Difficulties of Empowering Women in Afghanistan

One of the toughest places in the world to live as a woman is Afghanistan.  Attempts have been made by the international community to change the plight of women in Afghanistan but the progress has been slow.  Learn more on the problems with advancing the status of woman of Afghanistan in "Donor policies fail to bring real and sustained change for women", The Guardian, March 5, 2012.

Analysis of Afghan Reaction to Koran Burnings

The Institute for the Study of War has published an analysis of the Afghan reaction to the inadvertent burning of the Korans that took place in February 2012. The report can be found online. See "The Afghan Response to the 2012 Koran Burning Incident" published on March 2, 2012 by Paraag Shukla and Isaac Hock.

Proposal for CIA Led Force in Afghanistan After Withdrawal of Troops

Plans are under consideration to put elite special operations forces under the control of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after the majority of the U.S. troops have left Afghanistan in 2014.  According to senior defense officials these plans are still just discussions of options - however the topic is getting plenty of newsprint and coverage on the Internet. There are merits to such a plan.  The CIA and special operations forces have worked closely together since the end of World War II in many conflicts. While the CIA offers greater operational flexibility the special forces community provides units and individuals specially trained to conduct the type of operations a post-2014 Afghanistan will require.  Read "CIA-led force may speed Afghan exit", Newsday, March 3, 2012.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) Proving Their Worth in Northern Afghanistan

The role of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in northern Afghanistan has evolved from an immature force to a unit of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) trusted by villages and the communities they serve.  Not only has the ALP grown in numbers but it has grown in capability.  Read more in "Across northern Afghanistan, ALP provide increased security to populace", DVIDS, March 3, 2012.

Title 10 and Title 50 Debate: Convergence of the CIA and Special Operations in Afghanistan

With the recent news reports about the troop withdrawal soon to take place in Afghanistan (apparently before 2014) many have asked what the "stay-behind" force will look like.  Initially it was revealed that special operations forces would take a leading role in the operations post 2014. However, it would appear, based on recent news reports, that the CIA will play a leading role as well.  Special operations forces and the CIA have a long history of working together.  The CIA has shown it has the legal authority and operational flexibility to conduct operations that the military cannot.  The special operations community is encumbered many times by conventional force commanders, rules of engagement, and other restrictions. However, the CIA lacks the robustness, capability, and expertise that the special operators bring to the fight.  So they are natural partners in many conflict situations. Read a recent article about this topic in "Military-Intelligence Convergence and the Law of the Title 10 / Title 50 Debate", by Robert M. Chesney, Journal of National Security Law & Policy, January 24, 2012.

APPF, Private Security Contractors, and Congressman McKeon's Bill in Congress

Congressman McKeon has introduced a bill in Congress that would severely restrict the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  His bill would require U.S. bases in Afghanistan to be protected by U.S. troops - instead of Afghans from the newly established Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) or private security contractors (Afghan security guards).  Read the bill text here.

Rule of Law in Afghanistan and USIP

One of the major goals of the international community in Afghanistan is establishing rule of law. This is difficult in a society that has not quite made it into the 21st century.  Much of Afghanistan's criminal and civil disputes are resolved outside of the formal legal system through various community forums such as shuras, jirgas, and jalasas.  In areas under Taliban control justice is quickly (and sometimes fairly) dispensed by the insurgents. The Afghanistan legal system is ineffective, inefficient, and extremely corrupt with many of the judicial cases decided in favor of the party that pays the biggest bribe. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is actively involved in improving the Rule of Law situation in Afghanistan.  Learn more about their work at the link below:

http://www.usip.org/programs/projects/rulelaw-afghanistan

Is Civil War in Afghanistan Inevitable after 2014?

Nipa Banerjee teaches international development at the University of Ottawa and spent three years in Afghanistan as the head of Canada's development program in Kabul. She has published an opinion article int The Ottawa Citizen (March 2, 2012) entitled "Taliban wait to take power from a failed Afghan government". She believes that our success in countering the insurgency in Afghanistan is overstated and that our progress is not as great as we think. She cites leading Afghan politicians who hold a dismal view of the future of Afghanistan. These Afghans complain about the lack of reforms in the Afghan government in the areas of corruption, election procedures, legal apparatus, and government ministries.

Fragile Progress in Afghanistan - Says One Opinion Writer

Michael Gerson, an opinion writer for The Washington Post, reviews the current state of the Afghan War and concludes it is not going badly - despite the recent "insider killings" and Koran burning fiasco. He believes the current strategy is working and we should stay the course. Gerson provides kudos to the Obama administration yet cites a couple of missteps. Read his article "In Afghanistan, making fragile progress", March 1, 2012.

Leonie Industries - Information Operations Contract Firm - Under Investigation

The top contractor in Afghanistan, Leonie Industries, that provides information operations services to the U.S. military is under investigation for tax evasion. Reportedly the firm has not paid $4 million in federal taxes despite being awarded Army contracts that may surpass $130 million.  Read more in "Pentagon urged to investigate information operations", Federal Times, March 2, 2012.  It is a common view that the U.S. military has been really ineffective in the information operations arena both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mullah Omar Letter Causing Discontent Among Taliban

The distribution of a letter supposedly wrote by Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban, is causing some discontent among Taliban fighters. While many Taliban dispute the authenticity of the letter - claiming it is a CIA fabrication - others think it is genuine.  Among those Taliban who think the letter is genuine there are two schools of thought.  One advocates the instructions of the letter that endorses a strategy of slowing operations down, reducing civilian casualties, and giving negotiations with the U.S. a chance. The other group believes that Mullah Omar is selling out the cause of evicting foreign occupying troops and overturning the corrupt Karzai regime. Read more in "Taliban in Turmoil Over 'Mullah Omar' Letter", The Daily Beast, March 1, 2011.

Afghan Female General Breaks Down Barriers for a Better Nation

A recent news release about a female general in the Afghanistan army describes how she is breaking down barriers in a very male-dominated military organization.  Read more in "Afghan general breaking barriers to build better nation", NTM-A, March 2, 2012.

Oil Exploration Auction in Afghanistan

There is an estimated 600 million barrels of crude oil in the western half of the Afghan-Tajik Basin. Afghanistan will be soon auctioning off the rights for exploration and production to the Afghan blocks. Read more in "Afghanistan Sets Auction to Lure Bidders for Oil Exploration", Bloomberg.com, March 1, 2012.

Move in U.S. House to Bar Afghans and Private Contractors from Guarding U.S. Bases

In a move that is sure to complicate President Obama's withdrawal timetable the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants to bar private security contractors and Afghans from guarding U.S. bases in Afghanistan. The legislation is in response to "insider attacks" by Afghan security forces against coalition troops and poor reports on the newly established Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF). Read more in "House chairman wants private security contractors, Afghans barred from guarding US bases in Afghanistan", Associated Press article on Fox News, March 2, 2012.

Security Force Assistance Team Mission in Afghanistan

The Army is fielding fourteen teams to assist the Security Force Assistance Teams (SFATs) mission in Afghanistan. The SFATs job is to assist Afghan Security Forces as they assume a greater role in providing security to the Afghan people. The SFATs are assisting Afghan army and police units to improve their logistics, intelligence, maintenance, administration and training capabilities. Read more in "New Army mission partners First Army senior mentors, Afghan Security Forces", DVIDS, March 1, 2012.

Reality of Situation in Afghanistan

Fareed Zakaria writes an opinion piece in The Washington Post (February 29, 2012) about the "unsustainable aspect of America's Afghan policy". He states that while President Obama wants to withdraw troops he also wants to transition the fighting to an Afghan army and police while helping form a government in Kabul that can run the country and further develop its economy. Zakaria calls this a fantasy; points out factors that stand in the way of America's Afghan policy, and suggests that we recognize the reality of the Afghan situation.

He states that the Afghan government does not have the support of the Pashtuns - who comprise a good part (40%) of the population and many of whom support the Taliban. The national army, made up of Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks, does not have a proportionate representation of Pashtuns. For this reason support by the Pashtun areas of the country for the Afghan army is minimal. He believes that the Afghan economy will soon fail with the withdrawal of foreign troops and the excessive money spent in Afghanistan to support those troops. With a downsizing of the economy there will be no way to pay for a large Afghan army or police force. He sees no defeat of the Taliban in the near future as they have the support of the Pashtun population and sanctuaries in Pakistan.

In a concluding paragraph Zakaria suggests we accept reality and provides a way ahead:

"Accepting reality in Afghanistan would not leave America without options. Even with a smaller troop presence, we can pursue robust counterterrorism operations. We will be able to prevent the Taliban from again taking over the country. The north and east — populated by Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras — will stay staunchly opposed to the Taliban. We should support those groups and, more crucially, ally with the neighboring countries that support them. The natural, and historic, allies of the Northern Alliance are India, Iran and Russia; they have permanent interests that will keep them involved in the region. We should try to align our strategy with those countries’ strategies (obviously, the alignment will be tacit with Iran)."

Read his entire article here -  "Fantasy and reality in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, February 29, 2012.

A Dismal View of the Afghanistan Situation by Harper's Magazine - Scott Horton

Scott Horton in an article on Harper's Magazine website provides us with his view of Afghanistan.  Read "The Afghanistan Dilemma", February 29, 2012.  He sees the conflict eventually winding down with only Pakistan emerging as a true winner.

Cost of Fielding A Soldier in Afghanistan for One Year

What is the cost of fielding a Soldier for one year in Afghanistan?  It depends on who you ask and how you work the figures.  Most likely the answer falls between $815,000 to $1.4 million a year.  Read more in "One soldier, one year: $850,000 and rising", CNN Security Clearance, February 28, 2012.

Washington Post Editorial - Continue the Mission in Afghanistan

The Washington Post has published an editorial about the way forward on the Afghanistan war.  With the recent riots and demonstrations in the streets of Afghanistan - and the killing of NATO troops by Afghan security force personnel - many observers of the war feel that we should accelerate our departure from an ungrateful nation which has cost us so much money and so many lives. Not so quick says the editorial board of the Post in a recent article on their website - see "Despite the deepening crisis, the Afghan strategy is worth saving", February 28, 2012.

Afghan Anger Over the Quran Burnings - an Explanation

Stephen M. Walt in a piece published by Foreign Policy (March 1, 2012) provides an explanation of why the Afghan demonstrations and riots over the Quran burnings are taking place. He asks us to look at the situation through Afghan eyes - where you would see troops of a foreign power occupying your country for over ten years. Read his article "What the Quran burnings tell us".

"Declare Victory in Afghanistan and Come Home"

With the most recent killings of NATO Soldiers by Afghan security personnel in Afghanistan there has been a renewed look at the merits of staying in Afghanistan to 2014.  Many columnists are now advocating a declaration of victory and withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Read one columnist's viewpoint, KT McFarland of Fox News, in "It's time to declare victory in Afghanistan and come home - - before we have to shoot our way out", Fox News.com, February 29, 2012.

Afghan Local Police Academy Graduates in Nawa, Helmand, Afghanistan

Another Afghan Local Police (ALP) unit has graduated from it's training course - this time in Nawa district, Helmand province, Afghanistan.  The instructors were from the Marine's 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment Police Advisory Team. The training course was three weeks long consisting of skills relevant to police and infantry operations to include patrolling, marksmanship, police procedures, and more.  Read more on this topic in "Afghan Local Police Academy graduates in Nawa", DVIDS, February 29, 2012.  Learn more about the Afghan Local Police here.

Army to Deploy More M3 Carl Gustafs to Afghanistan

The Army will soon field more M3 Carl Gustaf weapons to Afghanistan.  Units that have received the Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System (MAAWS) thus far are the 25th Infantry, 10th Mountain, and 82nd Airborne divisions.  Some view the "Goose" as an alternative to the AT4 or Javelin. Read more in "Army Units Want More M3 Carl Gustafs in Afghanistan", KitUp Military.com, February 28, 2012.  For more details about the Swedish Carl Gustav (or Carl Gustaf) weapon system visit the WikipediA page here.

Mineral Resources in Afghanistan Give Hope for Future but Corruption and Other Factors Diminish Possibilities

Afghanistan has lots of natural resources that can provide much needed money for the government and jobs for thousands of Afghan workers.  However much stands in the way of fully capitalizing on these resources and aiding in the development of Afghanistan.  See "How Afghanistan Can Escape the Resource Curse", Foreign Affairs, February 29, 2012.

Afghan Border Police (ABP) Suffer From Corrupt Medical Officers Within the Ministry of Interior (MoI)

The Afghan Border Police (ABP) have a tough job; but it is made even tougher with a lack of medical personnel and medical supplies. Although the Ministry of Interior (MoI) receives plenty of money to keep the ABP units in the field supplied with medicine and medical equipment - the units don't receive it. For the most part the fault lies with corrupt Ministry of Interior officials in Kabul that sell the medical supplies and equipment on the black market. As with almost everything in Afghanistan corruption has once again diminished the effectiveness of an Afghan organization. This has a disastrous effect on the morale and fighting effectiveness of the Afghan Border Police.  Read more in "Corruption, mismanagement handicap Afghan Police", Stars and Stripes, February 29, 2012.

Civil War in Afghanistan is More Likely

The fact that the U.S. (and its allies) are leaving Afghanistan by 2014 - if not sooner- is clear to the Afghans.  Many in the U.S. will highlight a "mission accomplished, I brought the troops home" moment (just in time for the Presidential elections).  Others are concerned about what happens when the stabilizing presence of ISAF goes away. ISAF has struggled to keep the Afghan government in line - trying its best to foster good governance, encourage development, diminish corruption, and build capability and capacity in the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). ISAF's combat troops have also done much of the fighting which has kept the Taliban at bay.

However, once the majority of ISAFs forces and the aid money dries up several things will likely happen.  The Taliban will move into areas vacated by ISAF forces and not held effectively by the ANSF - reestablishing their "shadow government".  The Afghan government will  become more corrupt, ineffective, irresponsible and inefficient without ISAF looking over its shoulder - losing more legitimacy and the support of the population. Once the money flow dries up many of the government leaders and officials (who have siphoned off money for their Dubai bank accounts) will quietly leave the country for their overseas villas. Warlords and power brokers on the national and regional level will try to reassert their authority - many times using private militias that are currently being built up.

Probably most important is the likelihood of ethnic division and an outbreak of civil war.  While Karzai seems intent (at least publicly) on holding peace talks with the Taliban (a Pastun-based insurgency) the major opposition political party - the National Front for Afghanistan (NFA) - is very opposed to negotiations.  The NFA is comprised mostly of Tajiks, Harara, and Uzbeks.  A combination of factors and events could easily push the country into civil war.

Read a detailed analysis of this in "The Coming Civil War in Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, February 3, 2012.

Many Afghans Leaving Afghanistan Before 2014

Many Afghans, those who can afford to, have left or plan to leave Afghanistan prior to the departure of ISAF troops in 2014.  Once ISAF leaves there are doubts about the Afghan governments ability to control the insurgency, questions about the current reconciliation talks with the Taliban, and worries about the economy when the aid money stops flowing. Some Afghans with international options will leave before the Taliban start to exert their influence over the country again.  Many who have tied their livelihoods to international aid organizations, NGOs, development firms, and the ISAF military structure are worried as well - both about the cutoff of their means to make a living and retributions for working with "the occupying powers".  There are many Afghans who are in an excellent position - as a result of the overwhelming corrupt nature of the Afghan government many of the high-level Afghan officials have already built their villas in Dubai and they are padding their overseas bank accounts with money siphoned off from the international donations.  Read more on the exodus from Afghanistan in "Racing for the exits", by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, The AFPAK Channel, Foreign Policy, February 28, 2012.

Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) Official Website

The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF), under the direction of the Ministry of Interior, has launched its official website. The APPF website provides APPF customers with information on the process for contracting with the APPF and outlines the procedures necessary for Risk Management Companies (RMCs) or security companies to obtain risk management licenses. Also included on the website is background information about the APPF to include the Presidential Decree of August 2010 that established the APPF and some news updates on the progress that Afghanistan is making in its shift of security functions from private security companies (PMCs) to the Afghan Public Protection Force.

The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) website can be viewed here www.appf.gov.af.  The website has lots of information and is worth looking at if you (as an NGO, implementing partner, or other entity) are in need of the APPF security services in Afghanistan.

View an ISAF press release about the launch of the APPF website here.

There is some news that just won't get posted on the official Afghanistan website; for instance critical news reports about the shortcomings of the APPF program, how the private security firms are having weapons confiscated, or how the APPF is already seeing signs of the ever-present corruption found everywhere else within the Afghanistan government. Click here for information and news articles about the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF).

Book: "Afghanistan Declassified" by Brian Williams

Brian Williams, an Associate Professor of Islamic History at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, has done extensive fieldwork in Afghanistan. He is the author of Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War.  The book is adapted from a field manual he wrote for the U.S Army based on field work he conducted in Afghanistan.  Brian Williams has traveled to Afghanistan frequently over the past decade and is a historian of Central Asia. The book provides essential background to the war, tracing the rise, fall, and reemergence of the Taliban.  Sections of the book cover the Predator drone campaign in Pakistan, spread of suicide bombings, and comparisons of Soviet and U.S. experiences in Afghanistan.

His book can be purchased online at Amazon.com at the following link:

 Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War.

Burning of Qurans by Bagram AFB Incites Protests and Violence Across Afghanistan

A number of protests and riots have occurred across Afghanistan following the burning of Qurans by NATO troops at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.  Several members of ISAF have been killed in attacks related to the Quran burnings. Read more in "Afghan president condemns fatal bombing at military airfield", CNN, February 27, 2012.

Haqqani Network Enjoys Pakistan Santuary According to Ambassador Crocker

The Haqqani Network is enjoying sanctuary in Pakistan according to the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan - Ryan C. Crocker.  Read more in "Secret U.S. cable warned about Pakistani havens", The Washington Post, February 24, 2012.

Edmonton Journal Reporters Look Back on Canada Participants of Afghan War

Four reporters for the Edmonton Journal catch up with four Canadian military members who served in Afghanistan and have now returned "home".  Read "Getting back in touch with the troops", Edmonton Journal, February 27, 2012.

Seven U.S. Soldiers Injured in Grenade Attack in Sahib district, Kunduz, Afghanistan

Seven U.S. Soldiers, trainers stationed in northeastern province of Kunduz, were injured in a grenade attack during an Afghan demonstration incited by the Koran burning event at Bagram Air Field.  Read more in "7 U.S. soldiers wounded by grenade during Afghanistan protest", Sun Herald, February 26, 2012.

Canada: Ten Years in Afghan War Has Effect on Military Members

In December 2011 Canada ended its "combat role" in Afghanistan after ten years.  It will continue in a smaller effort in the training and advisory role for the next few years.  Many observers are looking back over the last ten years to determine if the effort was worth the money and sacrifice.  In addition, many are looking at the effect the ten-year war had on its military members.  Read "After the 10-year mission: time of reckoning begins", The Montreal Gazette, February 27, 2012.

AfPak Hand One of Two Victims in Afghan Ministry of Interior in Koran Burning Backlash

2/26/2012 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- An officer assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command died Saturday of wounds suffered from a gunshot in Kabul, Afghanistan. Lieutenant Colonel John Darin Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron, was deployed in support of OPERATION Enduring Freedom and working in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of the Interior with the AfPak Hands program as the chief plans advisor. The AfPak Hands program stood up in September 2009 to develop a cadre of specially trained U.S. servicemembers skilled in Afghan and Pakistani culture and language.

Lt Col John Darin Loftis was an AfPak Hand who was working in Afghanistan as a plans advisor.  Read more about Lt Col Loftis here in "AF Special Ops officer killed in Kabul shooting", February 26, 2012, U.S. Air Force.

Rule of Law in Afghanistan

The link below will provide you with information about organizations that are helping to bring about rule of law in Afghanistan.  Listed are implementing partners that are assisting these organizations.  In addition you will find publications and news articles about the rule of law in Afghanistan. 

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/ruleoflaw.htm

State of the Taliban Report - Secret Military Document Online at The New York Times

The State of the Taliban document prepared by prison interrogators at Bagram, Afghanistan from info gleaned from interrogations of Taliban prisoners is now available at the The New York Times. The full text of the report is available for viewing.  See "Reading Into the 'State of the Taliban'", At War blog of The New York Times, February 23, 2012.

Nation Building in Afghanistan Not Working

A member of a forensic accounting team who spent the past year in Afghanistan providing analysis on where the money spent on Afghanistan has gone wrote an opinion piece for the Chicago Tribune.  Mark Doyle says that "Implementing a nation-building plan in a country that is unprepared, unwilling and unable to accept the fundamental components of a democratic state is an impossible mission.  It is not worth one more American life or taxpayer dollar".  His job in Afghanistan was to " . . . determine how much of the money committed to reconstruction projects was supporting counterinsurgency strategies".  He states that Afghanistan does not have the right conditions to make nation-building work and that the society and government is too corrupt.  Doyle's advise to us?  It is time to leave Afghanistan.  Read his article entitled "Why we need to get out of Afghanistan - now", Chicago Tribune Opinion, February 24, 2012.

Is Politics Driving the Early Exit from Afghanistan?

"KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are not beaten, the peace process is bogged down in internal squabbles and Afghan security forces aren't ready to take control of the nation. Yet the U.S. and its partners are talking about speeding up — rather than slowing down — their exit from the war.
It's becoming dramatically clear that politics is driving NATO's war exit strategy as much or more than conditions on the battlefield.

Political calendars in the West were never supposed to influence the decision about when Afghan forces take the lead and allow international troops step back into support roles or leave altogether. The U.S., Afghan and other international leaders have said repeatedly that transition decisions would not be held hostage to international political agendas."

Read the rest of the story in "Analysis: Politics drives exit from Afghanistan", Associated Press, February 3, 2012.

Can the Afghan War Afford the Obama Funding Cuts?

Max Boot has published an article criticizing the demobilization of over 120,000 Afghan troops and police over the next few years.  He calls this plan a disaster; particularly if the troops are left without a paycheck and with few legitimate job options.  Read more in "More Afghan cuts, more war", Los Angeles Times, February 24, 2012.

Read my comments on one way to reduce the size of the Afghan army and still provide for security and offer job prospects for the 120,000 to be demobilized in the blog posts below:

http://www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com/2012/02/afghan-defense-minister-worried-about.html

http://www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com/2012/02/us-to-switch-to-advisory-role-in-mid.html

Declare Victory and Bring the Troops Home - Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera, a senior columnist for Fox News Latino, says "It is past time to declare victory and to bring the troops home".  

We have spent ten years at war in Afghanistan, two and a half times longer than we spent waging World War II. How many more years, how many more lives and how much more American tax money would be enough to stabilize and westernize that perpetually medieval country?

We killed the man who killed our friends and neighbors on that September morning a decade ago. It is past time to declare victory and to bring the troops home. And if you don’t believe me ask the warriors who actually do the fighting and the dying.

Read the rest of the news article "Geraldo Rivera: Adios Afghanistan", Fox News Latino, February 3, 2012.

Massouma Esmatey-Wardak - Afghan Woman Pioneer

The fight for women's rights in Afghanistan is a long slog. Despite the advances women in Afghanistan have made in the past ten years there is more work to be done.  These advances are also threatened by the possible concessions that the Karzai regime and international community may be contemplating at the negotiating table with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.  However, woman's issues did not just surface in 2001 with the fall of the Taliban; the women's movement has seen Afghan activists for quite a while. Read the story about an Afghan woman from an earlier time in "Determination defined: remembering an Afghan pioneer", The AFPAK Channel, February 22, 2012.

Finland Special Forces Unit Serving in Afghanistan

A recent news article provides some information about Finnish Special Forces serving in Afghanistan.  See "Finland has deployed special forces unit in Afghanistan", Helsingin Sanomat, February 23, 2012.

Is Reintegration of Afghan Insurgents Working?

The international community is sinking a lot of money into the reintegration of insurgents. The program offers the insurgent a way out of the fighting with a monthly stipend for three months, vocational training, and work opportunities - plus a way to walk away from the fight. Thus far, over 3,100 former insurgents have officially entered the program. This number is still significantly lower than what is needed for the reintegration process to have a real impact on the conflict - ISAF and Afghan officials were hoping to attract over 12,000 Taliban to the Afghan reintegration process.  Many observes have criticized the program citing statistics that most reintegrees come from the north where the fighting is less intense (vice the south and southeast) and that many of these 3,000 reintegrees are not Pastun fighters; instead they are cronies of local politicians looking for a handout.

See the "official" version of how reintegration is working in "Afghan insurgent Reintegration Effort Works, Official Says", American Forces Press Service, February 22, 2012.

A questioning voice can be heard here in "Military: Who Cares How Many Taliban Stop Fighting", Wired.com Danger Room, February 23, 2012.

Read more in "NATO: 99 percent of reformed insurgents staying out of the fight", Stars and Stripes, February 22, 2012 and "ISAF official: Reintegrating Afghan insurgents working", The Washington Times, February 22, 2012.

News Articles about Governance in Afghanistan

The link below will take you to a listing of news articles about governance in Afghanistan.

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/governancenews.htm

Withdrawal from Afghanistan and Presidential Politics

Michael A. Cohen of the Century Foundation has wrote an article exploring the presidential politics of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.  He explores the timeline for withdrawing and how the public views the circumstances of the departure from Afghanistan.  There are interesting comments on how the withdrawal affects Obama's quest for re-election.  See "Premature Evacuation?", Foreign Policy, February 2, 2012.

Afghanistan's Economy Beyond 2014 - A Big Question Mark

While many observers are worried about the security situation in Afghanistan after 2014 (date of withdrawal of the coalition forces) others are concerned about the economy of Afghanistan.  The Afghan economy is heavily dependent upon foreign aid - of the total 2010 government expenditure ($17 billion) only $1.9 billion came from Afghanistan's own sources of revenue.  The present economy depends almost entirely on the development funds provided by the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and other nations.  The money spent supporting the security environment is immense.  After 2014 most of this money will fade away.  It is unknown how much the donor nations will continue to contribute after 2014.  Most nations are turned off by the immense corruption of the Karzai regime.

There are some possible solutions for the future. Technology will play a large part - the explosion of cell phone use is phenomenal. There are rich mineral deposits that can be mined.  There is is the New Silk Road strategy that may transform the economy.  However, for all these possible solutions, there must be a secure environment - and that is another big question mark.

Read more on this topic in "Can the Afghan economy be saved?", By Javid Ahmad and Louise Langeby, The AFPAK Channel, Foreign Policy, February 3, 2012.

Laghman Provincial Response Company - Bringing Security to a Contested Province

A reporter provides us insight on a U.S. Special Forces team's job of training the Laghman Provincial Response Company.  Read "Can These Commandos Salvage the Afghan War?", Wired.com Danger Room, February 16, 2012.

Reintegration of Taliban in Zabul Province

Zabul Province has taken a small step forward in the reintegration of insurgents back into Afghan society. The leader of a small band of Taliban has crossed over to the Afghan government and is now helping the government to reintegrate other insurgents. The reintegration program, although well-funded with $140 million, has had dismal success in Zabul province.  Most reintegrees have come from northern Afghanistan - with Badghis province having the most insurgents join the program.  Read more here - "In the battle for Taliban minds, a new spokesman steps forward in Zabul province", Stars and Stripes, February 19, 2012.

Hizb-i-Islami Wants Seat at Negotiation Table

The Afghan insurgent group known as Hizb-i-Islami wants to ensure it has a seat at the negotiation table that will attempt to settle the Afghan War.  See "Afghan talks to fail without all groups - Hizb-i-Islami", Reuters, February 19, 2012. The group claims that if left out of the Afghan peace talks then they will likely continue to fight.