Corruption - A Plague on Afghanistan

Corruption permeates Afghan society and government from the lowest level official at the district level all the way up to the ministers at cabinet level and beyond to the President of Afghanistan (Karzai). It is yearly ranked among the three most corrupt nations in the world to include North Korea and Somalia - that is not great company to be in. Many of the dollars from well-meaning donor nations have ended up in the bank accounts of high-level officials. Attempts at anti-corruption measures by the Afghan government are laughable; as are any attempts by ISAF to control the corruption of their Afghan counterparts. Read more in "Corruption Plagues Afghanistan Ahead of U.S. Withdrawal", U.S. News and World Report, December 27, 2013.

Prospects for an Afghan 2014

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has published an "Expert Roundup" entitled the "Prospects for Afghanistan in 2014" dated December 18, 2013. The "experts" are well-renowned in their field and all have considerable experience with Afghanistan. They include Graeme Smit (International Crisis Group), Seth Jones (RAND Corporation), Nader Nadery (Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit), Clare Lockhart (Institute for State Effectiveness),  and Daniel Markey (Council on Foreign Relations). These five experts weigh in on a variety of topics to include the drop-off in aid, Afghan elections in 2014, inability of the ANSF to secure the country, a looming economic downturn, and the continued meddling of Pakistan with its support of Afghan insurgent groups. You can read the article at the below link:
www.cfr.org/afghanistan/prospects-afghanistan-2014/p32094

Afghan TV Resembles U.S. TV in Election Campaign

A recent news article compares the Afghan TV coverage of the upcoming 2014 Afghan elections with that of U.S. TV coverage of U.S. presidential campaigns. There are a lot of similarities. Read more in "Why Afghanistan's election campaign may look familiar to American TV viewers", NBC World News, December 28, 2013.

Molson Air - Helicopter Support in Afghanistan

Flying around Afghanistan can be done in a number of ways. You can go fixed-wing or rotary-wing. If going fixed-wing you have your choice of C-130s (four hour show time) or some smaller contract air aircraft (two hour show time). Another choice is "Green Air" which is military (usually UH-60s or CH-47s) or "Contract Air" - flying one of many contract air helicopters. There are lots of air assets available due to the danger of traveling the roads (IEDs). One of those air assets found in the north and northeast of Afghanistan is known as "Molson Air". Naturally, with the name, you would assume it is a Canadian firm and you would be right! Molson Air has some great pilots and are very good at getting you to where you need to be. And their dispatchers are easy on the eyes! Learn more about Molson Air in this article that dates from the fall of 2011 entitled "Flying 'Molson Air' in Helicopter Magazine.

Insurgency Likened to Disease in Body

In a unique perspective on counterinsurgency, Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of ISAF, likened an insurgency to a disease affecting the body. In the article he is quoted as saying that an insurgency, in the beginning, is not really noticed - just as a disease is not viewed as serious in its beginning stages. He then adds that sometimes COIN practices are not implemented soon enough to seriously combat the insurgency. This, of course, is a direct parallel to the history of the U.S. involvement in conducting counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. Read the article in "General Says Counterinsurgency Like Immune System", Epoch Times, December 23, 2013.

Re-engagement with Afghan Forces in South

It would appear that the Coalition in Regional Command South have re-thought the concept of letting the ANSF stand on their own - pulling back enablers such as fire support, MEDEVAC, intelligence assets, etc. The ANSF took a beating this past fighting season, suffered heavy casualties, lost soldiers to desertion, and gave up physical terrain that was hard-fought for in earlier years by ISAF. Now commanders are thinking we should re-engage with the ANSF so that they can reset their forces, fight a winter campaign and then be ready for the spring fighting season which will likely start one month earlier based on the Taliban trying to disrupt the April 2014 elections. Read more in "Eyeing election, US commanders re-engage with Afghan forces", Stars and Stripes, December 28, 2013.

NIE on Afghanistan

A National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Afghanistan was issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The purpose of NIEs is to warn about potential issues related to U.S. foreign policy. This latest NIE on Afghanistan predicts that gains made in Afghanistan in recent years will erode significantly over the next several years. Read more about the NIE in "Afghanistan gains will be lost quickly after drawdown, U.S. intelligence estimate warns", The Washington Post, December 28, 2013.

MRAPs: Surplus Cut Up for Scrap in Afghanistan

Photo SPC Andrew Baker (18 March 2013)

MRAPs have been a life saver in both Iraq and Afghanistan. When it was finally realized (it took a while) that troops needed protection from IEDs as they traveled the roads in the two war zones Pentagon move quickly to build and field these protective vehicles. Now that we are out of Iraq and reducing troop numbers in Afghanistan there are a lot of surplus MRAPs in the inventory. Many of these MRAPs are still located in Afghanistan. It costs on average about $350,000 to ship a MRAP to the states and then to rebuild it to specifications. Once that is done it needs a home but there are too many already in the states. So many are being destroyed in Afghanistan - at a cost of $12,000 each - and the scrap metal is being sold to Afghan businessmen who will put the metal to other uses. One might think it a good idea to hand over to the Afghans for the Afghan National Army. However, the Afghans have proven themselves incapable of maintaining their fleet of Ranger pickup trucks; and they would certainly waste a lot of time, effort, and money in trying to keep a complicated vehicle like a MRAP up and running. Read more in "From MRAP to scrap: U.S. military chops up $1-million vehicles", Stars and Stripes, December 27, 2013.

India Pursuing Stronger Links with Afghanistan

With the coming of December 2014 (withdrawal of vast majority of ISAF troops) and prospects of diminished aid Afghanistan will need to rely more on regional partners in the South Central Asia area. While there are plenty of nations that are located near the border Afghanistan - it would be difficult to label them as "partners". One nation does fit the "future partner" category and that is India. India and Afghanistan have improved their ties with each other slowly and carefully but in an ever more positive direction. Of course, this is all taking into consideration the Pakistan-India dispute - so there is a delicate balancing act on India's part. Read more in "India Pursues Greater Military, Economic Links with Afghanistan", DefenseNews, January 2, 2014.

Cost of Human Terrain Teams (HTTs)

According to newly released budget figures the U.S. military has spent a lot of money ($746M since 2007) on sending social scientists (as members of Human Terrain Teams or HTTs) to work in Iraq and Afghanistan. The HTTs are part of the overall Human Terrain System (HTS). The program had a rough start in attracting qualified personnel in its developmental period and initial fielding. In addition, there were early charges of mismanagement and corruption. Those problems seem to have been ironed out and the social scientists have been value added in the fight in both Iraq and Afghanistan by providing continuity to brigades that are newly arrived in the battle space and with the perspective of the battlefield environment in terms of the human dimension. However, the program continues to have its critics -especially in this time of austerity where every dollar is being scrutinized (well, not exactly - many of our expensive and unneeded weapons systems hardly get a glance). Read more about opposition to this valued program from members of Congress in "Military social sciences tab up to $726M since '07", USA Today, January 2, 2014.

Justice and Injustice in Afghanistan

The concept of justice in Afghanistan held by the U.S. military and the Afghan population differ greatly. While the U.S. has a very formalized justice system the Afghans have a less formalized system. The Afghan formal justice system is still developing (and still very corrupt); however, the Afghans have an informal justice system that works on the local level. A writer, Morwari Zafar, examines the differences in a recent article in Foreign Policy entitled "U.S. (In)justice in Afghanistan" published on January 2, 2014. She cites the Panjwei district massacre as an example of how the U.S. and Afghan justice systems are at odds with each other.

Karzai Plan to Release Prisoners Puts BSA in Doubt

President Karzai is planning on releasing some detainees (approximately 86) currently held at the Bagram detention center located north of Kabul. This planned release is over the objections of the ISAF Coalition and is putting the Bilateral Security Agreement process into further jeopardy. The Karzai administration states that many of the detainees are innocent as there is not enough evidence to hold them. Read more in "Karzai is Warned Over Release of Detainees", The New York Times, January 2, 2014.

ANA National Engineer Brigade Bringing New Capabilities

A newly formed unit of the Afghan National Army (ANA) is bringing new engineer capabilities to include drilling and bridging. The National Engineer Brigade or NEB will be based at Camp Ghazi in Kabul, Afghanistan. The National Engineer Brigade is advised by an Engineer Brigade Advise and Assist Team (EBAAT). Learn more about the NEB and EBAAT in "ANA engineer capability grows as National Engineer Brigade lays out footprint", DVIDS, December 28, 2013.

MRAPs and The Leaving of Ashton Carter

Ashton Carter, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, has left the Department of Defense. However, he leaves behind a lasting legacy which includes his hard work (and others) to push through the MRAP program in a time sensitive manner. Read more in "The Man Behind the MRAP Moves On", At War Blog, The New York Times, November 26, 2013.

ADAPT Training Videos

The United States Department of Agriculture has a training program designed to prepare agricultural advisers who will deploy to Afghanistan. This program is called the Agriculture Development for Afghanistan Pre-Deployment Training or ADAPT. The Stability Institute has posted a number of the ADAPT training videos online and they can be accessed at the link below.

http://stabilityinstitute.com/economic-development/adapt-afghanistan-videos/

The Advisor Role in Afghanistan in 2014

Each ISAF Commander comes into his one year (sometimes a little longer) tour in Afghanistan hoping to carry the football down the road a little further . . . and to shape the war effort as he sees fit. General McCrystal brought in Counterinsurgency, General Petraeus brought with him Population-centric Counterinsurgency and Partnering, General Allen introduced Security Force Assistance, and now General Dunford has now focused ISAF on Functionally-based Security Force Assistance. So what will the small number of troops in Afghanistan be doing in 2014? Well, they will not be doing much fighting (hopefully) and they will be helping the Afghans to be able to sustain their force into the future years as the Coalition presence diminishes even further. A recent blog post spells this out quite clearly for us. See "Future of Advising in Afghanistan", Flashpoint Blog, American Security Project, December 23, 2013.

Hagel to Name Woman as Next Marine Corps Commandant

Rumor has it that the Marines may soon be headed by a female Marine general. Read more in "Hagel Names Woman as Next Marine Commandant", The Duffel Bag, January 2, 2014.

Taliban Plans to Disrupt Afghan Elections

The Taliban is developing plans to disrupt the Afghan elections. If they can project the image that the elections are unfair or not representative or not enough Afghans participated then they can portray the elections as invalid. However, the Taliban need to determine how to disrupt the elections without alienating the Afghan people. Learn more in a recent news article entitled "Taliban conflicted over how to disrupt elections", Army Times, December 20, 2013.

Militias Stand Ready for Taliban Threat in Panjshir Valley

The Panjshir Valley, just north of Kabul, is renowned for being just one of two provinces that never fell to Taliban rule. As Afghanistan moves into the next stage of nationhood the residents of this fiercely independent valley stand ready to put up a fight if the current Afghan government falls to the Taliban. Read more about the stockpiling of weapons and future militia activities in "Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley awaits the next fight with the Taliban", Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2013.

"The Other Front in Afghanistan" by Carlos Terrones

The Stability Institute has put a podcast online about Carlos Terrones' book entitled "The Other Front in Afghanistan. Carlos is an international development practitioner who has worked in international development projects related to good governance and civil society around the world. He is a former member of the Marines and Peace Corps and also worked for USAID. You can access the podcast at the link below.

http://stabilityinstitute.com/economic-development/carlos-terrones-the-other-front-in-afghanistan-stab-podcast/#!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all serving in Afghanistan

Stereotype of Females in Military

Are 'good looks' an indication of poor performance and 'not so good-looking' an indication of good performance among the female military population? Probably not; but it appears that some high-ranking Army female officers believe the perception exists and they have wrote internal communications that provide guidance not to show 'pretty female Soldiers' in Army publications. Read a recent post on this topic entitled Don't show "pretty" female soldiers, Army colonel says, Outside the Wire Blog, Military Times, November 20, 2013.

Photo by Anna Ciccotti, Public Affairs

Member of Italian Army

While we are on the topic . . . has anyone noticed just how good looking the Coalition military females in Afghanistan are when compared to . . . well, never mind.

Photo by SPC Michael Zuk, US Army,
Member of Swedish Army, circa 2006

Afghan Economy Suffers Due to Karzai's Statement on Bilateral Security Agreement

The Afghan economy has suffered since the Loya Jirga when Karzai said he would not sign the Bilateral Security Agreement. Investments have slowed and real estate transactions have scaled back dramatically. Read more in "Uncertainty Over Security Pact Drives Final Nail into Afghan Bubble", Voice of America, December 18, 2013.

War now Afghan versus Afghan

2013 was a year that the ISAF Coalition stepped away from the fighting on the ground. ISAF did conduct some combat related operations such as special operations missions, advising at the tactical level, conducting unilateral missions associated with force protection (route clearance missions, based defense, response to indirect fire attacks, etc.), providing of enablers (fires, MEDEVAC, air support, etc.) to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), and a host of other activities. This step away from the ground fighting is reflected in the Coalition casualty figures for 2013 - down sharply from previous years. However, the Afghan National Security Forces (especially the Afghan Local Police) have suffered tremendous casualties.

The insurgency (Taliban and others) did not capture a significant amount of territory this year from the government; but then an insurgency doesn't have to capture territory - it just has to continue to exist. The insurgency was not defeated in 2013 and it is not going away. While the Taliban did not make a lot of significant gains on the ground; neither did the ANSF. A recent news article provides more insight on how the Afghan war has become more an Afghan fight. See "The year it became 'Afghan versus Afghan'", Stars and Stripes, December 30, 2013.

Water Rights and Conflict Resolution in Afghanistan (AREU Publication)

The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has recently published a document entitled Water rights and conflict resolution processes in Afghanistan: The case of the Sar-i-Pul sub-basin" dated December 2013. This research is an attempt to focus specifically on water rights and the resolution of conflicts related to water-sharing at different hydraulic and social levels within the Sar-i-Pul sub-basin in northwestern Afghanistan. It examines the on-going gulf between actual water management practices and the recent 'good water governance' models that have been enshrined in the 2009 Water Law. You can access the publication at the link below:


www.areu.org.af/EditionDetails.aspx?EditionId=702&ContentId=7&ParentId=7&Lang=en-US

Kandahar F-16s Moving to Bagram

A video by DVIDS provides information about the move of F-16 Falcons from Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan to Bagram Air Field just north of Kabul at the end of 2013. The fighters will continue to provide air support to ground troops in Afghanistan during the move. Click the link below to view the video.

www.dvidshub.net/video/315713/f-16s-move-bagram#.UrQqo_RDt8E

SFAB 4-101 Completes Afghan Tour

4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division recently completed its tour as a Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) in Regional Command East (RC East). Read a news article describing its pre-deployment training and employment in 2013 in "Currahee year in review", DVIDS, December 27, 2013.

DoD Says it Will Continue Focus on Afghanistan

The United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan and defense planners are focusing their attention on Syria, Libya, Iran, China, North Korea, pay cuts, military medical cost increases, and the defense budget. The troops in Afghanistan worry that they will be forgotten by the Department of Defense. However, both Secretary of Defense Hagel and Army General Dempsey say that the troops currently serving in Afghanistan will not be forgotten. See a recent news release on this topic - "Hagel, Dempsey Continue Focus on Afghanistan", American Forces Press Service, December 19, 2013.
www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=121373

Afghans Worried about 2014

The Afghans have a lot to be worried about. The year 2014 brings a lot of uncertainty about the elections, economy, security, Bilateral Security Agreement, Taliban threats to disrupt and discredit the elections, and more. Read "Facing Big Changes, Anxious Afghans Hope For the Best in 2014", NPR Parallels, December 27, 2013.

The Other 99% (1% Serve in Military)

An important statistic known to many current and former members of the military is the percentage of the United States population that serves in the military. The rough statistic often mentioned is 1%. That means that 99% of the population has never served in the military. So naturally there is a cultural gap and a lack of understanding of the sacrifices that service members and their families make year after year. While some members of the 99% recognize this gap (see "Experiencing War Through a Twin", At War Blog, The New York Times, December 23, 2013); others are oblivious to it.

We have been at war in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. If one served in an infantry unit you have probably went on four or five year-long tours to either Iraq or Afghanistan in that time. While in the states you participated in months-long military exercises (JRTC, NTC, JMRC, etc.) and attended military schools and training events that required duty in another state away from your family. In addition, there is the low-standard of living the junior members of the military endure, the hardships of deployment to austere locations (Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations), the loss of friends and colleagues to IEDs and small arms fire, and the many lives forever changed due to loss of limbs injuries and wounds.

Listen to a conversation between one who has been to the wars and one who never donned a uniform. Many times the topic is changed after a brief exchange to something both can relate to - such as cars, football, or vacations. There simply is a lack of a frame of reference between the two engaged in the dialogue - at least on the topic of the wars.

This is not a new phenomenon. There has always been this gap between those who served and those who didn't. I recall an incident that took place in a different era (late 1970s) while attending college. I had just finished up a number of years in the military (labeled a "Vietnam-era Veteran") and decided to re-enter college to finish my degree. The college Student Council was holding a meeting to determine the budget allocation for the different student groups on campus. I was attending as the newly-elected President of the college's Veterans Club (we had sports teams, functions, mailed out monthly information newsletters, assisted other veterans with college costs, job placement, and support mechanisms).

During the budget meeting proceedings I found out that the Veterans Club had a yearly budget of $50 while other college clubs and organizations had a budget of hundreds of dollars. One of the council members made a move to take the $50 away from the Veterans Club and give it to the "Third World Club". I immediately questioned the motion and had to spend 10 minutes explaining who the veterans were, what the Veterans Club did, and why it was important that the veterans be recognized and supported. The Student Council grudgingly kept the $50 in the Veterans Club account. The takeaway for me was exactly how much of a disconnect there was between the college student population as a whole and the members of the military of the same age who serve. $50 isn't much, especially by today's standards; however the circumstances on the almost lost $50 is indicative of the the gap between the two worlds - veteran and non-veteran.

And how does this $50 story relate to today's world? You need to look no further than the recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by Congress just before Christmas. Despite the sacrifices made by military members over the past 13 years of war Congress has now decided that it is no longer necessary for military retiree pay to keep pace with inflation; putting a limit on the annual pay raise that military retirees will receive. There is a huge disconnect between the 99% and the 1%; and when it comes to the benefits promised to the veteran for his or her service the 1% will need to ensure the 99% deliver on those promised benefits.

No Troops, Then Little Aid to Afghanistan

A recent news article in the Chicago Tribune quotes a few U.S. officials saying that without the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan post December 2014 there is a very little chance of significant aid being sent to Afghanistan. The mistrust of the Afghan government stems from the extreme amount of corruption with both developmental and military aid dollars stolen by high-level Afghan officials (Karzai, of course, is the biggest thief). The presence of U.S. advisors and mentors would provide at least the chance that some of the aid money would be spent for the purpose allocated instead of ending up building an expensive Kabul villa or in some Afghan officials Dubai bank account. One would think that this would be a driving force to get the Kabul government to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement.

Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) Deadline - Not Really a "Deadline"

The deadline for the Afghan government to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States is fast approaching.  Except . . . the deadline is not really a "hard" deadline. The U.S. will very likely cave to Karzai once again and extend the deadline into early 2014 and quite possibly until after the Afghan presidential elections scheduled for April 5, 2014. Read more in a recent LA Times news article at the link below:

www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-us-afghan-20131220,0,5765695.story#axzz2o11A30il

1230 Report to Congress on Afghanistan (Nov 2013)

The most recent 1230 report to Congress has been released by the Department of Defense. This is the November 2013 report. It is formally known as the Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan. The report covers a variety of topics to include security, ANSF growth, development, and operations, governance, reconstruction and development, regional engagement, and security metrics and assessments. You can access the report on the DoD portal at the link below:

www.defense.gov/pubs/October_1230_Report_Master_Nov7.pdf

UK Major Works to Improve Afghan Female Officers

A major in the UK military on tour in Afghanistan has been assigned to the Kabul officer's academy to help with the development of training for female Afghan officers. See "Major's challenge to turn Afghan women into army officers", This is Kent, December 20, 2013.

Merry Christmas

The Staff at Afghan War News wishes a very Merry Christmas to all the SFAATs, ODAs, Guardian Angels, Advisors, Mentors, Trainers, Pilots, Cooks, Route Clearance Teams, EOD people, Human Terrain Teams, PowerPoint Rangers, the occasional CIA operative, staff officers and NCOs, Contractors, Green Berets, Marines, and anyone else I might have missed spending their Christmas Day in Afghanistan.

Christmas Presents for SFAATs in Afghanistan in 2013

Camp Vance, Bagram, Afghanistan, Dec 24, 2002

Camp Vance, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, December 24, 2002

Afghan ID Cards Fueling Debate

Efforts to introduce a national identification card system in Afghanistan is meeting resistance. The $100 million project (paid for by foreign donor nations) is supposed to help eliminate fraud during the upcoming Afghan presidential election. However, the ID card project is generating lots of controversy primarily about the lack of an ethnic identity on the ID card. Some support this omission while others say it supports a Pashtun agenda. Read more in "Controversial ID Cards Expose Ethnic Divisions in Afghanistan", Radio Free Europe, December 18, 2013.

Marines Train at 29 Palms for Afghan Deployment

Members of 1st Battalion 7th Marines have been training at a modern training facility located at Twentynine Palms in California. The use of the range set up as an Afghan town also includes a number of Afghan role players to provide realism to the training.
(Photo by CPL Joseph Scanlon, USMC)

Read more in "Infantrymen work hand in hand with Afghans during counterinsurgency exercise", DVIDS, December 19, 2013.

Afghan and Iran Ties May Deepen

President Karzai recently visited Iran in an attempt to strengthen the bond between Iran and Afghanistan. This visit may possibly be an attempt to persuade the United States that Afghanistan has other options other than relying on the U.S. for military and economic support. While a regional solution to the Afghan conflict certainly is welcome it is doubtful if the regional players (Iran, Pakistan, and others) will feel compelled to assist Afghanistan if the U.S. completely exits from Afghanistan. Iran would be very reluctant to see a return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan; yet it hesitates to see a continued United States presence in Afghanistan. Learn more in a recent news article entitled "Iran Looks to Deepen Ties to Afghanistan", Voice of America, December 19, 2013.

Transition - Is the Future Bright for Afghanistan?

A recent article by Karl Inderfurth and Theodore Eliot on The AFPAK Channel  of Foreign Policy indicates that some Afghans have a positive outlook for the future of Afghanistan. The authors note that there are three areas of transition - security, political, and economic where things have to go right for Afghanistan. Read more in "Afghans Look on the Bright Side", Foreign Policy, December 17, 2013.

Uncertainty Results in Karzai Refusal to Sign BSA

Karzai's refusal to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement is causing a large amount of confusion and uncertainty. This has been reflected in the political discourse, the economic indicators, and in future prospects for military and economic development aid. Read more in "Karzai Standoff on Security Deal Sows Uncertainty", VOA News, December 23, 2013.

SIGAR Reports Continue to Embarrass U.S. Military, Embassy, and USAID in Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has continued to publish reports that highlight abuse, fraud, and mismanagement of aid, development, and military assistance programs in Afghanistan. Over the past few years the reports have been a source of embarrassment as its authors have poked into the internal auditing and oversight practices of the military and U.S. government organizations operating in Afghanistan. It seems every month there is another SIGAR report that portrays the wasteful expenditure of funds in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, from this authors experience, the reports ring true and only scratch the surface. The U.S. Embassy should spend more time monitoring how its money is spent. Perhaps the embassy needs more accountants in Kabul to see where the money was supposed to go and also some accountants in Dubai to find which bank accounts the money is in! Read more about the embassy's lame attempts to avoid the public eye of SIGAR and to try and minimize the accuracy of the SIGAR reports in "U.S. Embassy in Kabul defends itself against blistering fraud reports", Los Angeles Times, December 23, 2013.

C-27A Controversy. For instance, an upcoming report on the grounded C-27A transport planes that have been sitting on the Kabul airport ramp that the U.S. bought for the Afghan Air Force will be very interesting. This story is an example of the never-ending waste that takes place in Afghanistan. It will be interesting to see how ISAF plays this one; I pity the ISAF Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) because there is no good news coming out of this report.

Afghan Police Cadets Complete Training in Turkey

Almost 500 police cadets returned from a six-month long training program a the Sivas Police Training Centre for Afghanistan (SPTC-A) in Turkey. The Sivas initiative is jointly supported by UNDP's Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) and the NTM-A - as well as with monetary contributions from Turkey and Japan. While at SPTC-A the cadets receive training in basic and advanced police training programmes in civilian policing such as rule of law, maintaining law and order, and protecting human safety. Read more in "Afghan Police Cadets Return From Training in Turkey", UNDP, November 29, 2013.

UN Says Civilian Death Toll in Afghanistan Is Climbing

The United Nations has stated that the Afghan civilian death toll has climbed in 2013. It says that the 2013 toll is 10% higher than in 2012. Most of the victims died as a result of roadside bombs and suicide bombers. Read the story here on Radio Free Europe (December 18, 2013).

Norway Provides Intel for Drone Attacks

A Norway military official has confirmed that Norway provides intelligence information to its NATO partners which may be used in the conduct of drone attacks. See "Norway Provides Intelligence for Drone Attacks", The Nordic Page, December 20, 2013.

Limited Options - If BSA Not Signed

A recent news article published by Reuters and penned by Missy Ryan explores the military options that the United States has in Afghanistan if the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) is not signed. Read more in "Analysis: Even if foreign troops leave Afghanistan, U.S. has some options" (December 23, 2013).

NATO Beginning SOFA Negotiations with Afghanistan

The Pentagon Press Secretary provided a statement on NATO beginning the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) negotiations with the government of Afghanistan.

“Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel was pleased to learn that NATO has begun negotiations with the Government of Afghanistan on the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

“NATO's decision to move forward with negotiations on a SOFA is yet another demonstration of the international community's willingness to support Afghanistan after 2014.

“But, as both the NATO Secretary General and Secretary Hagel have made clear, the Alliance won't finalize their agreement with the Bilateral Security Agreement still hanging in the balance. The message of the United States and its allies in Europe is clear: the Bilateral Security Agreement should be signed without any more delay.”

The news release can be read at the link below:

www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=16445

Iraqi Foreign Minister Tells Karzai "Sign the Deal"

The long-term foreign minister of Iraq told Karzai during a visit to Kabul to " . . . sign the deal . . ." with the Americans before it is too late. Read more about Karzai and the Bilateral Security Agreement at the following link - "A Top Iraqi Official's Advice to Karzai? Take America's Deal", The New York Times, December 17, 2013.

Retrograde of MRAPs from Afghanistan

The retrograde of MRAPs from Afghanistan is proving to be expensive. In addition, many question the continued need for the MRAPs. The MRAP was built specifically for a counterinsurgency conflict where insurgents used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to blow up vehicles along roads. As the military turns its attention to being able to fight a full-spectrum conflict the debate on the usefulness of the MRAPs in future warfare is ongoing. Learn more about this topic in "High Afghan Exit Costs Force US Military to Contemplate End of Era", Defense Daily Update, December 16, 2013.

www.defenseindustrydaily.com/mraps-shipping-post-coin-needs-019723/

Learn more about retrograde operations from Afghanistan.
www.afghanwarnews.info/topics/retrograde.htm