U.S. Army Chief of Engineers Tours Afghanistan

The U.S. Army Chief of Engineers recently visited Afghanistan touring several bases. He received mission update briefings, met with U.S. and Afghan engineers, and learned about efforts of building partner capacity, supporting base master planning, force protection, and Afghan engineer development. On a visit to Camp Ghazi he visited the Afghan National Engineer Brigade. Read more in "Chief of engineers visits Afghanistan", DVIDS, October 22, 2014.

Interview - Former Foreign Minister Lafraie

The former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan between 1992 and 1996, Professor Najibullah Lafraie, was interviewed recently and provided his assessment of the political and security situation of Afghanistan. An interesting look from an Afghan statesman's perspective. Read "US Troops Surge in Afghanistan, Repetition of  Mistake Committed in Iraq", Eurasia Review, October 19, 2014.

1st Cav Redeploys From Afghanistan

The HQs of the 1st Cavalry Division has returned home. They were deployed to the south of Afghanistan to form the core of Regional Command South (RC South). About 70 1st Cav members remain for several more months to constitute the core of the replacement headquarters for RC South - which was renamed Train Advise Assist Command - South or TAAC South. RC South was the headquarters element for about 16 partner nations in southern Afghanistan conducting the Security Force Assistance mission. Read more in "1st Cavalry headquarters returns from Afghanistan", Fort Hood Herald, October 22, 2014.

Comedian Taking Up Cause of Afghan Interpreters

A comedian has lambasted the United States Department of State for its inept handling of the Afghan interpreter Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Read more in "Why is a Comedian the Only One Talking About the Plight of Afghan Interpreters", Council on Foreign Affairs, October 23, 2014.

Failed States Index - Afghanistan #7

Good News! Afghanistan is not the "most failed state" in the world; although it does come in on top ten. The country may be the 1st (sometimes 2nd) most corrupt nation in the world but it seems to be considered less fragile than 6 other countries. The nations that beat out Afghanistan are:


1. South Sudan
2. Somalia
3. Central African Republic
4. Democratic Republic of Congo
5. Sudan
6. Chad

Quite an achievement. So the the corrupt Afghan government leaders may be the world's most corrupt but at least there are several African countries that are more "fragile"! All those lives and billions of dollars we have spent have really brought Afghanistan out of the 14th century and into the . . . well, maybe . . . um . . .  15th century. You can view rankings of the most failed states on Foreign Policy at the following link:

www.foreignpolicy.com/fragile-states-2014

Get a Jump on the News

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.

International Military Education and Training - IMET

Every once in a while we hear about an Afghan from the ANA or ANP who, while attending a training course in the United States decides he has had enough of the war and he goes missing or requests asylum. How does this ANA soldier or ANP policeman get to the United States in the first place? Usually it is through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. IMET provides funds for training and education on a grant basis to students from allied and friendly nations (one of them being Afghanistan). The IMET program is a great training and educational vehicle for our military allies; and it is a great program for Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the slots for IMET in Afghanistan have not been fully filled (historically with a fill rate of just over 50%). In addition, the Afghan personnel selected for IMET training and education opportunities do not have a good command of English and are usually associated with the political patronage net of some of the higher ranking military or police officials. So, once again, the Afghans have squandered a great opportunity because of corruption, political patronage, and incompetence. You can learn more about IMET at the website of Security Assistance Monitor at this link:
www.securityassistance.org/content/international-military-education-and-training

Video - Traditional Afghan Pottery

The link at the bottom of this post takes you to a short video on Afghan potters and traditional Afghan pottery. In quotes below is a description of the video by NATO TV.

"Traditional Afghan pottery has been made in the village of Istalif for over 1,400 years using the same traditional methods. Its craftsmen believe that pottery arrived in Afghanistan with Alexander the Great and that their techniques have changed little since then.

But history has not been kind to Istalif’s artisans. The civil war found the small village on the frontline of the battle between rival militant groups, trying to capture nearby Kabul from the Taliban. The fighting almost destroyed the village and its kilns that had already been pounded by Soviet airstrikes.

Today the Turquoise Mountain Foundation is seeking to preserve the skills of Istalif’s ceramics masters. They have established a ceramics school in Kabul’s Murad Khane district and have produced 33 master potters."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9xlE3Kl3Vg

Trends of 2014 Fighting Season

The fighting season in Afghanistan typically starts in the spring and ends in the fall. Insurgent activity does not end completely; it just subsides significantly (somewhere around 30 to 60 %). The Afghan National Security Forces (army and police) usually take the winter time to do some re-training, re-fitting, leave time, and re-organization; although 2012 and 2013 saw some ANSF activity to "shape" the battlefield for the summer fighting seasons. This past fighting season (2014) is easing up; the activity level will go down as we move into November. Both the Taliban and the ANSF (along with ISAF) conduct a review of what worked and what didn't work. Once the fighting season assessments are completed, then they adapt their training and preparations for the upcoming fighting season (2015). One analyst, Jason Lyall, has identified five trends and lessons of the 2014 fighting season. Jason is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University and his work examines wartime dynamics of violence and insurgencies.

1. The ANSF suffered highest loss rates of war in 2014.
2. Taliban massed on the battlefield with operations against 41 districts.
3. Taliban now has capability to conduct operations across the entire country.
4. Pakistan's aid to the Taliban continues and may have increased.
5. Intensity of fight forced ISAF to use its dwindling air power.

You can read his entire analysis of these five trends in "A (fighting) season to remember in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, October 20, 2014.

Afghan Corruption Tougher Than Mafia

The head of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) Mr. John Sopko says that it was easier to take on the mafia in Ohio than corruption in Afghanistan. Sopko's organization, SIGAR, has issued over 160 reports during his two years on the job that point to tens of billions of U.S. dollars being squandered due to Afghan corruption or inept oversight on the part of the U.S. military, USAID, and the State Department. Read more in "Afghan Corruption a Tougher Job After Taking on the Mafia", Bloomberg News, October 23, 2014.

WSJ - "Afghan Troop Casualties are Rising"

The Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released some casualty figures. Since March 21st, 2014 (the beginning of the Afghan calendar year) over 950 soldiers were killed. The casualty figures from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) show that over 2,200 policemen have died since March 2014. Using the western calendar - starting January 1, 2014 a total of 4,380 Afghan soldiers and policemen have been killed in combat. Thus far, 2014 has been the deadliest year for Afghan troops since the war began 13 years ago. Read more in "Afghan Troop Casualties Are Rising", The Wall Street Journal, October 22, 2014.

Ghani Brings Economic Optimism

With the election of President Ghani a new optimism is taking hold about Afghanistan's economy. Read more in "With New President, Economic Optimism Returns to Afghanistan", National Public Radio (NPR), October 21, 2014.

Aid Workers in Risky Business

There are numerous aid workers of all sorts working in Afghanistan throughout the country. Many work in the more dangerous areas. Read an online article about the risks that aid workers face in Afghanistan and elsewhere in A risky business: Aid workers in danger, DEVEX, October 8, 2014.

Drones Over Pakistan

An article about drone attacks against insurgents in Pakistan provides us with some recent background on drones and their effectiveness. Read "Pakistan-US: Death From the Skies - Analysis", Eurasia Review, October 20, 2014.

Withdrawal Under Fire in RC East

A recent news article paints a worrisome picture of the security situation in the south-eastern sector of Regional Command East (RC East). As the remaining Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) have been closed down or transferred to the Afghan National Army (ANA) U.S. Soldiers find that the Taliban have become increasing aggressive. Some observers say that the Taliban want to project the image that these attacks in the closing days of the U.S. presence are causing the U.S. to close up shop. Others say that these attacks are a sign of a deadly fighting season ahead in 2015. Read more in "Parting shot: No fond farewell for 82nd paratroopers in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, October 23, 2014.

President Ghani to Visit China

The newly-elected President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, will soon visit China. His first official trip out of the country will last three days. While in China he will sign agreements and have discussions on aid and Afghanistan's economy. Read more in "Afghan President to Visit China", Radio Free Europe, October 21, 2014.

COMISAF Upbeat on PoA

The Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) - General John Campbell - has met with President Ghani and observed his actions since he became President of Afghanistan (PoA). Campbell is "excited" about the future and the fact that Afghanistan now has a president who cares about the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). According to Gen Campbell, President Ghani has met with many of the leaders of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and visited troops at several ANA bases. General Campbell has been on the job for two months; having replaced General Joe Dunford in August. Campbell was interviewed by Gail McCabe in this short video - "COMISAF Looking Ahead SB", DVIDS, October 20, 2104.

Tangi Valley - Taliban Stronghold

The Tangi Valley in eastern Wardak province and western Logar province has always been an area controlled by the Taliban. Sure, the U.S. Army or the Afghan National Security Forces may go into the valley for 3 or 4 days each year but the remainder of the year the Taliban rule this mountainous area.The valley has its own Taliban governor, judicial system, and school system (funded by the Kabul government with international aid). A reporter from BBC news recently spent some time there and provides us with his observations in "Afghanistan conflict: Life inside a Taliban stronghold", BBC News Asia, October 20, 2014.

State Dept Blasted on Afghan Interpreter Issue

The State Department has done a horrible job in managing the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan interpreters. Congress has allocated by law thousands of visa quotas for Afghans who served as interpreters and translators for the U.S. military yet the State Department has been an obstacle to allowing Afghans who served the U.S. military who wish to re-locate to the United States. For instance, in 2011 there were 1,500 visas that could have been granted; yet the State Department issued only 3 visas. Appalling! John Oliver, of the "Last Week Tonight" show, provides us with a humorous yet very pointed look at how badly the State Department has performed its duties. View a video (16 minutes of pure laughs) on a description of the red tape an interpreter must make his way through in order to get a visa at this link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QplQL5eAxlY

Video -"To Kill a Sparrow"

This video is the story of a woman from Afghanistan - named Soheila - who was betrothed at the age of 5 to an older man in an attempt to settle a family feud. Baad is a practice used to resolve disputes - providing a daughter to pay off a grievance. The video of the woman - now 24 years old - follows her tragic story. The documentary - "To Kill a Sparrow" - is a 30 minute long film that shows Soheila's long struggle to escape the life her father intended for her. See the video at "Bartered Away at Age 5, Now Trying to Escape to a Life She Chooses", The New York Times, October 19, 2014.

Video - "Modernising the Afghan Passport Office"

NATO TV has released (October 20, 2014) a video about the effort to modernize the Afghan Passport Office. The video depicts how Afghan citizens can now apply for e-passports, which provides biometric data that can be used to identify the passport holder and screen (and vet) people applying for passports. The new system has made it harder for criminals and insurgents to travel and reduce corruption (I don't believe that for a minute). In addition it has reduced the challenges that Afghan citizens face during their international travel. The video "Modernising the Afghan Passport Office" is about three minutes long and available at the following link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsL0gBqa8Oo

Reconciliation with the Taliban?

A columnist assesses the Afghan Unity Government (NUG) and thinks that Afghanistan may be ready for a serious effort to reconcile with the Taliban. He explores the many different aspects that need to be considered for negotiations with the Taliban. Most likely the biggest issue to face is Pakistan's support of the Taliban; presumably Pakistan uses the Taliban as leverage to influence Afghanistan ". . . over bilateral issues like India's presence in Afghanistan, Kabul's longstanding refusal to recognize the border, and the apparent use of Afghan territory as sanctuary by some Pakistani Taliban".The author, Barnett R. Rubin, was senior advisor to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Department of State during 2009 to 2013. Read his article in "  Is the Afghan Unity Government a Roadmap for Negotiations with the Taliban?", The South Asia Channel, Foreign Policy, October 20, 2014.

Afghan Diplomat Training

A group of 15 young Afghan diplomats are receiving training by the U.S. and China on diplomatic, communication, and management skills. The text of a State Department "media note" posted on October 20, 2014 is provided below:

"A group of 15 young Afghan diplomats kicked off their training visit to the United States at a welcome reception hosted at the State Department this morning by Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel F. Feldman. The Special Representative was joined at the reception by Chinese Embassy Minister Wu Xi and Afghan Charge d’Affaires Mirwais Samadi.
This is the third year the United States and China have partnered to train the Afghan diplomatic corps on diplomatic, communications, and management skills. This year’s group includes fifteen early-career Afghan diplomats, who were selected jointly by representatives from the U.S. and Chinese Embassies in Kabul. In May, the participants participated in a two-week training program in Beijing sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While in Washington, the group will learn more about U.S. policies regarding both Afghanistan and China, as well as the process of formulating and implementing foreign policy in the United States.
During their two-week stay, the group will visit the Chinese and Afghan Embassies, tour Washington, D.C., meet with diplomats and scholars from various think tanks, practice diplomatic simulations at the University of Maryland, and visit the United Nations and Afghan consulate in New York City."

Ex-US Navy Pilot - Drones are Better

Some former fighter jocks are outspoken in their support of drones. See "Ex-US Navy fighter pilot MIT prof: Drones beat humans - I should know", The A Register (UK), October 20, 2014.

Girl's Education Backslides in Afghanistan

With the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan comes the diminished amounts of foreign aid. The cuts to funding are happening across the board but one sector - education is getting hit hard. Many of the women activists that championed the cause of Afghan women and girl's education are warning that the recent gains over the past decade are being eroded - primarily because of funding cuts. Perhaps if the Afghans had been a little less corrupt the nations that forked over the billions of dollars in aid would not be suffering from donor fatigue. (But that's just me thinking out loud). Read more in "The West Made Lots of Promises to Afghan Girls, Now It's Breaking Them", The Daily Beast, October 20, 2014.

More News Snippets

More news snippets include: some members of Afghanistan's upper house (Meshrano Jirga) are demanding that election commission officials be tried for election fraud and some suspects in the Kabul Bank case have jumped bail and are now out of the country.

Morning News and Coffee

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.

Book - "Rule of Law in Afghanistan"

An important new resource is now available for those who are conducting the Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission in Afghanistan. The Rule of Law in Afghanistan is a primer for practitioners. The author, Kristine Ziems of Touchpoint International Development Group, is an attorney and consultant specializing in legal development in emerging democracies. She wrote the primer in conjunction with (funding was provided) the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs' Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The primer is designed to provide a practical introduction to the rule of law development in Afghanistan. The topics covered by the Primer, as outlined below, range from the structure of the Afghan Government and the criminal justice system - including Shari'a law and traditional dispute mechanisms in Afghanistan, to efforts to combat corruption, counter narcotics, and develop the Afghan National Police. The Primer is a valuable tool for practitioners working in Afghanistan as well as policy and decision makers. The Primer outlines current issues, providing a historical context, but also with our international partners. The report is dated February 2014. It is available on at the below link:
https://sites.google.com/site/touchpointidg/training-and-educational-services/afghanistan

SIGAR - Poppy Cultivation Rises in Afghanistan

A report issued in October 2104 states that after a decade of reconstruction and over $7 billion in counter narcotics efforts, poppy cultivation levels in Afghanistan are at an all-time high. Afghan farmers grew an unprecedented 209,000 hectares of opium poppy in 2013, surpassing the previous peak of 193,000 hectares in 2007. Further increases in poppy cultivation is expected in 2014. The value of opium and its derivative products produced in Afghanistan rose from 2012 to 2013 by 50 per cent; and increase from $2 billion to $3 billion. Nangarhar province, once designated "poppy free" in 2008 saw an increase in poppy cultivation between 2012 and 2013. The former governor of Nangarhar, Gul Agha Sherzai, was not known for his anti-drug stance; in fact, he is well-known as a supporter and beneficiary of the drug trade. ISAF chose to ignore the criminal patronage network in the Nangarhar region as Sherzai was a political appointee of Hamid Karzai. See "Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan, 2012 and 2013", Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Report SIGAR-15-10-SP, October 2014.

Film - "The Spaceman of Afghanistan"

BBC has produced a film called "The Spaceman of Afghanistan". Ahad Momand, Afghanistan's one and only astronaut, went into space in 1988 where he spent a week on the Russian space station Mir. Momand fled Afghanistan's civil war and went to Germany to live. A little piece of unknown Afghan history is presented in this 60 minute documentary. It is available on the BBC website at this link; however, you can only view it on BBC's site if you are in the UK. It has been uploaded to YouTube at this link.

Role of Neighbors in Rebuilding Afghanistan

A recent posting by Ajay Anil Cherian posted on International Policy Digest (October 12, 2014) entitled "Rebuilding Afghanistan: The Role of Its Neighbors" provides concrete reasons why the three countries of India, China, and Pakistan should provide substantial assistance to developing and reconstructing Afghanistan.

ISAF to Shut Down Anti-Corruption Task Force

The Pentagon will be shutting down a critical task force that has the responsibility to combat corruption in Afghanistan. The Combined Inter-Agency Task Force - Afghanistan (CIATF-A) was established in 2010 to ensure that U.S. money was going to the intended purpose - and not to Karzai's bank account in Dubai or into the coffers of the Taliban as a result of protection schemes. Many observers feel that the biggest problem in Afghanistan is not the Taliban but corruption at every level of Afghan society. Read more in "Afghanistan anti-corruption task force shuttered amid U.S. troop drawdown", The Washington Times, October 20, 2014.

Analysis of the Post-Election Afghan Govt

There are many perspectives on the future of Afghanistan and the challenges that the new government faces. One such perspective is given to us by Dr. Alexander Knyazev, a prominent Russian Orientalist, member of the Russian Geographic Society, and a professor at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. In his article "Afghanistan: A Dangerous Projection of Presidential Inauguration", Centre for Research on Globalization, October 20, 2014 he worries that the ethnic divisions within Afghanistan may soon surface, the current power arrangement between Ghani and Abdullah may fail, and points to weaknesses in the Ghani presidency.

SFAAT 200 Visits ABP Post On Iran Border

Security Force Assistance Advisor Team (SFAAT) 200 advises and assists the 705th Afghan Border Police (ABP) Zone Hqs with responsibility of the security of the Afghan-Iranian border. Recently SFAAT 200 went on a Staff Assistance Visit (SAV) and inspection that the ABP commander and his staff was conducting of a subordinate unit located at Islam Qala - an ABP post on the Iranian border. View a short video (2 mins) about the trip in "SFAAT 200 Meets with Afghan Leaders", DVIDS, October 20, 2014. (Photo from video).

Book - "Kidnapped by the Taliban"

The book "Kidnapped by the Taliban" is the story of an American aid doctor who was held captive by the Taliban in 2012. Doctor Dilip Joseph is a medical director for Morning Star Development in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was kidnapped, along with two Afghan colleagues, while visiting one of their medical clinics. He was rescued by Navy SEALs; but unfortunately one of the SEALs died during the rescue. Read an interview of Dr. Joseph in "Colorado Doctor Recounts Kidnap, Rescue in Afghanistan", CBS Denver, October 14, 2014.

Women and Afghanistan: Does Islamophobia Exist in the U.S.?

A article by Sara Erkal posted in the Brown Political Review suggests that Americans have a case of "islamophobia" when it comes to their perceptions of women in Afghanistan. I am not sure she has made her case sufficiently; but it was an interesting read. "Femme Fatales of Afghanistan and US Ignorance" (October 19, 2014).

Morning Coffee and Afghan War News

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.

Report - "Improving Strategic Competence"

RAND Corporation has released a new report entitled Improving Strategic Competence: Lessons from 13 Years of War. The report was released in October 2014 and has several well-known authors - Linda Robinson, Paul D. Miller, John Gordon IV, Jeffrey Decker, Michael Schwille, and Raphael S. Cohen. There are 170 pages in the document (Adobe Acrobat PDF). The report ". . . addresses a particular disconnect in the current debate on the future of national security strategy and the role of land-power caused by an inadequate examination of the national level of strategy made by the U.S. government".

The report has identified two trends from World War II to the Present -

1) "Land warfare has evolved from conventional combat against state actors and their standing forces to an increasing incidence of irregular warfare fought by joint forces against non-state actors. This has led to an increasing U.S. reliance on special operations forces".
2) "While the Army learns tactical and operational lessons from the wars it fights, it sometimes struggles to recognize the broader implications of its experience and adapt at a strategic level".

The report goes on to list "Seven Lessons from the Past 13 Years of War" and provides seven "Recommendations". You can read more about the report here and download it if interested.
www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR816.html

173rd Helps Train Italians for Resolute Support

The 173rd Airborne Brigade (stationed in Italy) are assisting elements from the Italian Army for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan (Resolute Support) where they will conduct a Security Force Assistance mission. The 173rd was recently deployed to Wardak and Logar provinces in Afghanistan and has recent combat experience. Classes were held in the Aosta Valley, Italy - home of the Italian Army's mountain warfare training center and school. The training consisted of military-to-military advising, counterinsurgency, and MDMP. The Italians will be advising the Afghan National Army (ANA). Read more in "US assists Italian hosts prior to Afghanistan deployment", DVIDS, October 16, 2014.

Wounded AP Reporter to Return to Afghanistan

On the day before the Afghanistan election in April 2014 two female correspondents were shot by an Afghan policeman in Khost province. The two women (working for the Associated Press) were in  a convoy under the protection of the Afghan security forces. While in a well-guarded compound they were shot and Anja Niedringhaus (AP photographer) died of her wounds. Kathy Gannon suffered six bullet wounds and is still recovering. But she vows to return to her job in Afghanistan. Read more in "Wounded AP reporter vows to return to Afghanistan", The Sacramento Bee, October 16, 2014.

Taliban Accuse US of Haqqani Leadership Arrests

More details are emerging about the arrests of two leading members of the Haqqani Network who were detained in a Persian Gulf country and transferred to the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Afghanistan. The Taliban has released statements accusing the United States of being behind the apprehension of the two Taliban senior leaders. The Taliban believe that American forces in the Gulf region captured the two men and then handed them over to Kabul via the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Read more in "Taliban: US Behind Khost Haqqani Arrests", Voice of America, October 18, 2014.

Story of UK Female Artist in Afghanistan

Here is a news account about a female artist from the United Kingdom who spent time with British military units and the Afghan people painting and drawing about the war in Afghanistan. Read more in "An artist in Afghanistan: 'To tell the story, you've got to take risks'", The Guardian, October 19, 2014.

"Retrograde in Full Swing"

A news release by the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) provides us with details on how Soldiers of aviation units at Bagram Air Field are preparing helicopters for the ride home back to the United States. See "Retrograde in full swing in Afghanistan" published October 18, 2014.

Book - "No Good Men Among the Living"

A new book about Afghanistan is now out entitled No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal. The author is a Wall Street Journal and Christian Science Monitor reporter. His book would seem to highlight the failures of the Afghan War rather than the successes. You can read a book review by Rory Stewart entitled "Afghanistan: A Shocking Indictment", The New York Review of Books, November 6, 2014 issue.

Video on USACE

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has made great contributions to the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. In this video by Armed Forces Network Afghanistan, LTG Tom Bostick (USACE Commander) and COL Pete Helmlinger (Commander of USACE Transatlantic Afghanistan District) are interviewed to explain what USACE has accomplished, the remaining projects still left to be completed, and why the reconstruction effort is needed in Afghanistan. (Published by AFN on YouTube n October 11, 2014 - 2 mins). www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGuFRXo1ypk

Timeline of Afghanistan's History

For those interested in Afghanistan's history over the past four plus centuries you can view "Timeline: Afghanistan since 1700" by The Cairo Review of Global Affairs.

Daily Afghan War News

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.

COMISAF's Facebook Page

Don't you wish you could sit in the ISAF commander's office for a day to find out what is really going on? Well, you can . . . sort of. General John Campbell, COMISAF, wants you to know what is going on in the ISAF world. While he can't meet with you personally each and every day he will take some time out of his busy schedule to let you know what's up. You can like his facebook account and check out his daily activities. There are at least two posts a day and it is very informative. If you are stationed in Mazar-e-Sharif, BAF, KAF, Herat, Jalalabad, or Gamberi this is one way to stay informed on the activities taking place in Kabul on the ISAF compound. Photo to the left was a post by General Campbell on October 18, 2014 where he was meeting with a delegation from . . . hmmmm, doesn't say. Check out COMISAF's Facebook account at www.facebook.com/GENJohnCampbell.

Women and RoL in Afghanistan

A leading women's rights advocate in Afghanistan provides us with information on the great progress made in women's rights and the rule of Law. However she is worried that the international community will walk away from Afghanistan without finishing the work that needs to be done to solidify the gains. The author is Manizha Naderi, the executive director of Women for Afghan Women (WAW), works in Afghanistan providing counseling and mediation to victims of domestic violence, forced and underage marriages, rape and sex trafficking throughout Afghanistan. Read her essay in "New Threat to Afghan Women", The Cairo Review of Global  Affairs of the American University of Cairo, October 19, 2014.

Article - "Why We Lost in Iraq and Afghanistan"

LTG (Ret) Daniel Bolger, an infantry officer, has penned an article that provides an account of the U.S. military's mistakes in the Afghan and Iraq wars. Bolger commanded the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A) in 2011-2013. The article is entitled "Why We Lost in Iraq and Afghanistan", Harper's Magazine, September 2014.  A bio of Bolger is available on Wikipedia and an article published in Time Magazine (May 2014) provides more information about his observations on the war. Although he left ISAF in 2013 his biography is still posted at this link on the ISAF website. He had two tours of  duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He has a Master's Degree and a PhD in History form the University of Chicago and also taught at West Point. He has also authored several books. Now that he is retired he is teaching at a college in southeastern United States. He will soon have a book out (Nov 14) that he considers "the first AAR" on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.