targets, and strategies".  Read the report at the link below:

 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/10/11/inside_talibanistan?page=0,0

Petraeus Says Kandahar Operation Going Well

Gen. Petraeus has stated that the campaign to clear areas west of Kandahar of Taliban forces is proceeding well.  See "Gen. Petraeus says progress is faster than expected in Afghanistan operation", The Washington Post, October 23, 2010.

Kidnapping Foreigners Big Business in Afghanistan

Any foreigner is subject to kidnap by criminal gangs, thugs, warlords, drug lords, and the Taliban.  Read more in "The big business of kidnapping in Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, October 20, 2010.

Reintegration of Taliban Happening in Small Doses

One key tenet of counterinsurgency is the "reintegration" of insurgent forces into society.  This is happening on a small scale in Afghanistan. The pressure from Special Operations Forces targeting Taliban leadership night after night is supposedly having an effect - causing some to decide to give up the insurgent life in exchange for being taken off a targeting list, provided protection from the Taliban, and an economic incentive.  Hopefully the trend continues. Read more about the reintegration effort in "In Afghanistan, the first hints of success", The Washington Post, October 12, 2010.

US Forces Hunting for Kidnappers of Linda Norgrove

US Special Forces are actively pursuing the group that kidnapped the British aid worker - Linda Norgrove.  Read more in "US forces hunting down kidnap group", The Telegraph, October 13, 2010.