Zabul, Afghanistan DAIL Representatives Take Lead in Agriculutural Seminars

The efforts of some US Agribusiness Development Teams (ADT) are paying off in Afghanistan.  The ADT from Minnesota has been working with representatives of the Zabul Province Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (DAIL) to take the lead in organizing agricultural events.  The job of the Zabul ADT is to partner with the Zabul Province DAIL staff and conduct agricultural outreach and activities throughout Zabul Province.  Read more of the Zabul ADT in "Afghan partners take lead role in Zabul province veterinary seminar", DVIDS, March 2, 2012.

British Ambassador Comments on Mistakes in Afghanistan

Sir William Patey, the British ambassador to Afghanistan, will be leaving his post soon. In a recent interview he provided some comments on the mistakes the coalition has made in the past and on future prospects for Afghanistan. Read more in "Our big mistake was to assume we had won, says British ambassador to Afghanistan", The Telegraph, March 10, 2012.

US Lawmaker Wants Karzai Investigated for Corruption

Representative Dana Rohrabacher has requested an investigation by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to see if President Hamid Karzai is diverting foreign aid money to family and cronies. Rohrabacher is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations. Corruption in Afghanistan has been a huge problem and Karzai is responsible for much of the corruption that takes place. Read a news report on this topic at "US lawmaker wants Afghanistan's Karzai investigated", Google Hosted News, March 10, 2012.

Afghanistan's Railroads - The New Silk Road

There are rich mineral deposits in Afghanistan; however, to move the mineral raw materials to processing plants requires the building of railways.  Currently there are not that many railways in Afghanistan; in fact, almost none. Read a recent news article on the topic entitled "Afghanistan joins the railroad era - 100 years late", by Kay Johnson, Associated Press (hosted on Google News), March 10, 2012. Learn more about railroads in Afghanistan.

A German Perspective on Afghanistan War

A retired general officer of the German Bundeswehr (German Army) has wrote an article entitled "German Perspective On Lessons Learned From Afghanistan - Analysis", posted on Eurasia Review - News and Analysis, on March 10, 2102. The author is LtGen (Ret) Dr. Ulf von Krause, a retired officer of the German Bundeswehr. The article describes the scope of deployments of the Bundeswehr to Afghanistan ranging from 100 members of German Special Forces (GERSOF) in the early part of the war to over 5,000 troops to participate in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). At first German troops were stationed in and around Kabul but eventually the German forces moved into Northern Afghanistan and commanded Regional Command North (RC North). The author discusses the Rules of Engagement (ROE), types of missions, the multilateral aspect of German commitment to the Afghan conflict, German support of the NATO alliance, the difference in objectives of ISAF (stabilization and political reconciliation) and the US (combat operations), the German populations' perception of the war, parliamentary process and the escalation of the German participation, lessons learned, and the future of Afghanistan after 2014. A very good read. Access the article here.

Leonie Industries Under Fire for Afghan Contract and Not Paying Taxes

Leonie Industries has been awarded a lucrative contract to conduct Information Operations in Afghanistan - to the tune of $20 million. However, the two principal owners owe $4 million in federal taxes. Two senators are interested in whether the defense department has tried to recoup the federal taxes.  Read more in "Two senators target government contractors with back taxes", USA Today, March 8, 2012.

Will USAID Workers Be at Greater Risk With Switch to APPF Security?

Officials in Washington are concerned about the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) assuming the security for USAID projects and workers.  President Karzai has mandated the use of APPF security personnel for all development projects.  Learn more about the APPF here and USAID's switch to the APPF for security here.

US to Handover Prisons to Afghans in Six Months

The U.S. and the Afghan governments have agreed that the U.S. will hand over control of the U.S. detention facilities to the Afghans. The detention facility in Parwan holds almost 3,000 war prisoners - mostly insurgents. The Parwan facility is next to Bagram Air Field just north of Kabul. While the transfer will be a good sign that Afghanistan is enjoying more sovereignty it will be troublesome for human rights activist who worry about the treatment the prisoners will soon be receiving. In addition to poor treatment of prisoners the coalition should also be concerned with poor security. Afghan prison officials and guards have an extremely poor record of keeping the prisoners in prisoner.  Last year over 500 Taliban escaped from a prison in Kandahar.

Read more in "US, Afghans reach deal on handover of prisons", Fox News, March 9, 2012.

Afghan Government Officials Hinder Afghan Air Force Drug Smuggling Investigation by U.S.

A recent news report says that Afghan defense officials are hindering an investigation that members of the Afghan Air Force are using pilots, crew, and aircraft to smuggling drugs across Afghanistan. The U.S. suspects that smuggling operations are happening in a section of the Kabul airport that only Afghan Air Force personnel have access to. Flight plans are not being filed for irregular flights, undocumented cargo is being unloaded, and many night-time flights are occurring with no apparent reason. In the last two years the United States has spent over $20 billion dollars to train and equip the Afghan security forces - to include its Air Force - but there is very little accountability on where this money has gone. Corruption in Afghanistan is rampant throughout the Afghan government and security forces. Many U.S. service personnel working in Afghanistan have come to the conclusion that the U.S. is being taken to the cleaners by the Afghans and we are letting it happen because we don't want to get Karzai mad at us. Maybe its time we dump Karzai. We probably need to send less combat troops and more contract accountants to follow the money. Read the news article here "Afghans Hinder Smuggling Inquiry", 2 U.S. Officials Say", The New York Times, March 9, 2012.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) Member Turns on His Own

A member of the Afghan Local Police or ALP is sought after being accused of allowing Taliban to enter a checkpoint located in Oruzgan Province and kill nine other Afghan police. Read more in "Afghan Officer Sought in Killing of 9 Colleagues", The New York Times, March 8, 2012. There are currently about 12,000 Afghan Local Police employed across Afghanistan who are under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior and advised and trained by US special operations forces.

Commanders Testify Before Congress About Afghanistan

"Two senior American military commanders spent the past two days putting into context recent negative news about the U.S. effort in Afghanistan. At the same time, they tried to get members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees to realize that U.S. units will remain in that country long after combat troops depart in 2014."

Read the rest of the article here at "Key commanders have their say on Afghanistan", The Washington Post, March 7, 2012.

APPF Signs Contracts with Three Companies for Security Services in Afghanistan

The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) signed three contracts with International Relief and Development (IRD) for security services for development projects that IRD is performing for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The APPF also signed contracts with Louis Berger - Black and Veatch, and Afghan Fleet & Group Services (AFGS). AFGS is an Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA).  Read a news release on the signing of the APPF contracts -  "Afghan Public Protection Force signs first contracts", ISAF News Release, March 8, 2012.

Amnesty International Worries that U.S. Will Abandon Afghan Women

A recent blog post on the Amnesty International website expresses concern that the United States will abandon the cause of Afghan women in the interests of a political settlement with the Taliban at the negotiation table. Read more in "US: Don't Abandon Afghan Women", Human Rights Now Blog, March 8, 2012.

Karzai Endorses Clerics Ruling of Gender Segregation in Afghanistan

A council of Afghan clerics has recently issued restrictive guidelines for Afghan women and President Karzai has embraced these guidelines.  This has causes much concern for Afghan women. Read more in "Afghans lampoon clerics over women ruling", BBC News Asia, March 8, 2012.

Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team to Deploy to Afghanistan

The Missouri National Guard Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) will deploy for Afghanistan soon.  The team has 54 members and will soon be in Nangarhar Province to assist Afghan farmers with agricultural practices.  The team is composed of agricultural specialists, engineers, instructors, legal advisers, and security force personnel. Read more in "Agribusinees Development Team leaves for Afghanistan March 9", digitalBURG.com, March 8, 2012.

DoD Announces Spring 2012 Unit Rotation to Afghanistan

The Department of Defense has announced three major units will be deploying to Afghanistan during the Spring 2012 scheduled rotation.  The deployment includes one corps headquarters (V Corps HQ in Wiesbaden, Germany), one division headquarters (1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas), and one Brigade Combat Team or BCT (4th BCT, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado).  See the news release dated March 8, 2012.

Agriculture Development Team One in Zabul Province, Afghanistan Has Success and Frustrations During One-Year Tour

Agriculture Development Team One deployed for one year to Zabul Province, Afghanistan in February 2010.  While there they worked with special operations teams and elements of the Romanian Army on agricultural projects in Zabul Province. Their work took them to all 13 districts of Zabul Province. They closely coordinated with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, & Livestock or MAIL and the provincial Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, & Livestock or DAIL. The agricultural team was able to construct two "demonstration farms" that allowed the team members to show Afghan farmers different ways to improve their crop and farm animal yields.  The team also provided help in the way of agricultural seminars to various locations throughout Zabul Province.  Over their year-long tour they experienced quite a few successes. They also had the Taliban to deal with and the never-ending corruption of Afghan government officials. Read more about Agriculture Development Team One in "US military agriculture team succeeds despite Taliban", Western Farm Press, March 7, 2012.

Afghanistan: Moving Forward - Panel Discussion on Importance of Civilian Engagement

A roundtable discussion was held in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2012 about the continued need for international aid for Afghanistan in the future.  Read more at the links below:

http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/article/ambassador-hakimi-speaks-on-afghanistans-plan-for-transformation-beyond-2014

http://www.di-development-blog.com/regional/afghanistan-moving-forward

82nd Agribusiness Development Team to Help Afghan Farmers

The 82nd Agribusiness Development Team of the Wisconsin National Guard will be helping Afghan farmers to develop their agricultural sector.  Read more in "National Guard to train Afghans on ag", Green Bay Press Gazette, March 6, 2012.

Afghan Air Force Running Drugs in U.S. Bought Aircraft According to Allegations

U.S. authorities are looking into allegations that the Afghan Air Force is running drugs with their aircraft.  This would come as no surprise as Afghanistan provides 90% of the worlds opium and Afghanistan is cited by Transparency International as the second most corrupt nation in the world.  Read more in "U.S. probes allegations Afghan Air Force involved in drug running", Reuters, March 8, 2012.

Red Cross Warns that Health Gains in Afghanistan are at Risk

Medical clinics recently set up in Afghanistan may close due to lack of funding. As the international community begins to leave Afghanistan international donors are providing less aid.  Read more in "Health gains in Afghanistan at risk, warns Red Cross", Reuters, March 8, 2012.

Afghans Prefer Taliban Justice Over Afghan Judicial System

Afghans prefer the Taliban justice system over the Afghan governments courts.  Citing corruption, requirements for bribes, and a slow process - many Afghans prefer to have their legal cases settled by tribal leaders or the Taliban. Read more in "Leery of courts, Afghans seek Taliban justice", Marine Corps Times, March 7, 2012. The rule of law has a long way to go in Afghanistan.

Harsh Winter May Relieve Drought Conditions in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's harsh winter may reverse years of drought when the snowfall in the mountains melt and flow into the river valleys watering agricultural areas.  Afghanistan has seen some dry growing seasons over the past year but farmers are hopeful for 2012.  Read more in "Harsh winter gives hope to Afghan farmers", Asia One News, March 2, 2012.

Radio In A Box - RIAB Essential Tool in Information Operations Fight in Afghanistan

The Radio in a Box or RIAB has proved to be one of the most useful tools the U.S. has deployed thus far in the counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan. These RIABs are run by Afghans, are low-cost, and very sustainable to operate in harsh and remote areas. In addition, the Radio In A Box provides a method for ISAF and the Afghan government to get a positive message out to the Afghan population. Read more about the RIABs in the link below:

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/IO/RIAB.htm

SIGAR Hotline - Report Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption in Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has established a hotline to facilitate the reporting of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, and corruption in programs that are associated with Afghanistan reconstruction efforts that are funded by the U.S. taxpayer.

Learn more by visiting the SIGAR Hotline.
http://www.sigar.mil/hotline.asp

Afghan Forces Now Lead Night Raids in Afghanistan

The head of USSOCOM told U.S. senators that Afghan forces are now leading all U.S. special operations night raids.  The conduct of night raids has been a constant complaint of President Karzai and a topic of discussion during the negotiations between Karzai and the U.S. on the relationship of the two nations after 2014.  Admiral McRaven stated that Afghan forces are always the first through the door during a night raid.  McRaven said that the U.S. special operations forces in Afghanistan are working in two key areas. The first is the use of forces to conduct lethal and direct approach, often through night raids. The second is to build Afghan security, development, and governance through Village Stability Operations or VSO and working with programs such as the Afghan Local Police or ALP.   Read more on this topic in "Socom Commander Discusses Progress in Afghanistan", American Forces Press Service,
March 6, 2012.

SOLARA Course for Afghanistan July 2012

The George C. Marshal European Center for Security Studies will conduct a two-week course entitled "Stability Operations: Legal Aspects of ROE/RUF Afghanistan (SOLARA)" from July 23, 2012 to August 2, 2012 at the Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island.  You can learn more about this course here and by reading the course description below:

Stability Operations: Legal Aspects of ROE/RUF Afghanistan (SOLARA) (MASL P176017)

"The two-week SOLARA course focuses on the Legal Aspects of Rules of Engagement (ROE) and Rules for the Use of Force (RUF) relevant to stability operations. It is designed for forces that are deploying, continuing, or supporting deployments to Afghanistan.
The objective is to address the legal, operational, and policy aspects of rules of engagement in Afghanistan, through case studies and discussion of real-world incidents, including: the relevant law of armed conflict; coalition rules of engagement; and insurgent use of various improvised explosive devices. The resulting analysis explains the necessity to vary supplemental rules of engagement.
This course also examines the challenges and procedures for deploying forces to Afghanistan, working with public affairs, international human rights laws, fourth generation warfare, and counterinsurgency doctrine. It includes a review of ISAF Rule of Law Operations, combatant detention and detention scenarios, and the legal and operational challenges of concealment methods and techniques.
Participants visit New York City, where they have an opportunity to speak with anti-terrorism experts at the United Nations and in the New York area. They also take part in cultural familiarization activities in Newport, RI and New York City under the DIILS Field Studies Program (FSP)."

Military's Public Relations Struggle in Afghanistan

The U.S. military continues to provide positive reports about the war in Afghanistan.  However it is hard for the media to verify these reports.  Read more on this topic in "The PR challenge in Afghanistan", The Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 2012.

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.