MARSOC Marine Killed in Insider Attack

A MARSOC Marine was killed in an apparent insider attack on September 15, 2014 in Herat province. Strong was attached to the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and had served with the Marines since 2003. Read more in "MARSOC Marine killed in apparent insider attack in Afghanistan", Marine Corps Times, September 17, 2014.

48th IBCT Completes Afghan Tour

TOA ceremony of 48th ICBT
(Photo Mike Thompson)

The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) of the Georgia Army National Guard has completed a second tour in Afghanistan. The "Volunteer Brigade" first deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 where they were assigned to Camp Phoenix. They returned in 2014 as part of the Kabul Base Cluster and were involved in the retrograde of men and equipment from bases around Kabul to include Camp Eggers, Camp Phoenix, and Camp Bala Hissar. The 48th IBCT has been replaced by the 2-162 Infantry Battalion of the Oregon Army National Guard. The 2-162nd will be based at the New Kabul Compound (NKC) located adjacent from Massoud Circle and not far from the American Embassy and ISAF compound. Read more in "48th IBCT returns home", DVIDS, September 15, 2014.

Receive Daily News on the Afghan War

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Send an e-mail to staff@afghanwarnews.info or go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box in the top of the right hand column. It is easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Five Friendly Fire Deaths Were Avoidable

Five U.S. military members who recently died in a friendly fire incident were the victims of bad communications among air and ground elements. The deaths occurred during a combat mission in southern Afghanistan in June 2014. A military investigation found that key personnel "collectively" failed to execute some fundamental procedures which could have averted the tragedy. A B-1B Lancer bomber dropped two guided bombs on a U.S. and Afghan ground position. Learn more about the investigation findings in "Report: Deaths were avoidable in Afghan 'friendly fire' incident", Stars and Stripes, September 5, 2014.

Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan Faces Challenges

There are many humanitarian aid organizations working in Afghanistan. Their reach to remote areas of the country is becoming more difficult with the withdrawal of U.S. and other ISAF troops. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have their hands full trying to stop the Taliban from overtaking districts and more of the rural countryside. This reduces the areas that the aid organizations can operate in and more importantly - provide proper oversight and monitoring of their projects. Read more in "Analysis: Challenges around aid access in Afghanistan", IRIN, September 9, 2014 at this link.

Afghan Girls Who Live as Boys

Jenny Nordberg has an article at The Atlantic that reveals a little known aspect of Afghan culture. The term bacha posh translates from Dari to English as "dressed like a boy". The practice is found in families that have only girls and no boys. A daughter is picked to satisfy the family's need for a son who could generate income, receive an education, and provide other social needs. This is an accepted and non-controversial practice as long as the "boy" is turned back into a women before puberty in time to marry and have children. Read more about this cultural practice in "The Afghan Girls Who Live as Boys", The Atlantic, September 8, 2014 at this link.

Life as an Election Monitor in Afghanistan

This news article describes the activities of a foreigner in Afghanistan performing the duties of an election monitor. See "WA deputy major recounts tense time as Afghanistan election monitor", ABC News (Australia), September 13, 2014 at this link.

Interpreters Try to Leave Afghanistan

There is a rush out the door for interpreters trying to leave Afghanistan. With the withdrawal of ISAF troops, future reductions in foreign aid, contracting of the Afghan economy, and the threat of the Taliban (they are not defeated and certainly are not going away) the interpreters are seeing job prospects diminish and their future uncertain. The U.S. State Department has a horrible record in its ability to provide VISAs to Afghan interpreters even though Congress provided authorization for thousands of VISAs. It is only recently (2014) that the State Department (after an internal review prompted by external criticism) has actually processed VISAs to an acceptable standard. Read more about the plight of Afghan interpreters in "As a U.S. War Winds Down, Afghans Look for a Way Out", Public Radio East, September 11, 2014. at this link.

Green on Blue Attack

Early reports indicate that an American died in a 'green on blue' attack took place in western Afghanistan on Monday, September 15, 2014. The 'insider threat' against ISAF troops became a headline event in the summer of 2012. Read the ISAF news release on this event. The insider attacks diminished in 2013 as a result of force protection measures instituted throughout the force. 2014 saw a minimal amount of insider attacks - due to force protection measures and the reduced amount of coalition troops left in Afghanistan. The ISAF Insider Threat Guide was published to help Coalition troops reduce the threat of green on blue attacks. Learn more about green on blue attacks.

Three NATO Troops Killed in Kabul Bombing

Three coalition Soldiers died after a Taliban suicide vehicle rammed into a military convoy in Kabul on Tuesday morning. Read the ISAF news release on this event. A number of Afghan civilians were injured in the attack. The incident took place on the airport road close to Massoud Cirlce at a location near the U.S. embassy and the Afghan Supreme Court. The U.S. embassy sounded its 'duck and cover' alarm and the Taliban have claimed credit for the attack. Some news reports (BBC, New York Times, CNN) are providing initial reports on the bombing. According to icasualties.org one of the victims was from Poland.

United Nations Threatens Withdrawal

Amid a growing state of uncertainty and insecurity the United Nations is contemplating withdrawal of its staff either whole or in part from Afghanistan. The inability of the Afghan people to conduct a fair election has resulted in a disputed election process with no clear winner. Although the votes tallied indicate that Ghani has won; Abdullah states it was with thousands of fraudulent votes. Abdullah has threatened to form his own government and loyal supporters have taken to the streets in protest. The United Nations is worried about the safety of its staff. Read more in "In Afghanistan, U.N. fears for the safety of its staff amid growing threats of violence", The Washington Post, September 14, 2014 at this link.

Observations on the Long War by Conrad Crane

Conrad Crane provides us with his observations of our involvement in conflicts over the past decade and more in this article posted on War on the Rocks. Crane is the Chief of Historical Services for the Army Heritage and Education Center at the Army War College. He is a retired Army officer and contributed to the writing of FM 3-24 in 2006.

He has comments on a wide range of topics. These topics include how to end wars, the asymmetric advantages that the U.S. enjoys in warfare, some limitations on air power (how the media portrays what happens on the ground after an air strike), the future of Foreign Internal Defense (FID) within the DoD, cyber security, social media, mission creep, white vs. dark SOF, importance of understanding human terrain, fighting "one year wars", unit vs. individual rotations, deployed headquarters units using "pickup team" personnel, and the role of counterinsurgency in warfare.

You can read the article online at "Observations on the Long War", War on the Rocks, September 10, 2014 at this link.

Keep Track of All Things Afghanistan!

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Send an e-mail to staff@afghanwarnews.info or go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box in the top of the right hand column. It is easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

203rd Corps Trains on 60mm Mortar

Photo by SPC Erik Warren, 3d Cav Regt

The ISAF forces are quickly drawing down troop levels in Afghanistan. If the Bilateral Security Agreement is signed the Resolute Support mission will start in January 2015 with about 9,800 U.S. troops and a few thousand troops of other nationalities (mostly European). The number of personnel who will be advisors and trainers will be limited; probably between 1,200 to 1,500 - depending on how you count them. In the last few remaining months of 2014 the advisors and trainers still in Afghanistan are making every effort to maximum the training time available to them - this while the 2014 fighting season is still underway. Members of the 3rd Cav Regiment posted at FOB Lightning are getting ready to depart Gardez - they will be gone by December 2014 and the small FOB turned over to the ANA. But while they are conducting their retrograde they are still conducting some training. The mortarmen of the 3rd Cav Regiment are conducting "train the trainer" courses for the ANA. These T3 courses will help the ANA train their own troops once the Coalition departs. One of these courses is a hands-on class on the M224 60mm mortar. Read more on this T3 mortar class in "ANA one step closer to self-reliance", DVIDS, September 9, 2014.

Remote Management of Afghan Aid Projects

Humanitarian aid organizations are looking hard at the viability of continuing aid projects in Afghanistan over the long term with the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. As of fall 2014 most ISAF forces are either in Kabul or operating at the regional or Afghan Army Corps level; leaving no one at the provincial and district level. The level of security (now the responsibility of the Afghan security forces) has diminished throughout Afghanistan. Without the presence of international troops many aid organizations have ceased on-site management of aid projects; relying instead on remote management of projects. Unfortunately, the quality of aid goes down significantly with remote management due to inadequate monitoring, poor workmanship, and corruption. You can learn more about the challenges and risks that NGOs will face in 2015 (after the ISAF mission is complete) in Transition and Non-Government Organizations in Afghanistan: An Assessment and Prospects, by the Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization, published in January 2014 at this link.

Afghan Civilian Casualties Rise in 2014

According to a recent report by the United Nations civilian casualties have rose abut 24% by mid-year 2014 over the first six months of 2013. 74% of these casualties are attributed to the "Anti-Government Elements", 8 % to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), and 1 % to international forces, 12 % to ground engagements between the ANSF and Anti-Government Elements (casualty not attributed to either side), 4 % to the explosive remnants of war, and 1 % to cross-border shelling from Pakistan into Afghanistan. The graph below, taken from the report shows the numbers of civilian deaths from 2009 to 2014  (January to June) caused by the Taliban (red), Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF (green), and other (yellow).

The report entitled Afghanistan Midyear Report 2014 Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, was published in July 2014. The two organizations responsible for the report are the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This comprehensive report contains a number of graphics that depicts the different numbers and categories of civilian casualties. You can read or download the report online at the link below:

Afghanistan Midyear Report 2014: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

Prisoner Releases Questioned by Afghan Military

There is tension among the Afghan leadership in government, the ministries, the police, and the army on the issue of prisoners. This tension exists because (either through incompetence, corruption, or political objectives) Taliban prisoners are being released. Many of these released prisoners are resuming the fight on the battlefield against the army and police forces that had already captured them once - sometimes at great cost.

President Karzai has released many of the Taliban prisoners - presumably as an attempt to help the reconciliation process with the Taliban insurgents. There is no indication that these prisoner releases over the past few years have had any effect in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table or in winning any concessions. In fact, members of the High Peace Council - the Afghan organization charged with reconciliation and reintegration - have been targeted repeatedly by the insurgents.

The Afghan judicial system is under-resourced, inadequately staffed, lacking sufficient training, subject to coercion by the insurgents, easily influenced by warlords and power-brokers, and extremely corrupt. The U.S. (and ISAF) efforts to introduce warrant-based targeting and Evidence-Based Operations (EvBO) have had mixed results. Establishing Rule of Law (RoL) within a counterinsurgency environment is essential. The introduction of EvBO is an admirable goal; but it seems that the Afghan police force (lack of training, forensics equipment, and inexperience) is not up to the task and the judicial system is inept and corrupt. Perhaps the introduction of EvBO was a step too far too early in this very corrupt Afghan society.

Read more about this prisoner release issue in "Afghans question prisoner releases amid violent fighting season", Stars and Stripes, September 12, 2014 here.

COMISAF 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

General John Campbell, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), addressed members of ISAF command in Kabul, Afghanistan on the anniversary of 9/11. General Campbell replaced General Joe Dunford as the commander of ISAF (COMISAF) in August 2014. General Campbell will continue his command of the international forces in Afghanistan during the transition from the ISAF mission to the Resolute Support mission in January 2015. This was the thirteenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks that were planned by al Qaeda from bases in Afghanistan.

Gen Allen: Comments on Afghan Troop Pullout Timeline

General Allen, the former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, recently commented on the proposed troop levels during the Resolute Support mission and the timeline for the troop pullouts. He believes that more flexibility is needed in the timeline to ensure that a proper level of security is established and that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) receive the continued training, advise, and assistance that will be provided under the Security Force Assistance mission post December 2014. Read more in "Retired Marine Gen. Allen: Timeline for Afghanistan pullout "too short"", Navy Times, September 12, 2014 at this link.

Aid to Afghanistan More than to Europe after WWII

A US government report has revealed that the cost of reconstruction for Afghanistan has gone beyond the cost of the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Corruption and waste were cited as the primary reasons for this huge cost. The report says that most of the aid projects were undermined by "poor planning, shoddy construction, mechanical failures and inadequate oversight". One sector of the Afghan population that has benefited is the ruling elite. The Karzai clan has become immensely rich with properties in Dubai and elsewhere in the world. Read more in "Afghanistan has cost more to rebuild than Europe after Second World War", The Telegraph, July 31, 2014 at this link.

Afghan Elections Mess

The Afghan elections of 2014 have turned into a fiasco. ISAF and the international community projected a lot of optimism in early 2014 about how the Afghans have taken charge of their destiny. The Afghans ran their own election with minimal observers and little ISAF involvement (was this the fatal flaw?). The initial election held on April 5, 2014 ran well with a lot of candidates running for office. Everyone patted each other on the back with how well security was maintained by the ANSF and the large voter turnout.

The runoff election held in June 2014 proved to be another matter with accusations of election fraud by the camps of both candidates (Ghani and Abdullah). The tabulation of the votes from the runoff election has been fraught with delays, accusations of fraud, resignation of the head of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), and other problems. The vote count of the runoff election was finally concluded on September 5th; however Abdullah says he will not recognize the validity of the results.

The inauguration of the new president of Afghanistan has been scheduled and postponed a number of times. The uncertainty of the election results have dampened the Afghan economy and increased the insecurity within Afghanistan. President Karzai, taking the high road (although he is the "election fraudster in charge"), is urging both candidates to come to an agreement on some type of power-sharing arrangement. Secretary of State John Kerry has been investing (to no good effect) time and effort in resolving the electoral impasse with hopes of establishing a unity government.

In the meantime the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) awaits signature (along with the corresponding SOFA agreements), ISAF awaits word on whether to transition to Resolute Support or simply leave, billions of foreign aid proposals stand by for use, and operational planners are contemplating troops levels of 9,800 (U.S.) or the zero option come December 2014. The Afghans have taken a golden opportunity and squandered it.

Gen Zinni Comments on Modern Battlefield

General Anthony Zinni (USMC Ret) is the former Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). He provides, in an interview by Octavian Manea of the Small Wars Journal, some excellent commentary on modern warfare in today's environment and looks back on our Iraq and Afghan experiences. His focus in this interview is on the lack of strategy which is tied to military operations. Zinni offers some enlightened analysis of how the United States lacks an understanding of the political context of war. Although his remarks are concentrated on the Middle East in general he has some interesting comments on Afghanistan. These include taking our eye off the ball to invade Iraq, inability to deal with Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan, building up host nation conventional armies instead of a military that is capable of fighting a counterinsurgency, lack of resources for a whole-of-government approach to quelling insurgencies, and using metrics to show progress (body counts, attrition of enemy, etc.) instead of measuring the support of the population.  You can read "Reflections on the Modern Battlefield: A Discussion with General Anthony Zinni", Small Wars Journal, September 12, 2014 at this link.

Afghan War News Email Update Every Day!

My six month tour as a contractor in Afghanistan is now complete and I am back in the states! With the pace of operations for U.S. and international forces slowing down drastically it may have been my last tour. I spent significant parts of several years in Afghanistan - 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 as either a member of the U.S. military or as a contractor supporting military operations. With the knowledge that I have built up on Afghanistan and the interest I will maintain in the future for that country I will continue to make observations, analysis, and commentary on events in Afghanistan. I have decided to continue with the Afghan War News Blog and to increase content on my Afghan War News website.

My intent is to provide a daily news outlet on all things Afghanistan. You can read this online or have it sent to you every day by email. A news update should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Send an e-mail to staff@afghanwarnews.info or go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box in the top of the right hand column. It is easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Taliban's New War Fighting Strategy

Many observers have commented on what appears to be new strategies adopted by the Taliban in 2014. The first is the massing of large numbers of insurgents to attack formations and bases of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) located in small detachments in some remote district centers. The second new strategy is the targeting of intelligence officials of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

The first, massing of large forces, is now possible because the ISAF airplanes (and choppers) that provide close air support (CAS) have dwindled and the lack of ISAF JTACs on the ground to direct the airstrikes. The Afghan Air Force (AAF) is far from able to provide close air support. The AAF has just a few aged Mi-35 HIND Attack Helicopters (export model of the Mi-24) and will not receive the Super Tucano until 2016. Another limiting factor is the minimal amount of Afghan Tactical Air Controllers (ATAC). In the past the insurgents would be hammered by CAS if they massed or attacked installations; however, that threat is no longer there.

Everyone knows that (well, . . . almost everyone) intelligence drives operations in a counterinsurgency. The ISAF ISR structure has, like its CAS capability, dwindled. The brigades that used to share the battlespace with the ANSF have gone home, and what little intelligence assets remain behind sometimes have trouble sharing information with their Afghan counterparts. The best Intel that the Afghans can provide is HUMINT - and that means the NDS. So the Taliban targeting the NDS is a good strategy (for them) as it diminishes the most important Intel asset that the ANSF can count on.

Read more in "Taliban Devise New Strategy in Afghanistan: Territorial Control and War on Afghan Intelligence Headquarters", The Jamestown Foundation, September 26, 2014.

U.S. "New Silk Road Strategy" Hits Deadend

In 2011 the United States Department of State (under Secretary of State Clinton) rolled out the "New Silk Road Strategy" or NSRS. The intent was to re-establish Afghanistan as the trade cross-roads for economic activity - tying the products of Central Asia (water, gas, oil, electricity, and consumer goods) to the populations of South Asia (India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) through Afghanistan. Much talk was made about how this would help the economy of Afghanistan (and eliminate some of the underlying root causes of the insurgency) but little investment was made on the part of the United States. It seems, however, that both Russia and China see the importance of a "New Silk Road"; but not necessarily in the context of benefiting Afghanistan. Read more in "The United States' Silk Road to Nowhere", Foreign Policy, September 29, 2014.

NATO to Continue Support to Afghanistan

NATO leaders at the Wales conference recently held reaffirmed their commitment to Afghanistan. This pledge included the continuation of the Security Force Assistance mission to be provided under the Resolute Support framework and the continuing funding of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to the tune of $5 billion a year. Read more in "NATO commits to fund Afghan forces through 2017 as challenges remain", Stars and Stripes, September 4, 2014.

Temporary Halt in Blogging

I will be taking a temporary break in blogging. Once again I am off to Afghanistan for a short contract (2-4 months). While there I will have a busy schedule and be unable to blog. Upon my return to the states I will resume my research and writing (and blogging). If you are signed up for the Afghan War News Blog Newsletter then you will know when I have resumed blogging (you will get the daily newsletter once I start up again!). The newsletter is sent out every day at 5:00 am EST. If you are not signed up for the daily newsletter you can sign up now - enter your email address in the dialogue box labeled "Follow by Email" to the right of the blog page.

Afghan War Acronyms

Confused about the wide array of acronyms used in the Afghan theater? It isn't hard to get overwhelmed with the military jargon, slang, abbreviations, and phrases. Fortunately there is help out there for you. Visit the Afghan War News acronym listing and glossary. We try to keep the listing updated. If you see an acronym that is missing send us an email at staff@afghanwarnews.info.

China and Afghanistan: Concerns on Xinjiang

Wakhan Corridor Border Area

China is concerned about it's western provinces; especially Xinjiang. China shares a small border area with Afghanistan. The northeastern end of the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan connects the two countries. China is worried that supporters of the dissident and resistance groups in Xinjiang province could receive external support from the remote areas of Afghanistan. The border area is hard to control and it would be easy for supplies and personnel to slip across the border into China. For that reason China is very interested in a stable and secure Afghanistan. Read more on this topic in "China in Afghanistan: All About Xinjiang Now?", The Diplomat, February 26, 2014.

Process Map for ANP Logistics

With the shift in focus from unit-based, combat-advising to functionally-based, multi-echelon advising known as functionally-based Security Force Assistance the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has developed and disseminated "process maps" to help advisors do their mission of advise and assist with their Afghan counterparts. A process map is a graphical depiction of an Afghan process, such as Afghan National Police Class V sustainment or Afghan National Army manning (recruitment and retention). The process maps shows the actions that take place between all the organizations involved in a process at all levels. The process maps are intended to help advisors at all levels to become knowledgeable on how the Afghans perform certain functions. The process maps are available online at the link below. See "Annex B: Process Maps" of the "SFA Guide 2.0".

Corruption in Afghanistan - Sarah Chayes

Sarah Chayes spent years in Afghanistan living among the Afghan population over the past twelve years. She has seen first hand the good and bad that ISAF has accomplished in that country of perpetual conflict. Part of the bad is the support the United States and its allies provide to corrupt Afghan leaders at the local to national level. She has just penned an article about corruption in Afghanistan appearing in the March / April 2014 issue of Politico Magazine entitled "The Money Pit".  Sarah is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and served as a special adviser to two commanders of the the international troops in Afghanistan.

ISAF Embarrassed Over False Statements Made about Afghan Hospital

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has been hammering the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for its inability to oversee the expenditure of funds associated with reconstruction and development projects and the build up of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). SIGAR has released report after report over the past few years documenting oversight failures on the part of ISAF. In one specific report SIGAR recently cited the lack of oversight on the Salang Hospital in eastern Afghanistan built with U.S. money that was sub-standard and did not meet the requirements of the contract - clearly demonstrating a lack of oversight by ISAF. ISAF tried to counter the report with a "feel good story" of its own stating that the hospital was build to standard and everything was "just fine" to include that solar panels had been installed to augment the hospitals generator. Well . . . SIGAR found out in a subsequent investigation (substantiated by an by an NBC News crew) that there was no solar power unit (utilizing the GeoSpatial Agency's satellite coverage - something you would think that ISAF could do). In fact, ISAF has not sent an inspection team to look at the hospital because it is in a 'non-secure' area. Read more in "IG raps military's inspection of Afghan hospital", USA Today, February 26, 2014. It would appear that ISAF is losing the information operations battle with SIGAR.

U.S. Kisses Manas Goodbye

The United States is closing the Manas transit center in Kyrgyzstan. The transit center operated for years and was instrumental in the movement of personnel and equipment in and out of the Afghan theater. Those personnel who passed through Manas on their way to Afghanistan probably arrived on the "rotator" - a civilian contract airliner filled with military personnel (and contractors). You exited the aircraft and were trucked to the Manas compound where you recovered your baggage and then found a cot in one of the huge tents erected for transients. Your next stop was air operations to find a flight to Afghanistan. Sometimes it was a quick 24 hour turn around. For some it could be days (if you didn't have a ULN!). The Krygyzstan has exacted a hefty price for the use of the airbase and their ever increasing monetary demands were finally a bit too much. Romania is where most of the equipment and personnel will pass through on the way to Europe or the states during the retrograde from Afghanistan. It is time to kiss Manas goodbye! (Photo by Senior Airman George Goslin, USAF 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, 30 Dec 13).

Adviser Assists Combat Engineer Kandak (CEK) of 203rd ANA Corps in Paktya Province

Members of the U.S. Army are serving as advisors to the Afghan National Army (ANA). The advisors provide advice and assistance to a variety of ANA units. Every Afghan Corps has a Corps Engineer Kandak (CEK) that provides horizontal and vertical construction capability to the corps. In the photo at left U.S. Army CPT Joshua Synder, an advisor on a Security Force Assistance Advisor Team, observes vehicles of the 203rd Corp CEK during a weekly maintenance inspection at Forward Operating Base Thunder, in Paktya province. (U.S. Army photo by PFC Dixie Rae Liwanag, February 20, 2014).

NATO SOFA Dependent on BSA

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to be signed with the Afghan government is a separate agreement from the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) that has not yet been signed by President Karzai. The BSA is a security agreement between the United States and Afghanistan. However, NATO has stated that NATO will not execute the Resolute Support mission if the BSA is not signed by Afghanistan. The signing of both agreements is a requirement for the stationing of 16,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan to conduct the Security Force Assistance mission. Read more on this topic in "NATO Head: Afghan Security Pact After Elections", Associated Press, February 20, 2014.

Insurgencies Re-Examined

An Op-Ed by a Professor at the United States Army War College has been provided online that re-examines the role of counter-insurgents and the nature of present-day and future insurgencies. Dr. Robert J. Bunker works at the Strategic Studies Institute of the Army War College as a visiting professor. Read his Op-Ed in "Not Your Grandfather's Insurgency - Criminal, Spiritual, and Plutocratic", Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) published on February 20, 2014.

Hagel Comments on BSA

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel commented on the lack of the Bilateral Security Agreement and the danger it poses for the future security and stability of Afghanistan. The United States has basically given up on the corrupt, ineffective, and erratic current president of Afghanistan (Hamid Karzai) - recognizing that the Bilateral Security Agreement will not be signed until Afghanistan elects a new president. There is concern that the Afghan elections scheduled in April 2014 will not produce a clear winner and a run-off election will be scheduled for mid-summer; thus delaying the signing of the BSA.  Read more in "Hagel: Lack of Agreements Narrows Options in Afghanistan", American Forces Press Service, February 26, 2014.

Interpreters Abandoned by U.S. State Dept

The U.S. State Department continues to receive admonishment for its abandonment of the loyal Afghan interpreters who served the U.S. military for many years in war-torn Afghanistan. Despite the State Department's best efforts at minimizing the public's negative perception of the visa backlog for Afghan interpreters the message from all corners is very clear. Members of Congress and the military want the State Department to take action instead of stonewalling the interpreters visa requests. Unfortunately the State Department appears to be abandoning the Afghan interpreters. Read more in "Tongue tied in Afghanistan", PBS Newshour, February 19, 2014.

419th Combat Sustainment Support Bn Deploys to Afghanistan

The 419th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion will be deploying members of its unit to Afghanistan to conduct retrograde operations. Members of the Army Reserve unit hail from California and Arizona. Read more in "The 419th CSSB conducts deployment ceremony in Tustin", DVIDS, February 24, 2014.

High Peace Council in Talks with Taliban

The Afghan High Peace Council is in talks with a Taliban faction based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Talks with the Taliban are problematic for many reasons. One is the sincerity of the Taliban - there has never been any demonstrated gains as a result of negotiations with the Taliban. A second factor is that there is always a question of whether the individual or group representing the Taliban . . . are really representing the Taliban. Read more in "Afghan Peace Council Confirms Talks with Taliban Faction", Radio Free Europe, February 22, 2014.

Video - Commandos of the ANA

The Afghan National Army (ANA), like every other army in the world, has some very specialized elite units that conduct special operations. These specialized warriors are found in the Special Operations Kandaks of the ANA. The selection to become a Commando in the ANA is ten days long. If the Soldier is selected he then attends a twelve week long Commando training course. Learn more about ANA Commando training in this short video entitled "The Commandos - Special Forces Unit of the Afghan National Army", NATO TV, February 6, 2014.

Whole of Government Approach in Afghanistan Questioned

A recent article in a Canadian newspaper looks at the 'whole of government' approach used by the Canadians in the Afghan conflict in the Kandahar area. It specifically looks at the activities of the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Read more in "Whole of government is old wine in a new bottle", Ottawa Citizen, February 20, 2014.

Report - Partner Capacity in COIN Campaigns

RAND Corporation has published a report that provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis on the likelihood of success of small-footprint approaches to counterinsurgency environments. The RAND team did a simple statistical analyses of 72 counterinsurgencies that have terminated since the end of World War II. In addition, it consulted with numerous reports, studies, and experts on counterinsurgency environments. You can read the results in "Partner Capacity in Counterinsurgency Campaigns" published February 2014 available at this link on RANDs website.

Dealing with the Islamic Jihad

Gary Anderson, a retired Marine Corps Colonel and currently an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, has written an essay on how to deal with al Qaeda. Read "A Strategy for Dealing with the Islamic Jihad" posted on Small Wars Journal on February 26, 2014.

Afghan Warlords and the Election

There are eleven presidential candidates in the Afghan elections for president to be held this April. Among the presidential and their vice-presidential candidates are a number of famous warlords from Afghanistan's past. General Dostum is perhaps the best known among the vice-presidential candidates. Read all about them in "Warlords With Dark Pasts Battle in Afghan Election", The New York Times, February 26, 2014.

NATO Worried About Lack of BSA

At a recent NATO meeting in Brussels leaders reissued warnings about the lack of a Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States and how it would affect the future of Afghanistan. Read more in "Hard Talk Aside, Little Desire by the West to Leave Afghanistan", The New York Times, February 26, 2014.

Afghan National Engineer Brigade Forming

The Afghan National Army (ANA) is closer than ever to fully fielding Afghanistan's first National Engineer Brigade (NEB). Joint Task Force Sapper is working closely with the NEB providing mentorship. Other entities involved in assisting the forming of the NEB include Task Force Coda, Joint Task Force Sapper Headquarters, CSTC-A, and NTM-A. The unit will be based at Camp Ghazi in Central Afghanistan. Like many units the NEB was stood up at the Combined Field Center (CFC). The NEB will have many capabilities to include bridging and well-drilling operations as well as vertical and horizontal engineering. The NEB will complement the capabilities of the Corps Engineer Kandaks or CEKs. Read more in "National Engineer Brigade Continues to Form Under TEB Leadership", DVIDS, February 26, 2014.

A Perspective on Afghanistan's Future

An expat who teaches school in Kabul provides his perspective on the future of Afghanistan. Read "Afghanistan: Reaching In and Reaching Out", National Geographic News Watch, February 21, 2014.

USAID Explains Future Role in Afghanistan

The USAID Assistant Administrator - Larry Sampler - says that USAID will continue to be engaged in Afghanistan. Read more in "USAID in Afghanistan a long way from normal", DEVEX, February 21, 2014.

Companies Make Windfall Profits in Afghanistan

Some companies both foreign and domestic have fared very well over the past 12 years as a result of no-bid contracts provided by the U.S. government. Read more in "Windfalls of War: Companies with spotty records making billions off Afghanistan", Fox News Politics, February 20, 2014.