Ghani Declared Winner of Presidential Election

It finally happened. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) declared Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the new President of Afghanistan (referred to as PoA in the U.S. military). The actual numbers from the elections were not released and it is unknown if they ever will be released. While this might have been a factor in the agreement between the two candidates to move on it does not bode well for the democratic process and transparency of the Afghan election. Under the agreement Ghani will create by presidential decree the position of chief executive for Abdullah - with the intent that the constitution will be amended to create the position of Prime Minister. Read more in "Ghani is new president of Afghanistan, official says", CNN World News, September 22, 2014.

Kunduz province at Risk

In the north of Afghanistan, long considered to be the most non-violent and secure region, there is trouble brewing. The past few years has seen the emergence of insurgent groups that have the capability to overrun district centers and hold them for long periods of time. Kunduz is a particularly troublesome spot with insurgents gaining territory and winning local support among the population. As the European ISAF troops (led by the Germans) collapsed from the east and west of Regional Command North into the center at Camp Marmal (Mazar-e-Sharif) the operational reach of ISAF diminished significantly. Two districts in Kunduz province fell to the Taliban in mid-summer and they were only recently taken back by Afghan security forces. Read a comprehensive review of the situation in Kunduz province in"Taleban Closing in on the City: the next round of the tug-of-war over Kunduz", Afghanistan Analysts Network, September 2, 2014.

Afghan Power-Sharing Agreement Signed

The two presidential candidates (Afghanistan) signed a power-sharing agreement for a 'unity government' that resolves the election crisis. Now the Afghan government can get down to work, the Afghan economy can settle down, and the military and police can resume their counterinsurgency fight against the Taliban. The good news is that Karzai is finally exiting stage left. Read more in "Afghan presidential rivals sign power-sharing agreement", USA Today, September 21, 2014.

White House Happy with Ghani-Abdullah Accord

The White House is "happy" with the final resolution of the Afghan election. It "applauds" the presidential candidates for signing an agreement on the formation of a government of national unity. Read the press release by the White House (September 21, 2014).

U.S. State Department Happy on Ghani-Abdullah Agreement

The United States State Department is quite happy with the two Afghan leaders finally reaching an accommodation on the release of the elections results (did the vote tallies actually get released?) and the ability of the new Afghan government to be formed. Read a State Department press statement by John Kerry (September 21, 2014).

BSA to be Signed Soon

Now that the drama of the Afghan elections is concluded the next big step (from a U.S. perspective) will be to see the quick signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement or BSA. Learn more here in "Ending Afghan Poll Fight Opens Door to Security Pact", The Wall Street Journal, Septmber 21, 2014.

Afghan Soldiers Go AWOL in Cape Cod

Three officers (one major and two captains) from the Afghan National Army who were attending a training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod have gone missing. Police and military authorities are currently searching for them. They arrived at Camp Edwards (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) on September 11th and disappeared while visiting the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis, Massachusetts. This is quite normal. The U.S. and other ISAF nations provide opportunities for Afghan police and army personnel to attend training events and courses. Usually the attendees are chosen by higher ranking officials based on political, family, or patronage ties. The "disappearance rate" is fairly predictable - usually two to three personnel from a group of ten or twenty Afghan visitors. The Afghan "disappeared" will make prior arrangements with friends or family who are already located in the United States (or Europe) for pickup once they slip away from their "watchers". Read more on the "Cape Cod Three" in "3 Afghan soldiers missing from Cape Cod base", AOL News, September 22, 2014. UPDATE: The three missing Afghans have been found; they will receive remedial map reading training soon!

Aid Worker Recounts His Afghan Near Escape

An aid worker, Dominic Nutt, provides us with his story of near death in Afghanistan. He discusses the peril of aid work in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. In addition, despite the risks, he tells us why aid workers continue their work when their lives are in danger. Read "Aid workers are there to help - even if some die trying", The Telegraph, September 16, 2014.

Study - Some Wounded Could Have Survived Afghanistan

A team of medical professionals in Washington spent six months reviewing the autopsies of thousands of casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan and determined that some died from survivable wounds. Read more in "Are U.S. Soldiers Dying from Survivable Wounds?", The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2104.

Afghan War News Daily Report

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.

Logar Province in Transition

The United States and Coalition partners are quickly reducing their footprint. In most all provinces there is no Coalition presence. In a few provinces we now have only a few scattered SFAATs, SOF teams, and some support troops. One of these provinces is Logar. FOB Shank (Logar province) used to have more than 4,000 Coalition troops and now it is greatly reduced in size, scope and mission. The ability to provide enablers to the ANSF is vastly reduced. At one time ISAF could provide QRF, MEDEVACs, fires, aerial ISR, intelligence, DOMEX, logistical support, and close air support. Now it provides very little.

A WaPo correspondent is currently making his way through the Regional Command East (RC East) area and one of his stops included Logar province. In a recent article he provides us some atmospherics. See "In Afghanistan's Logar province, a plea for air support", The Washington Post, September 19, 2014. Two topics stand out for me in this article - generators and air support.

Generator at OCC-P Pul-e-Alam

Some things never seem to change - as in the request for generator maintenance support and training mentioned in the news article. For years the Coalition has provided the ANSF with generators to run their bases, district centers, and provincial offices. Although a noble cause (providing generators) it also produced a number of problems. There was no fuel allocated to run the generators - when fuel was allocated it was stolen prior to arriving at the generator location or shortly after arrival (see SIGAR Audit 1-4). Generators would often break down because the Afghans did not conduct daily and weekly maintenance - even after receiving maintenance training (although many did not get the training). Most of the generators were too big for the sites - a large generator consumed too much fuel and often suffered breakdowns due to insufficient loads. Many generators were simply stolen. Some generators were installed but never run because of lack of fuel. The presence of generators prompted requests for air conditioners, computers, and other electrical appliances. For me, whenever I see a generator I will think of Afghanistan as "The Graveyard of Generators".

The use of close air support was key to the success and survival of American troops in Afghanistan. Air support could mean the difference between winning an engagement against the Taliban or suffering casualties. The Afghans began to rely on U.S. air support as well. When we started holding back enablers in 2013 (to include close air support) there was wide-spread dissatisfaction among the ANSF. Many advisors reported that ANA operations would come to a screeching halt when they found they could not get air support from the United States. So when the writer mentions the request of air support; that too, tells me not much has changed. Of course, the Afghan making the request has a valid point. He knows the U.S. is leaving but would prefer the air support continue for at least another month - which would coincide with the end of the traditional fighting season. Surely this is a reasonable request.

So . . . things are changing - ISAF is withdrawing; but . . . some things never change.

Afghan Election Results to be Announced Sunday

The final results of the Afghan presidential election will be announced on Sunday, September 21, 2014. The contest between Ghani and Abdullah has been lengthy and bitter. Supports of Abdullah have staged numerous protests in Kabul and in northern Afghanistan protesting the massive fraud that took place during the runoff election in June 2014. The inauguration of the new president has been delayed at least twice. The support of the international community is at stake - and will likely diminish significantly if the Bilateral Security Agreement is not signed. The proposed follow-on mission to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is called Resolute Support; but that may not even happen if the Afghans can't get their act back on track. The winner of the election will likely be Ghani; although at this point it is hard to really determine who is the true winner. Most observers say that if you throw out the substantial number of fraudulent votes Ghani still comes out ahead based on the voting that occurred along ethnic lines. Ghani (a Pashtun) received most of the Pashtun and Uzbek votes. One of his two running mates (vice-presidents) was Dostum - an Uzbek. Abdullah garnered the Tajik and Harzara vote. Abdullah is mixed Tajik and Pashtun although he comes from the Northern Alliance political world. One of his running mates is Hazara.

The big question is: did Abdullah receive enough concessions for power-sharing in the "unity government" to be satisfied with the outcome? If so, he will make it known to his supporters that the "struggle" is over and to support the power-sharing arrangements with the Ghani administration. Hopefully all will go smoothly, the inauguration will take place within days, the biggest Afghan crook in history (Karzai) will fade off to Dubai where he banked his millions of dollars, the Bilateral Security Agreement will be signed, the international community will continue to pump billions of dollars into the Afghan government coffers (and some of it will actually be used for running the government), and the U.S., NATO and other countries will provide the 14,000 plus troops to continue the Security Force Assistance mission - to be called Resolute Support after December 31, 2014.

We shall see . . .

Who Is The New COMISAF?

Most people who follow the conflict in Afghanistan know that General Joe Dunford passed the duties and responsibilities of COMISAF to General John Campbell on August 26, 2014. However, many people really don't know who General Campbell is. He doesn't have the name recognition that a General McCrystal or Petraeus had. General Campbell started with military; as the son of an Air Force Senior NCO he got to travel and live around the world in his youth. He attended college at West Point graduating in 1979. He started off as an infantry officer and went through the ranks from platoon to division. In his early days he attended Special Forces training and commanded a 12-man ODA in the 5th Special Forces Group. His previous deployments include Haiti and Iraq as well as time in Afghanistan as the commander of Regional Command East (RC East). You can read his official ISAF biography here. It is refreshing that our senior leadership are picking commanders with previous experience in Afghanistan; sometimes they miss the boat on that very important criteria.

Video "The Future of Afghanistan" (Sopko)

"The Future of Afghanistan" is presented by Georgetown University Center for Security Studies. This video, published on September 17, 2014 features Special Inspector General for Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko speaking about the future of Afghanistan. (video on YouTube, 77 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=32y-tfIaFYY

SIGAR Says Afghanistan's Future is Bleak

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John Sopko, provided his thoughts on the future of Afghanistan to an audience at Georgetown University on Friday, September 12, 2014. He says that the United States has $16 billion in the pipeline for Afghan reconstruction and aid but that there is inadequate monitoring and oversight mechanisms in place to ensure that it will be spent properly. Sopko states that the United States has to get a handle on sustainability, corruption and narcotics trafficking if it is going to be successful in future efforts to rebuild Afghanistan. Read more about Sopko's presentation at "Afghanistan's Reconstruction Future Looks Very Bleak, IG Warns", Defense One, September 16, 2014.

Return to Hope: Afghanistan's Timeline

NATO has published a series of informative and interactive webpages called "Return to Hope". One informative part of this series is entitled Afghanistan's Timeline. While many know what ISAF is now and what it does; what is less known is the historical path taken to establish ISAF over ten years ago. Learn a little about Afghan history and ISAF history at Afghanistan's Timeline.

The Study of Afghan Ethnic Groups

There are a lot of studies and writings about the ethnic groups of Afghanistan and how these groups relate to the politics, insurgency, social structure and culture of Afghanistan. Christian Bleuer has provided us with information on this topic in "The Study and Understudy of Afghanistan's Ethnic Groups: What we know - and don't know", Afghanistan Analysts Network, September 10, 2014.
www.afghanistan-analysts.org/the-study-and-understudy-of-afghanistans-ethnic-groups/

NATO - Wales Summit Declaration on Afghanistan

During its early September 2014 NATO summit in Wales the allies issued the "Wales Summit Declaration on Afghanistan" (see NATO press release 2014 - 121, September 4, 2014). There were nine paragraphs to the declaration. Topics included (1) honoring members of ISAF and ANSF who have served, (2) the fact that ISAF has assisted the Afghans over the past decade, (3) ISAF will end their mission in December 2014, (4) prospects for continued support to Afghanistan through Resolute Support, financial sustainment, and an enduring NATO-Afghanistan partnership, (5) NATO will continue to support the Afghan-owned peace process, (6) good neighbourly relations are essential (does this mean Pakistan as well?), (7) a stable Afghanistan is good for the wider region, (8) NATO is resolved to make Afghanistan "  . . . a stable, sovereign, democratic and united country, . . .", and (9) NATO is " . . . steadfast and resolute in our comittment to the Afghan people".

IC is Discounting Nonviolence in Afghan Election

The website E-International Relations has published a lengthy and informative piece about the nonviolent protests taking place in Afghanistan as a result of the wide-spread electoral fraud. The article by Marie S. Huber (September 13, 2014) explains in detail the nature of the protests and questions the international communities' (U.N., NATO, U.S. State Department, international media, etc.) inadequate and incorrect characterization of the protests. Huber states that the protests are nonviolent and a good indicator that democracy is taking hold vice the international view that the protests are indicative of a move to violence and a disruption of the electoral process and peaceful transfer of power from one president to another. Marie Huber has been living and working in Afghanistan for two years as a researcher with both national and international organizations. She holds a Masters of Philosophy in International Peace Studies and conducts research on aid sustainability, gender, women's issues, and peace and reconciliation. You can read the article in full here.

RoL Training for Afghan Women

The International Security Assistance Command (ISAF) recently conducted Rule of Law (RoL) training for Afghan women working as prosecutors, intelligence analysts, and interrogators. The one-day training event was held in September 16th, 2014. The training consisted of evidence collection, intelligence gathering, crime scene collection, preservation and recovery of evidence, as well as police and prosecution cooperation. The training event is an attempt to increase the networking opportunities with like-minded professionals to improve crime scene investigation techniques that will lead to eventual prosecution of criminals and their networks. The move to warrant-based targeting and prosecution supports the establishment of Rule of Law in a counterinsurgency environment. Read more on this training event in "Afghan women attend first Rule of Law training", ISAF News, September 17, 2014.

Receive Daily News on 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.

Cell Towers Built But Not Used in Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has reported on a $6.5M project that provided no benefit (unless you count the contractor that provided the service). The State Department contracted for six cell phone towers to be built in southern Afghanistan. There were some systematic problems with the design to include the cost of running by generator (fuel) and the fact that they were not initially designed to hook into the existing telecom network in Afghanistan. The purpose of the cell phone towers was to expand and enhance telecommunication services to the civilian Afghan population in underserved but strategic areas. Another cell tower project - Expeditionary Cellular Communications System (ECCS) - was done under "Operation Palisades" by the Department of Defense; it was a $68M project awarded to ManTech. Reportedly the cell towers built for the State Department are to be auctioned off to the Afghan telecom community (it is unknown what happened to the ECCS towers). SIGAR has requested additional information from the State Department in a September 9, 2014 letter. Read more in "$6.5M telecom towers unused in Afghanistan; watchdog wants answers", The Washington Times, September 17, 2014. See also a news article on this topic in Stars and Stripes.

Video - "Do Drones Work?"

Georgetown University Security Studies Program Professors Daniel Byman, Christin Fair, and Christoper Swift discuss the United States' use of drones in prosecuting the war on terrorism. The panelists discuss issues surrounding the drone program, including its efficacy, legality, and future use. (YouTube, 80 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDRRr-_Qq7A

Book Review - "Soldier Girls"

A new book is coming out by Helen Thorpe entitled Soldier Girls. The book takes a close look at the experiences of three women who deployed to a war zone, the cost to the children left behind, and the long-term effects on the women's lives. You can read a book review at "Women's war stories: Sex, stress-relief and mothering from afar", The Washington Post, September 17, 2014.

BG Vollmecke to be DCG CSTC-A

Brig. General Kirk F. Vollmecke will be assigned to be the Deputy Commanding General (DCG) of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A). Read the DoD news release making the announcement.
www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=16942

Paper - Rule of Law in Military Operations

Thomas L. English, a retired Army officer, has wrote a paper posted on Small Wars Journal entitled "The Rule of Law in the Context of US Military Operations" (published September 16, 2014). The paper is based on " . . . personal observations and perceptions from participation in the leadership of the Legal Operations Directorate for CJIATF (Combined Joint Interagency Task Force) 435 from September 2010 to May 2011". CJIATF 435 used the combination of the military organizations with civilian agencies such as the Departments of State, Justice, Agriculture and others. The paper addresses a number of topics to include "Internal ROL within Military Organizations", "External ROL in Military Operations", "CJIATF 435: External ROL in Afghanistan", CJIATF-435's "Legal Operations Directorate", "Detainee Review Boards", and "Afghan Prosecutions". Learn more about Rule of Law.

Five Saddest Countries in the World?

The Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index has analysed the sadness of the population in 135 countries. Afghanistan ranks as one of the top five saddest countries coming in as the second saddest; only people in Syria are sadder. Five factors were considered: social well-being, financial status, community well-being, purpose and goals, and physical health. The other four countries are Syria, Chad, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Hmmmm . . . what does that tell about Afghanistan? The United States came in close to the top of the list; with only 13 countries a bit happier (among them Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and the Costa Rica). See the full list at "This is how 135 Nations Fare on Happiness", Live Science, September 16, 2014.

ANSF Get Ready for Election Announcement

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are bracing themselves for possible strife and conflict once the election results are announced. It is presumed (with the help of a little ballot box stuffing) that Ghani will be the winner. Supporters of Abdullah Abdullah (mostly Tajik and Hazara) will be disappointed and possibly take to the streets. The ANSF will very likely stay neutral although there are sure to be some leaders and units that will play a role in the coming discontent. Read more in "Afghan security forces prepare for election announcement", Stars and Stripes, September 17, 2014.

Afghan Stability Equals Presidential Election Deal

The situation in Afghanistan is tenuous. It could slip into anarchy very quickly if the current impasse with the results of the fraudulent elections is not resolved. The two contending candidates for president need to come to an accommodation on power sharing. Normally the winner (supposedly Ghani) would take all but with the vast fraud that took place the loser (Abdullah) is holding some cards. He is currently negotiating for a power-sharing scheme (some are calling it a unity government). Abdullah is not quite ready to call it a day and admit defeat as he is holding out for some additional perks. Ghani is reluctant to give up too much power to Abdullah but he needs to do a little sharing to garner Abdullah's support (or at least to quiet him enough that the Tajiks and Hazara accept Ghani as president). Read more in "Afghanistan's stability depends on two presidential contenders reaching a deal", The Washington Post, September 17, 2014.

Female Afghan Border Police Receive Pistol Training

There is a big push to increase the number of females in the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. Security Force Assistance advisors are creating opportunities for the females to receive the necessary training so they can do their job. One such training event recently took place in Regional Command South where female members of the 503rd Zone Afghan Border Police (ABP) familiarized themselves with the M9 pistol at the Regional Training Center in Kandahar. Demetria Franklin, an Embedded Police Mentor, and other coalition members conducted the training. Read more in "Female ABP officers get a turn at the range", DVIDS, September 14, 2014.

China's President Snubs Afghanistan

China's president recently snubbed Afghanistan during a region wide tour of central and south Asian countries. China is one of the "bystanders" of the region that committed little to help Afghanistan but very likely will be the country that reaps the most benefit. It seems the president couldn't find the time to visit Afghanistan and some observers took note. Read more in "China's President Should Have Visited Afghanistan", The Diplomat, September 18, 2014.

Afghan War News Newsletter

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Info and Communications Technology - An Afghan Success Story

The news coming out of Afghanistan lately has been dismal. The security situation is worse with the Taliban threatening to take over district centers (Sangin), corruption handicapping international aid efforts, the Afghan election is a mess, and the lack of a signed Bilateral Security Agreement. It is hard to find positive news about Afghanistan.

However, there is one sector of the economy that is doing remarkably well - the information and communications technology sector. Dr. Catherine Warner, of the ISAF Telecommunications Advisory Team, says that the telecommunications and info technology fields have come a long way since 2001. In 2001 there were 15,000 telephone lines with only local dialing access. In 2014 there are 22 million mobile phone subscribers and some three million Internet users.

Read more in Information and communications technology sector Afghanistan's second largest revenue source, ISAF News, September 10, 2010 at this link.

Afghanistan Needs Emergency Money Bailout

The Afghan government has asked for an emergency bailout of U.S. money - to the tune of $537 million within "five or six days" so it can continue to pay its bills. Read more in "Afghan official says the government has nearly run out of money, needs U.S. bailout", The Washington Post, September 16, 2014.

Investment in Agriculture Key to Afghan Unemployment Problem

Afghanistan's economy has grown tremendously in recent years but this growth has not fixed the unemployment problem. There are many young workers who do not have a job. One possible remedy is increased investment in the agricultural sector - resulting in increased employment opportunities. Agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy and much can be done to increase employment in this field. Some investment ideas include better water management, refrigerated warehouses for farm produce, and improving the transportation system. Read more in "Afghanistan needs to address unemployment problem", Central Asia Online, September 13, 2014.

Flying Dragons Support RC South

The 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) is also known as the "Flying Tigers". The Flying Tigers are located at Kandahar Air Field (KAF) and supports Regional Command South. They have multiple missions to include troop transport, re-positioning of equipment, resupply, MEDEVAC and more. They accomplish all of these missions at the same time that they are assisting in the retrograde of equipment and personnel in the transition to the Resolute Support mission. Learn more about this unit in Flying Dragon's adaptability valuable to RC-South, DVIDS, September 10, 2014. Photo by SSG Whitney Houston shows an Afghan National Army soldier aboard a CH-47F Chinook flying out of Kandahar Airfield.

"The Enemy is Watching . . ."

Lawrence A. Levine has wrote a column entitled "In Afghanistan, assume the enemy is watching, waiting" (Kansas City Star, September 9, 2014). The article provides insight on how insurgent intelligence networks operate in Afghanistan. He discusses the "mindset" and "cultural ignorance" that challenges intelligence analysts in Afghanistan.

How do Combat Aviation Advisors Train?

The current mission of the United States (and ISAF) in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance; which primarily Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA). There are many types of advisors in Afghanistan to include members of the United States Air Force who are advising, training, and mentoring the Afghan Air Force (AAF). So what is it that ensures a good advisor is assigned to training the AAF? It starts with the proper selection of advisors. In addition, prior to deployment an advisor should receive some specialized training in instructional techniques, culture, force protection, counterinsurgency, and much more. For the air advisor to the AAF this probably occurs at the U.S. Air Force Air Advisors Academy located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

A preferred method is to have advisors already selected and assigned to units that have an advising and training mission. One such unit in the U.S. Air Force is the 919th Special Operations Wing located at Duke Field, Florida. The 919th provides Combat Aviation Advisors (CAA) as part of its Aviation Foreign Internal Defense (AvFID) mission. Read about one type of training event that CAA teams undergo to become proficient as air advisors in "Combat Aviation Advisors attend large-scale Army exercise", DVIDS, September 16, 2014.

Report - Special Immigrant Visa Programs

The United States Department of State (until 2014) did a horrible job of managing the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Since 2006 Congress has enacted a series of legislative provisions to enable Afghan nationals who worked as translators and interpreters to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States. These individuals face death from the Taliban once they have been identified as working for the U.S. The U.S. State Department has been roundly criticized for its inability to process applicants - the principal bottleneck was apparently the embassy staff in Kabul. Hopefully that person(s) has lost his/her job(s) for the disservice done to Afghan interpreters who laid their lives on the line for the U.S. military. Visa issuance under the SIV programs for Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government have fallen well below the statutory ceilings. Read more in Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs, CRS Report R43725, Congressional Research Service (CRS), by Andorra Bruno, September 12, 2014.

U.S. Casualties Named

The Department of Defense announced the names of the two Americans killed in a recent SBVIED attack near Massoud Circle in Kabul on September 16, 2014. MAJ Michael J. Donahue, 41, of Columbus, Ohio was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Stephen Byus, 39, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a member of the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime in Columbus, Ohio. He was working as a supply specialist and assigned to Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan while deployed. In addition, a Polish NCO was killed in the attack. Read the DoD news release.

Kabul Fire Department - A Ray of Sunshine

In a country whose future is dismal at best and where government institutions are looked upon as inept and corrupt it is refreshing to learn that some Afghan institutions are working! An exception to the rule seems to be the Kabul fire department - a part of the Ministry of Interior. Read a refreshing story in "Not Every Afghan Institution is Efficient: This One Is", MPBN News, September 17, 2014.

Newsletter on 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.

Movie Review - The Hornet's Nest

A recent review about The Hornet's Nest, a movie about U.S. military units serving in Afghanistan has been posted on the War on the Rocks blog. The movie, a documentary, follows the men and women of the 101st Airborne Division and 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, during their deployment to Afghanistan. The movie was released to theaters in May 2014 and is now available at a number of outlets to include Amazon and others. You can read the movie review published on September 16, 2014 by David Mattingly here at this link.

Remarks by John Sopko (SIGAR) on Afghanistan

John F. Sopko, the head of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), presented some prepared remarks to an audience at Georgetown University on September 12, 2014. In his remarks he describes the mission of SIGAR, the immense reconstruction effort underway in Afghanistan, the vast amounts of money spent and to be spent, the problem of Afghan corruption, the lack of oversight in the past, and the challenges of monitoring billions of dollars in aid in the future. He provides an argument on why oversight of reconstruction aid is mission-critical and provides recommendations for the future. You can read his speech online.

Movie - "Good Kill" (or 'drones are bad')

A movie about drones in Afghanistan is coming our way. The star of the movie, Ethan Hawke, flies drones over Afghanistan. Evidently he is 'forced' to do this job and has doubts about the legality and struggles with moral issues. In addition, he likely suffers from "drone PTSD"! You can already see where this is going. He has difficulty in doing his day job at his computer console flying drones and then heading home to his family each night. It must be quite a struggle. Read more in an online news article in The Hollywood Reporter published September 10, 2014.

India and the Afghan Flag

India has presented Afghanistan with an enormous flag. It was recently hoisted over Kabul's historic Wazir Akbar Khan hill in early September on a flagpole more than 200 feet high. The flag measures 97 by 65 feet. Many observers state that the flag is symbolic of India's commitment to a strong Afghanistan; and a reminder to Pakistan and other nations that Afghanistan has neighbors that care about its future. Read more on the flag gift in "Afghanistan Boldly Raises Its Colors, as Never Before", The New York Times, September 13, 2014.

Election Fraud Acknowledged by IEC

The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) has acknowledged that massive vote fraud took place during the presidential run off election between Abdullah and Ghani. The IEC has invalidated about 16% of the vote. To blame for the fraud are security forces, provincial governors, and members of the IEC. Read more in "Afghan election commission acknowledges massive vote fraud", Business Standard, September 16, 2014.

Afghan Election Impasse Over Soon?

Everyone is wondering when the Afghans will get the election mess sorted out. There are some reports that the election dispute will be resolved. Of course, it would seem that Ghani is to be the next President of Afghanistan based on the election results - he got the most votes. The question remains as to what Abdullah Abdullah will do next. Will he continue to oppose the results of the vote (that he claims is fraudulent) or will he take part in a 'unity government' with Ghani. Read more in "Breakthrough in Afghan electoral impasse seen as imminent", Stars and Stripes, September 16, 2014.

Minerals in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is rich in copper, iron and rare minerals that are needed by the world's economy for manufacturing goods. At some point in the future, once security is established and good governance takes hold, the mining of minerals will produce a significant part of the annual revenue to run Afghanistan's government. Read more in All that Glitters in Afghanistan, Inside Science, September 10, 2014.

FOB Lightning to Close

A journalist spends time at FOB Lightning (Gardez) in RC East. The FOB, a small U.S. base adjacent to FOB Thunder where the 203rd Corps of the ANA is located, will close at some point at the end of the year. Once the last U.S. troops leave the ANA 203rd Corps will lose the benefit of the train, advise, and assist mission that ISAF will be conducting under Resolute Support in 2015. The journalist (who also sketches) interviews a number of Soldiers about their present job and the challenges ahead of retrograde and shutting down the base. Read "Final days for an Army Base in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, September 12, 2014 at this link.