British Troops to Pursue Taliban During Winter Months

A recent report says that British troops will pursue the Taliban in their traditional winter hideouts.  Read more in "British Troops Will Hunt Taliban's Winter Hideouts, Says Senior Officer", The Guardian, December 21, 2010.

ATCO Wins NATO Contract for Support Services in Kandahar

ATCO Structures and Logistics has been awarded a contract to provide support and utility services to NATO at the Kandahar Airfield.  They will handle life support systems at the base.  Read more in "ATCO Wins NATO Contract for Military Camp Support Services at Kandahar Airport", American Consumer News, December 1, 2010.

Reports Say that Special Forces Will Mount Cross-Border Operations into Pakistan

A New York Times (December 20, 2010) report says that the military wants to mount raids into Pakistan in an attempt to capture high-level Taliban insurgents and gather intelligence.  The news article indicates that CIA trained and equipped Afghan militias are already doing some cross-border operations.  Read more in "U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan". 

Secret Operations by Special Forces in Pakistan

According to a number of news articles U.S. Special Forces have been operating in Pakistan for some time.  The Wikileaks website has posted SECRET documents that indicate a small but important military presence has been aiding the Pakistan military in the fight against militant extremists in Pakistan.  Read more in "The (Not So) Secret (Anymore) US War in Pakistan", The Nation, December 1, 2010.

Human Terrain System - BAE Systems Failed Article Says

The BAE Systems contract for the Army providing staffers for the Human Terrain System (HTS) has been spotlighted by a recent news article.  See "Hundreds of Army Social Scientists Unqualified, Former Boss Says", Wired.com Danger Room, December 21, 2010.

Covert War in Pakistan

Slate Magazine has published an article about the secret drone war in Pakistan conducted by the CIA.  Read more in "Two Ways of Looking at Our Covert War in Pakistan", Slate, December 20, 2010.

Afghan War: Strategic Patience or Strategic Denial

A columnist writes an opinion on the Afghan war.  He cites White House and military quotes about "strategic patience" yet wonders if these same spokespersons are in denial.  Read more in "The darkness of our wars", by James Carroll, The Boston Globe, December 20, 2010.

SIGAR States Billions of Aid Dollars Wasted or Stolen in Afghanistan

The special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, Arnold Fields, has stated that the U.S. has wasted or seen stolen by corrupt Afghan officials billions of dollars of aid money meant for training the Afghan security forces or for development and aid purposes.  Read more in "Waste in US Afghan aid seen at billions of dollars", Reuters, December 20, 2010.

More MRAPs to go to Afghanistan

"Navistar, Oshkosh and General Dynamics Canada have recently received new orders worth almost one billion dollar, for the delivery of additional MRAP variants, in support of U.S. forces operations in Afghanistan. GDLS Canada received orders to supply 691 modernization kits to support RG-31Mk5E vehicles, Oshkosh will deliver 250 new ambulances based on the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle, while was awarded two contracts to supply 425 MaxxPro type MRAP vehicles, including 175 MaxxPro Dash equipped with independent suspension - for All-Terrain Mobility, and 250 Maxxpro based MRAP-Recovery Vehicles."

Read the rest of the article in "More MRAP to Support U.S. Forces in Afghanistan", Defense Update, December 18, 2010.

Afghan War Fatigue in American Public and Press

The news in America covers a multitude of topics each week.  A recent  study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism reveals that only 4% of the news deals with the war in Afghanistan.  Read more in "Afghan War Just a Slice of U.S. Coverage", The New York Times, December 19, 2010.

An Assessment of Humanitarian Needs in Afghanistan

ReliefWeb has posted an assessment of humanitarian needs of the Afghan populace on their website.  The extensive review of the aid situation in Afghanistan is explored with recommendations on how to meet some of the humanitarian needs.  See "Afghanistan: In a Time of Conflict", ReliefWeb, December 1, 2010.

New Guidelines for Night Raids in Afghanistan

Coalition troops in Afghanistan are now working under new guidelines for the conduct of night raids.  Read more in "New guidelines for night raids in Afghanistan, coalition official says", CNN News, December 17, 2010.

Frank Ruggiero Replaces Holbrooke as acting U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan

"The death on December 13 of U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, who was President Barack Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, blew a gaping hole in the U.S. team heading up the civilian mission of the White House's strategy.  On Friday, December 10, Holbrooke was meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when he fell ill and was rushed to hospital. Three days later, he was gone -- the victim of a ruptured aorta.  The drama unfolded at the start of the week in which the White House was set to unveil its long awaited strategy review of the war in Afghanistan.  State Department spokesman Philip Crowley announced the day after Holbrooke's death, on December 14, that one of his top deputies, Frank Ruggiero would step in as acting special envoy." 

Read the rest of the article here at Eurasianet.org (December 18, 2010).

Gates Dicusses Afghan Plan

In a recent news article Secretary of Defense Gates discusses the progress being made in Afghanistan and the plan that brings us to 2014.  See "Clear, Hold, Handoff Remains Afghan Plan", DoD Buzz, December 16, 2010.

Strategic Achilles Heels of Afghan War

The two biggest impediments to success in the Afghan War are the sanctuaries in Pakistan that the Taliban enjoy and the lack of progress by the central government to put personnel into areas cleared by combat operations.  A correspondent recently visited Afghanistan and interviewed General Petreaus where these issues and others were discussed.  Read more in "Worldview: Petreaus has answers on Afghanistan, based on hope", Philadelphia Inquirer, December 19, 2010.

Santuaries in Pakistan Hamper Progress in Afghanistan

More and more correspondents are noting the relevance of the sanctuaries that the Taliban enjoy in Pakistan and the effect that these safe areas have on the conduct of the war.  Read "Sanctuaries Hamper Progress in Afghanistan", Atlantic Sentinel, December 19, 2010.

U.S. Military's Infantry Burdened by Heavy Loads

The U.S. infantryman is supposed to close and destroy the enemy.  That is hard to do when you are wearing 80 lbs of high-speed, light-weight gear plus radios, body armor, helmet, ammunition, water, food, medical supplies, and more.  The Taliban fighter carries an AK-47 and a few magazines of ammunition.  The Taliban fighter is much more mobile.  An article recently published analyzes this dilemma and offers some suggestions to put our technological advantages to use to aid our heavily-burdened infantryman.  Read more in "Lightning Infantry: U.S. Technological Advantage and the Need for Modern Light Infantry", American Chronicle, December 19, 2010.

A Balanced Approach in Strategy Needed in Afghanistan

Frederick Kagan and Kimberly Kagan have penned an article calling for a balanced approach to our strategy in Afghanistan.  The Kagan's are independent military analysts who have conducted research for commanders in Afghanistan and are associated with the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War.  Read their article in "Our best chance in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, December 19, 2010.

Canadian Training Mission in Afghanistan Still in Planning Stages

The transition to a combat role to a training role for Canadian military members in Afghanistan is still in the early planning stages. Various options will be explored over the coming months.  It is likely that about 900 military members will be working on the large NATO base in the Kabul area.  Read more in "Details of Afghanistan training mission still undecided", The Globe and Mail, December 1, 2010.

Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan (Nov 2010)

"The November 2010 release of the “Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” a report to Congress in accordance with section 1230 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) as amended, was provided today to Congress."

The contents of the report include the current strategy, Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), security situation, governance, reconstruction and development and regional engagement.  The report is an Adobe Acrobat document, is 105 pages long, and is posted at the link below:

http://www.defense.gov/pubs/November_1230_Report_FINAL.pdf

Kandahar ANP Officer Course Graduates First Students

An Afghan National Police (ANP) training center has opened in Kandahar, Afghanistan and it has graduated its first class of police officer candidates.  The new training center is for police cadets from the south of Afghanistan.  The officer school is designed for locally recruited trainees who will be stationed near their homes.  Read more in "NATO General Visits Kandahar's first ANP Officer Candidate Class", NTM-A, December 19, 2010.

Operation Moshtarak in Marjah, Afghanistan Yields Results

The head of the Helmand Province Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) recently visited Marjah to assess the situation. He is optimistic that things are going in the right direction.  Read more in "Marjeh revisited", UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office News, December 1, 2010.

Limited Success in Afghan War (Seattle PI)

A recent news article in the Seattle PI states that the U.S. troop surge has bought some time in the Afghan War but that victory is still a distant goal.  The article says that some short-term tactical victories have occurred on the ground in Helmand and Kandahar Province but other factors still loom large.  These factors include the inability of the Afghan government to extend its reach beyond the district or provincial level, the effectiveness of the Afghan National Police (ANP), and the reluctance of Pakistan to disrupt the Taliban strongholds in the frontier provinces of Pakistan adjacent to Afghanistan.  Read "US Afghan troop surge buys time but not victory" (December 18, 2010).

Washington Post Editorial Cites Steady Progress in Afghan

A recent editorial by The Washington Post cites some progress in the Afghan War.  It mentions the success in Kandahar Province and the adjacent Helmand Province where the Taliban have been dislodged.  While the editorial says Obama's policy is not a resounding success it does point to signs of progress.  See "Steady in Afghanistan" (December 18, 2010).

Congressman With War Experience Criticizes IED Efforts in Afghanistan

A Congressman with war experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan is critical of counter-IED efforts in Afghanistan.  He states that ODIN was a successful program in Iraq that targeted the IED cells and that a similar program in Afghanistan would eliminate some of the deaths and injuries due to IEDs.  Read more in "Centralized Counter-IED Tactics in Afghanistan", Human Events, November 29, 2010.

MG Campbell Talks about Regional Command East in Afghanistan

Major General Campbell of the 101st Airborne Division provides some insight on the fight in Regional Command East.  See "Commander Describes Nature of Eastern Afghanistan Fight", DoD, December 15, 2010.

Dec 2010 Report Card on Afghanistan

With the end of the year approaching many are grading the US involvement in Afghanistan in terms of progress made.  See "For Obama, A Mixed Report Card From Afghanistan", NPR, December 10, 2010.

Brookings Institution Looks at the Afghanistan-Pakistan Review

The Afghanistan-Pakistan Review has been completed and the Brookings Institution has done an analysis of the paper.  See "Afghanistan-Pakistan Review Acknowledges Challenges", Brookings Institution, December 16, 2010.

Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee Wants Afghan Women Protected

A human rights committee of the Canadian Senate has stated that protecting women's rights in Afghanistan should be a focus of the aid efforts by Canadian troops and others.  Read more in "Focus future Afghan efforts on women, report urges", The Star, December 16, 2010.

Night Letters Part of Taliban Intimidation Campaign

The Taliban have been successfully intimidating the Afghan population through the use of night letters.  Letters left on doors of village elders, school teachers, and others who are seen as cooperating with coalition forces.  Read more in "Chilling night letters from Taliban intimidate Afghans", Stars and Stripes, November 30, 2010.

A Correspondent Writes on Progress in Kandahar

A correspondent revisits Kandahar - comparing today to a visit in 2000.  See "Ex-Taliban: From death threat to hope", CNN, December 15, 2010.

Taliban Encroaching on Area Around Bagram, Afghanistan

The Taliban are slowly making inroads into the villages around Bagram Air Field (BAF) in Afghanistan.  Although it is home to the coalitions biggest base in Afghanistan the military's influence seldom reaches beyond its fortified walls.  The Shomali Plain, where Bagram sits, is home to an agricultural hub that has seen some prosperous times.  However, these good times may soon end if the Taliban can extend its reach even further.  Read more in "Afghanistan: Taliban Encroaching on "Safe" District Surrounding American Base", Eurasianet.org, December 10, 2010.

Armed Militias Threaten Stability of North Afghanistan

Armed militias have threatened the stability and peace of northern Afghanistan.  The turmoil of the militias preying on the population and the lack of a central government presence (if present it is corrupt or inept) have opened the door to the re-emergence of Taliban influence in the area.  Read more in "Taliban Extend Reach to North, Where Armed Groups Reign", The New York Times, December 15, 2010.

Life in Kunduz Province for Villages Caught in the Middle

A recent article by Alissa J. Rubin in the At War blog of the New York Times describes how the ordinary Afghan is caught in the middle between the Taliban, coalition forces, corrupt Afghan officials, and illegal militias.  Read more in "The Americans Are in Our House. What Will the Taliban Think?", At War, December 15, 2010.

Briefing by Vice Admiral Harward on Task Force 435

Read the transcript of a briefing by Vice Admiral Harward about Task Force 435.  TF 435 has command oversight and responsibility of U.S. detention operations and facilities in Afghanistan.  The TF also supports the biometrics and rule of law efforts in that country.

http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4727

Pakistan Remains the Problem

According to a recent news article any gains made in the surge against the Taliban in 2010 will be negated by Pakistan's support of the Taliban.  The Taliban enjoy sanctuary in the frontier areas of Pakistan and the Pakistan's will not move against them.  Read more in "Afghan review will cite progress as war enters critical phase", The Washington Examiner, December 15, 2010.

IEDs a Constant Threat in Afghanistan

For U.S. troops in Afghanistan IEDs are a constant threat.  They have to avoid roads, trails, paths, and gateways to limit the opportunities of stepping on IEDs.  Read more on this daily battle in "Hoping to Avoid Bombs and Win Afghan Minds", The New York Times, November 29, 2010.

Taliban Santuaries in Pakistan a Major Problem

A recently returned U.S. diplomat states that the sanctuaries the Taliban enjoy in Pakistan are a major obstacle in winning the war in Afghanistan.  See "Havens in Pakistan loom as biggest hurdle in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, December 14, 2010.

Recommendatons for Engagement in Afghanistan

The International Crisis Group has released a paper entitled "Afghanistan: Exit vs Engagement", Asia Briefing No 115, 28 Nov 2010. 

"This paper is aimed at reminding policymakers of the deep problems that exist in Afghanistan. Any plan that fails to deal with the decay in Kabul will not succeed. President Hamid Karzai no longer enjoys the legitimacy and popularity he once had and he has subsequently lost his ability to stitch together lasting political deals. Despite the rhetoric surrounding reconciliation, Karzai is in no position to act alone as a guarantor for the interests of the Afghan state. In the current political context, negotiations with the insurgents stand a slim chance of success. Instead, the key to fighting the insurgency and bringing about the conditions for a political settlement lies in improving security, justice and governance and, as previous Crisis Group reports have shown, there are few quick fixes in these areas."

Read more about this paper at the link below:

Afghanistan: Exit vs Engagement

XM25 Rifle Now Deployed in Afghanistan

A new rifle, designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, has been deployed to Afghanistan.  The XM25 is a revolutionary rifle that is also quite expensive - to the tune of $35,000.  The rifle is called the Counter Defilade Target Engagement System.  It fires 25-mm ammunition and can be set to detonate in front or behind a target.  The weapon is 12 pounds and 29 inches long.  The Army plans to purchase at least 12,500 of the weapons next year.  Read more in "U.S. Army Unveils Revolutionary XM25 Rifle in Afghanistan", Fox News, November 24, 2010.

Nawa, Afghanistan - A COIN Success

One of the counterinsurgency success stories in Afghanistan is the situation in Nawa, Afghanistan.  Read more in "Nawa turns into proving ground for U.S. strategy in Afghan War", The Washington Post, December 12, 2010.

Whose COIN? Joint Force Quarterly Article is Illuminating

An article published in 1st Quarter 2011 Joint Force Quarterly and posted on the National Defense University (NDU) website provides a critique of counterinsurgency doctrine.  The article is penned by Amitai Etzioni, a renowned academic, who writes on a variety of issues concerning foreign policy, security, and more.  See the article at the link below:

"Whose COIN", by Amitai Etzioni, NDU Press, 2011.

http://www.ndu.edu/press/whose-COIN.html

Embedded Marines Assist Afghan Forces with Tough Love

Some Marines serving in Afghanistan are embedded with the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army to assist them to come up to speed so they can handle their own security in the future (2014?).  It isn't an easy mission and it requires "tough love" at times.  Read more in "Embedded Marines teaching Afghans to fend for themselves", Stars and Stripes, November 19, 2010.

Download DoD Report to Congress - Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan - Nov 2010

The Department of Defense has sent its semi-annual report to Congress on the state of the Afghanistan War.  You can download the report (Adobe Acrobat PDF file, 105 pages) at the link below.  The report is entitled "Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan", November 2010.  The report is submitted in accordance with section 1230 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).  Topics within the report include current strategy, state of the Afghan National Security Forces, security, governance, reconstruction and development, counternarcotics (CN), and regional engagement.

http://www.defense.gov/pubs/November_1230_Report_FINAL.pdf

America's Secret Wars: Testimony Before Congress by Jeremy Scahill

Jeremy Scahill has testified before congress.  His testimony is no surprise - raising alarm at the involvement of U.S. special operations forces conducting operations around the world.  See "Jeremy Scahill testifies before Congress on America's Secret Wars", The Nation, December 9, 2010.

How To Tranisition in Afghanistan After 2011

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) has published a report entitled "Responsible Transition: Securing U.S. Interests in Afghanistan Beyond 2011", CNAS, December 7, 2010. The report is authored by Andrew Exum and LTG David Barno (former commander of forces in Afghanistan).  The report advocates for keeping a robust drone and special operations capability in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

The New Karzai - Is he our Friend? Maybe not!

The west has been bewildered by the recent behavior and statements coming from Karzai.  Here is our man in Kabul who, without the support of the west, could soon be living with the rest of his extended corrupt family in one of their lavish mansions in either Switzerland or Dubai (bought with western aid money).  It is important to discover the source of his discontent with the U.S. military and the west.  He opposes the constant air strikes that continue to kill innocent Afghan civilians and the night raids conducted by U.S. special operators that violate the sanctuary of the Afghan home.  He would like to see his regional neighbors (Pakistan and Iran) engage in negotiations with the Taliban that would resolve the conflict - but sees no real hope of that occurring.  He blames the U.S. for problems with his corrupt and ineffective government.  So where does Karzai come off with his attitude?  One columnist, Ahmed Rashid - the author of Descent into Chaos, provides us with a portrait of who the new Karzai is.  Read "NATO's Dangerous Wager with Karzai", The New York Review of Books, November 22, 2010.

Police Mentoring Teams in Afghanistan Understaffed

Police Mentoring Teams (PMT) in Afghanistan are understaffed.  The military leadership in Afghanistan had requested 143 additional teams to be in place by October 2010.  The teams are 15-20 men each and mentor Afghan National Police units.  The United States had 279 teams working with the Afghan police.  Read more on this topic in "NATO revises goal for police mentoring teams", Stars and Stripes, November 19, 2010.

Going Commando in Afghanistan After 2014

An interesting post on force structure in Afghanistan after 2014.  See "U.S. Should Go Commando in Afghanistan After 2014, Think Tank Urges", Wired.com Danger Room, December 8, 2010.

Battle for Marjah Now Over Says U.S. Commander

The Battle for Marjah is now over says a U.S. commander. The fight for the strategic town in southern Afghanistan began in February. Read more in "Afghan War Coalition Completes Battle in Marjah as U.S. Assesses Strategy", Bloomberg, December 7, 2010.  Read past news reports about the Battle of Marjah, Afghanistan.