Afghan War Blog

Saturday, November 15, 2014

More Afghan War News Snippets

A writer discusses the lack of news awareness among the American public on Afghanistan; believing that it is consumed by the rapid rise of ISIS in the Middle East. He warns that this could lead to dire consequences - the U.S. taking its eye off the ball once again (as it did in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq). See "The Next ISIS Moment: Afghanistan's Impending Catastrophe", Brown Political Review, November 11, 2014.

The Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan interpreters expires in December 2014. Thousands of loyal Afghan interpreters are now going to be denied visas. Learn more in "Congress Helping Afghan Translator", Roll Call, November 10, 2014.

The Marines recently celebrated the U.S. Marine Corps' 239th birthday at a ceremony on Bagram Air Field. Check out the photo - looks like a lot of fun.

Canada has significantly downsized its forces in Afghanistan - but some stragglers who have not gotten the word still remain scattered among the various ISAF, IJC, and TAAC staffs. You can learn more about Canada's continued presence in Afghanistan at their Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/afghanistan.canada

The 3rd Infantry Division will soon send some troops to Afghanistan. Learn more in "3rd ID commander readies his troops for Afghanistan", Army Times, November 10, 2014.

The Special Forces of Australia has seen extensive service in Afghanistan. Learn more in "2nd Commando Regiment are the lesser-known warriors waging war on terror", news.com.au, November 9, 2014.

Sketches of war are provided by Richard Johnson of The Washington Post in "Drawing up the drawdown" (October 6, 2014).

Have you ever wondered what the average Afghan National Army soldier eats? You can see for yourself in "Afghan forces revert to more familiar menu on former US bases", Stars and Stripes, November 9, 2014. While food on an Afghan army base is most times delicious and abundant (guests almost always are treated to the best food) the kitchens are a sight to behold. If your going to eat - don't look at the kitchen. (Note: comments from personal experience; lots of it).

The IJC commander speaks on the importance of getting the Afghan leadership up to speed. See a video on this topic.

The Army is having problems reporting inventory losses in Afghanistan. A report entitled "The Army Needs to Improve the Processes for Inventory Losses in Afghanistan", Inspector General U.S. Department of Defense, October 30, 2014. provides more information. CAUTION: Document is located on the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), is classified FOUO, and may not be accessible because DoD doesn't want you to read it.
http://fas.org/man/eprint/losses.pdf

The author of Dispatches from the Kabul Cafe, Heidi Kingstone, writes on the future of women in Afghanistan in "Life in Kabul: Will Afghan women finally stop being seen as a freak show?", The Telegraph, November 7, 2014.

Photos of Afghanistan usually revolve around the war. But some photographers shoot photos about general life in Afghanistan away from the conflict. See "The beauty of everyday life in war-torn Afghanistan", The Week, November 6, 2014.

The 663rd Engineer Company (Horizontal Construction) recently returned from Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). They hail from Sheffield, Alabama and are an Army Reserve unit. Read more in "663rd Engineer Company returns with vast experience", DVIDS, November 6, 2014.

The British commitment in Afghanistan has been reduced considerably with its departure from Camp Bastion. Now is the time for some reflection on the mission and the cost in terms of money, energy, and blood. Read more in "Britain's Fourth Afghan War", Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), October 28, 2014.

Rebecca Frankel of Foreign Policy Magazine is interviewed by Peter Bergen of New America on her new book War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love. The interview is 42 minutes long. View the video at the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=URjWcIfRl9s

A short video about force protection being handed over to the Georgian Army at Bagram Air Field. See "Georgians take over security at Bagram", NATO TV, November 9, 2014.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVGEKOVjax0

There are lots of folks drawing parallels with the situation in Iraq (rise of ISIS) and the departure of ISAF in Afghanistan - worries about the collapse of the Afghan National Security Forces. One such commentator, Paul Shinkman, provides his thoughts in "What Afghanistan Must Learn From Iraq", U.S. News & World Report, November 12, 2014.

A UK human rights activist expresses her concerns about Afghanistan in this article in NEXUS.

The story of a female Afghan policewomen is highlighted in "The Real Sheriff in Afghanistan", The Huffington Post, November 12, 2014.

The Danish foreign minister visits Afghanistan meeting the country's new president (Ghani) and CEO (Abdullah) in preparation for the Denmark commitment of military assistance to NATO's Resolute Support mission that will provide non-combative assistance in a training and consulting role. (The Copenhagen Post, November 14, 2014).

A book review of Why We Lost by Daniel P. Bolger is provided by The Wall Street Journal (November 13, 2014.).

Many observers are tracking the words and deeds of the newly elected president. View "Ghani on path to fulfill campaign promises", Central Asia Online, November 14, 2014.

Despite all the gains made in the medical sector in Afghanistan over the past decade some work still remains in the field of malnutrition. Read "Afghan malnutrition - the search for solutions", IRIN, November 11, 2014.

The Telegraph reports (November 14, 2014) that around 100 British special forces and military intelligence experts will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Their primary mission will be to hunt for senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders. They will also stand by to conduct personnel recovery missions for British nationals and service members as well as force protection (Guardian Angel) duties. Three RAF Chinook helicopters will also provide transport. The SAS troops will likely be based at Bagram Air Base. A total of 500 Brits will remain in country after 2014.

The Russians are unhappy with the United States's inability to reduce the opium production of Afghanistan. Much of the drug finds its way to Russia. Read more in "Afghan opium inflames US-Russia tensions after failed drug war", Stars and Stripes, November 14, 2014.

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Friday, November 14, 2014

Donor Fatigue for Afghanistan

The international community has pumped billions of dollars into Afghanistan to support security, development, governance, and social services since 2001. In December 2014 the British government will host another international donors conference for Afghanistan in London. The representatives of the many governments will discuss and present their countries plans for the continuance of foreign aid to Afghanistan. One of the primary topics will be corruption and how to institute oversight processes that will reduce the corruption so that the aid will reach its intended recipient. Another huge subject will be the reduced amounts of aid to be provided; the attention of western nations is being diverted elsewhere to trouble spots in the Middle East, Africa, and eastern Europe.

Tamim Asey is a fellow at the Asia Society and a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University. He was also a former government of Afghanistan official and taught at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). He provides us with some insight and analysis of the donor fatigue that Afghanistan has to contend with at the upcoming December 2014 international donor conference and in the long months ahead. Read "The Other Drawdown - Why Donor Fatigue is Threatening to Derail Afghanistan", The South Asia Channel - Foreign Policy, November 10, 2014.

TAAC East Recovery Team Stands Ready

The Train Advise Assist Command - East recovery team stands ready to extract personnel and equipment off the battlefield. Should an aircraft go down the "Red Team" will be called upon to rescue or extract personnel in need. Read more in "Pathfinders remain vigilant as forces draw down in Afghanistan", DVIDS, November 13, 2014.

Turkmen in Fight Against Taliban

The Taliban have grown in strength and capability in northern Afghanistan. Allied with fighters from the IMU, Pakistan, and other foreign nations the local Taliban threaten a number of districts in Kunduz. Northern Afghanistan is home to ethnic Turkmen and they are in a constant battle with the Taliban to defend their villages and homes. The 209th ANA Corps (based across northern Afghanistan) have been unsuccessful in finding and defeating the Taliban except on some rare occasions. The Taliban generally enjoy freedom of movement in much of northern Afghanistan Read more in "Turkmen-Afghans in Kunduz reject the Taliban's ways", Central Asia Online, November 5, 2014.

Power Struggle in Afghan Government

The Afghan cabinet has yet to be named because of a power struggle between President Ghani and the Chief Executive Officer Abdullah. It has been a couple of months since the "National Unity Government" has been formed but not much headway has taken place in naming cabinet positions. Of the upmost importance is selecting the Minister of Interior and Minister of Defense. Read more in "Afghan power struggle seen delaying formation of new government", Reuters, November 13, 2014.

Retrograde - What the Afghans Get

It is impossible for the military to take all the supplies and equipment home from Afghanistan. Some does come back - especially the expensive stuff that is easy to transport. Some stuff is passed on to the Afghans. A lot of material and equipment is sold to Afghan contractors for removal. Read more in "Marine pullout offers preview of what U.S. leaves behind for Afghan troops", The Washington Post, November 12, 2014.

Hope for Afghanistan

The new leaders elected in Afghanistan have provided a glimpse of hope to the people of Kabul. President Ghani is bringing some sorely needed changes to the Afghan government that are welcomed by the city's residents and others throughout the country. Read more in "A new government brings hope of change in Afghanistan", BBC News Middle East, November 10, 2014.

Multi-Ethnic Coalitions Key to Governing Afghanistan

Karzai was good at two things while he was president. 1) He knew how to maintain his multi-ethnic coalition (ensuring that his rivals enjoyed influence and power thus continuing their loyalty to him) and 2) he was extremely successful in reaping the vast wealth generated by the corruption machine that he so expertly administered. The new president (Ghani) is coming out against corruption - this will make new enemies and chip away at support bought through the patronage networks. Thus it is even more important that Ghani knows how to build and maintain a multi-ethnic coalition. Learn more in "Are Ethnic Politics Afghanistan's Great Hope?", The South Asia Channel - Foreign Policy, November 11, 2014.

ABP- "Masters of Corruption"

General John Allen, a former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) once said that corruption is the top threat in Afghanistan; that in comparison, the Taliban are "an annoyance". The Afghan government has difficulty in generating revenue to provide services, pay its police and soldiers, and run the government. If the corruption at the borders would subside a bit then more money would be available. Unfortunately most of the revenue that the border crossings generate does not go to the government but into the hands of corrupt provincial governors and police officials. One of the most corrupt organizations within the Ministry of Interior is the Afghan Border Police or ABP. The ABP maintains security and work with the corrupt customs officials to facilitate the activities at the border crossings. Read more in "At Afghan Border, Graft Is Part of the Bargain", The New York Times, November 11, 2014.

Critique of "Army Operating Concept" (AOC)

The Army recently published TRADOC Pamphlet 535-3-1 (7 October 2014) entitled "The U.S. Army Operating Concept: Win in a Complex World". Since its publication a lot of folks have taken the time to read the document, analyze it, and then comment upon it. Joshua Jones, an operations research analyst with the Center for Army Analysis at Fort Belvoir, Virginia is one of the latest to provide his thoughts. He holds a PhD in international relations, a masters' degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and did some time in the Army with a tour in Iraq. Read his comments in "Wisdom in Doctrine? Success, the Role of Force, and the Unknowable", War on the Rocks, November 12, 2014.

Analysis of Australian SOF

A LTC in the U.S. Army who is currently a visiting fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has penned an article that provides an analysis of the Australian Special Operations Forces. Very interesting reading on Australian SOF and their ability to conduct special operations and special warfare. See "Australian SOF: enthusiasm and talent don't equal capability", ASPI Blog, 11 November 2014.

SAGE - Works with DCGS-A

The Distributed Common Ground System - Army (DCGS-A) is an expensive and troubled program. Intelligence analysts have complained about the complexity of the system as well as its glitches. Proponents of DCGS-A point to the variety of software applications that can "piggy back" off the DCGS-A system - which provides an integration of a number of ways to analyze, package, and distribute intelligence products. One of these applications is called "Situational Awareness Geospatially Enabled" or SAGE. It is a geospatial tool supporting DCGS-A. SAGE helps intelligence analysts to rapidly identify the landscape and environments that could be factors in relevant operational factors, like estimates of how quickly the enemy can march through a designated area due to terrain. SAGE was developed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Geospatial Research Laboratory which is co-located at the U.S. Army Geospatial Center. The SAGE tool is resident in DCGS-A, which is the Army's intelligence foundation program. The SAGE tools are available for download through the Army Geospatial Center website. Learn more about SAGE at "Geospatial analysis tool built to support Army intelligence analysis", Army.mil, September 17, 2014.

More Afghan War News Snippets

Raytheon has won a $175 million contract to support the Distributed Command Ground System and high-altitude ISR. The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex contract will provide global services. Read more in "Raytheon wins $175 million DCGS-A contract", C4ISR & Networks, November 12, 2014.

A very revealing news article about the counterintelligence campaign waged by insurgents operating in Pakistan against informants who provide information for the targeting of drone strikes. It also provides some details on the Pakistan army and intelligence services alignment with the "Good Taliban". Read "Obama's Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan", The Daily Beast, November 12, 2014.

Afghanistan's drug trade is a lucrative business. Read more in "Afghan Opium Production Soars", Voice of America, November 12, 2014. See also "Afghan Opium Cultivation Rises to Record Levels", The New York Times, November 12, 2014.

There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working in Afghanistan. One of these is the Danish NGO DACAAR or Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees. Read more in "Danish NGO celebrates 30th anniversary", Thomson Reuters Foundation, November 13, 2014.

Life for a girl in Afghanistan is not always doom and gloom. Some actually learn to skateboard. See "Meet the skater girls of Afghanistan", PBS Newshour, November 12, 2014.

The 705th EOD Company, at one time deployed to RC East, was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for its service in Afghanistan. See "EOD company receives award for Afghanistan service", DVIDS, November 12, 2014.

The First Lady of Afghanistan, Rula Ghani, visited the Role 2 hospital at North Kabul International Airport (along with COMISAF). See news photo.

A photographer for the Fayetteville Observer provides insight on how he does his job in "Photographing Afghanistan by iPhone", CBS News, November 11, 2014.

Army downsizing plan reveals that the officer corps is cut with favoritism to West Point officers. If you are a former enlisted you are more likely to get the ax than a West Point graduate. Does that mean that a West Point officer is a better officer? Umm, not from what I have seen! Read more in "Cuts in Military Mean Job Losses for Career Staff", The New York Times, November 12, 2014.

The mineral wealth of Afghanistan holds great promise. See "Copper and lithium may be the keys to Afghanistan's economic future", The Conversation, November 12, 2014.

Corruption is a huge problem in Afghanistan. President Ghani (newly elected) has promised to reduce corruption. He is off to a good start. Read more in "Afghanistan court increases jail term for Kabul Bank executives", The Economic Times (India), November 11, 2014.

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

IMU - Alive and Well and Desirable

The Uzbeks from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have acquired a reputation as experienced bomb makers in Afghanistan and in Pakistan's tribal areas. Since Uzbekistan has a high literacy rate they are able to read manuals on mixing explosives and constructing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). In addition, again the literacy thing, they can understand and utilize the Internet to provide propaganda on websites and through social media, exchange information (covertly), and gather intelligence (using OSINT or Open Source Intelligence techniques). While the IMU in northern and northeastern Afghanistan were hit hard in 'night raids' by the U.S. and ISAF special operations forces the past few years, the pressure has diminished a bit due to the draw down of conventional and SOF from Afghanistan. The ANA and ANP special operations units (ANASF, Commandos, CRU 222, PSUs, etc.) are capable but there are not enough of them and the ANSF intelligence structure is still in its infancy. Thus the IMU are starting to re-establish themselves once again. The members of the IMU are not only active in northern Afghanistan and western Pakistan; they are found as members of other insurgent groups in Central Asia. In addition, a significant number of Central Asians (members of IMU among them) can be found fighting with the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Read more in "Central Asia's Desirable Militants", Radio Free Europe, November 6, 2014.

Marine Commanders Reflect on Afghanistan

The Marines have departed Helmand province and the large, sprawling base known as Camp Leatherneck. With the departure there have been a number of news accounts where Marines have reflected on the victories, frustrations, and casualties. And more than a few are skeptical of the end result - especially to be seen a year or two from now. In the later part of the war the Marines stepped up their numbers in southwest Afghanistan (having departed Anbar province in Iraq). Read a detailed account of the Marines stay in southwest Afghanistan in "Marine commanders reflect on 13 years of war in Afghanistan", Marine Corps Times, November 5, 2014.

Video - NEB Training Up

The U.S. Navy Seabees are currently working with (train, advise, and assist or TAA) the Afghan National Army (ANA) National Engineer Brigade (NEB). The NEB was formed up earlier in 2014 as a national asset. View a short video (1 minute) with Gail McCabe reporting on the NEB entitled "U.S. and Afghan Forces Prepare for Operation Resolute Support", DoD News, November 5, 2014.

Turkey and Afghanistan Relations

The nation of Turkey has been a long time member of the Coalition in Afghanistan; having sent troops at the very beginning of the conflict. In late 2001 (or perhaps it was early 2002) the first Turkish Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was established in Jawzjan. The Turks have had a strong presence in northern Afghanistan and also in the capital region (Kabul).

On the diplomatic front Turkey has been leading annual consultation sessions between Afghanistan and Pakistan to encourage the two countries to root out extremism and terrorism as well as to improve their political and security relationships. (Not a lot of progress on that front considering Pakistan supports the Taliban). The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, recently paid a visit to the newly elected President Ghani, his Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostrum, and the Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.

Read more in "Turkey, Afghanistan determined to deepen relations", Central Asia Online, November 5, 2014.

Ghani to Visit Pakistan

President Ghani will soon visit Pakistan. There is optimism that his trip will garner some cooperation from Pakistan on a number of issues. The most important obstacle to good relations between the two countries is the Pakistan intelligence service's active support of several Taliban insurgent groups that have sanctuary in Pakistan and attack targets in Afghanistan. The multidimensional agenda for the visit includes the topics of security, economic cooperation, trade, and investment. Read more in "Optimism Ahead of Afghan Leader's Visit to Islamabad", Voice of America, November 12, 2014.

COMISAF: The Way Forward

General Campbell (COMISAF) is interviewed by National Public Radio and provides his thoughts about the future of Afghanistan in "Afghanistan's Way Foward: A Talk with Gen. John Campbell, Decoded", National Public Radio (NPR), November 11, 2014. (link goes to audio and transcript).

Update and Analysis on Afghan Government

A commentator provides us with an update and analysis on how well the new Afghan government is doing and identifies challenges it is facing over the short and long-term. Jason Campbell is an associate policy analyst with the RAND Corporation in Washington, D.C. and just completed a NATO-sponsored trip to Afghanistan that featured meetings with senior NATO and Afghan officials, members of Parliament, and others. Read his report in "What's the Plan? The Afghan Government", War on the Rocks, November 10, 2014.

Under-Vehicle Threat Protection System

The use of IEDs along and underneath roadways in Afghanistan (and Iraq) has caused many casualties; even with vehicles with armor plating on the sides and underneath. Many injuries occur when the vehicles and their passengers are tossed up and slammed down by a blast. Read about new technology that may prevent those types of injuries in "US Army Evaluating Under-Vehicle Threat Protection System", Defense News, November 4, 2014.

Videos of Green Berets Firing Weapons

Some cool pictures / videos of Green Berets firing different types of weapons (in full speed and slow motion). See "Here's What a Rocket-Propelled Grenade Looks Like in Extreme Slow Motion", Business Insider, November 4, 2014.

Ghani Name Change Important Gesture

Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani, has dropped the use of his "tribal name" for official purposes. This small but important gesture casts a vote in favor of national identity over tribal identity. Learn more in "Afghanistan's New President Just Made a Small But Significant Gesture", The Diplomat, by Ankit Panda, November 4, 2014.

War Gear Missing in Afghanistan

According to the Pentagon's inspector general there is a lot of unaccounted gear missing from the 13 year long war in Afghanistan. Read more in "Army Slow to Investigate War Gear Missing in Afghanistan", Bloomberg, November 4, 2014.

More Daily News Snippets

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released a statement about Afghan malnutrition. See "Afghan malnutrition - the search for solutions" (November 11, 2014).

Supposedly the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) - also called the Islamic State - has plans for Pakistan. Read "ISIS Has Master Plan for Pakistan, Secret Memo Warns", NBC News, November 12, 2014.

Only one interpreter who helped British forces has been allowed to move to the UK. Afghan interpreters and translators have had a hard time immigrating to the home countries of the coalition members that used their services in Afghanistan. See a news article in the Daily Mail (12 Nov 14).

A British commentator provides his thoughts on the UK participating in the Afghan War in "Afghan War inquiry: generals owe us an explanation", The Week (UK), November 11, 2014.

People from India are wondering what will happen to the huge base in Helmand province and worry about who will ultimately control Helmand province now that the ISAF coalition has departed. See "Will Afghan flag soar at Camp Bastion?", Deccan Chronicle, November 12, 2014.

There are multiple reports that the Afghan government has not paid many of its police - especially the Afghan Local Police or ALP. Read more in "Afghan Police Turn to Opium as $6-a-Day Salaries Delayed", Bloomberg Businessweek, November 11, 2014.

DVIDS has posted a news release about how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has relocated its Gardez offices that oversaw projects in the 203rd ANA Corps area. The Gardez Resident Office was located at FOB Lightning in Paktya province in the southern part of Regional Command East (now called Train Advise and Assist East). The relocation to FOB Gamberi was needed because (for some inexplicable reason) ISAF decided to pull its advisors from the 203rd Corps. Perhaps the 203rd had won the counterinsurgency fight in the provinces it was responsible for? (Not).

Norway Thanked by Hagel

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called the Norwegian Defense Minister on the phone to thank her for the contributions of Norway over the past 13 years in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. In addition, Norway will contribute approximately 75 trainers and logisticians and other specialized experts to the Resolute Support mission to begin in Afghanistan in January 2015. Read more in "Hagel Thanks Norway's Defense Minister for Mission Contributions", DoD News, November 5, 2014.

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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Istanbul Ministerial Process Needs Boost

In late October 2014 China hosted the "Heart of Asia" ministerial conference in the framework of the "Istanbul Process". Started in 2011, the Istanbul Process is a multilateral vehicle led by Afghanistan with the objective to facilitate Afghanistan's reconstruction and security through inter-regional collaboration. The forum places Afghanistan at the center of the discussions providing a venue for advancing its needs and concerns. The Istanbul Process provides an avenue for continuous and effective dialogue within the region and emphasizes the importance of regional organizations. However, the process is having some difficulties.

Read more in "Afghanistan - The Istanbul Process in urgent need of more devotion: expert comment", Swedish Wire, November 4, 2014.

More info on the Istanbul Process is available at:

"Istanbul Process", by Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_Process

"Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process", Afghan Government
www.heartofasia-istanbulprocess.af

"Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process", Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HeartofAsia.ip

"U.S. Support for the Istanbul Process", U.S. Department of State
www.state.gov/p/sca/rls/fs/2013/208560.htm

"Istanbul Process", Afghan War News
www.afghanwarnews.info/development/istanbul-process.htm

USAID "Promote"

Photo: USAID

USAID is bankrolling $216 million to fund their "Promote" program. Promote is a joint commitment by the U.S. and Afghan Governments that will work to empower 75,000 women between the ages of 18-30 and help ensure these women are included among a new generation of political, business, and civil society leaders. Promote will ensure that women in Afghanistan will have the skills, experience, knowledge, and networks to succeed alongside their male counterparts. The program consists of four components - leadership development, women in government, women in the economy, and women's rights groups and coalitions. View a USAID "Fact Sheet" on Promoting Gender Equity in National Priority Programs (Promote), November 2014. There is also a "Fact Sheet" in Dari and Pashto here. See a webpage by USAID on gender equity in national priority programs. Catherine M. Russell, the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues (State) has provided a video (10 Nov 14) with remarks about the launch of the USAID Promote program in Kabul.

UK Remembers the Fallen

The United Kingdom military forces held remembrance services in Afghanistan to remember the fallen from the Afghan War and previous conflicts. Read more in "British Forces in Afghanistan Remember the Fallen", UK Forces TV, November 10, 2014. (print and video).

Attacks Against Police Continue

The insurgents continue to attack the Afghan police. One of the favorite types of attack is the use of suicide bombers - a tactic very difficult to defeat; especially in an urban setting. Read more in "Attacks on Afghan police challenge security environment", UPI, November 10, 2104.

OEF Lessons Learned Ignored

The United States spent some 13 years in Afghanistan. Units deployed to and from Afghanistan on one-year rotations. Many personnel in those units served previously on Afghan tours; but some didn't. It is not readily apparent that the lessons learned were sufficiently captured and read by units and personnel during their pre-deployment training. Read more on this topic in "How the Limited Use of Lessons Learned Failed to Form a Cohesive Strategy in Operation Enduring Freedom", Small Wars Journal, by Joel Lawton, November 4, 2014.

Report - Women and Peace Building in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is one of four Oxfam country programs delivering Within and Without the State (WWS) program. It is funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) from 2011 to 2016 under the Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Programme Partnership Arrangement (CHASE PPA). WWS is piloting innovation approaches to working with civil society to promote more accountable governance in conflict-affected and fragile contexts. The paper shares the program learning within Oxfam and the wider development community. In Afghanistan, WWS has been working to build the capacity of civil society and to promote the participation of women, youth, and other marginalized groups in the peace process. Essential to this is the ability of women to engage with power-holders to share their views of what peace means to them and to influence change at the community, district, provincial, and national levels. Read Women and Inclusive Peace Building in Afghanistan, Oxfam Programme Insights, October 2014.

Words Soldiers Use

The military has its own vocabulary. This is especially true of the U.S. Army. Read more in "Seven words and phrases used by soldiers that we could all learn from", PRI, October 30, 2014. See also Afghan War Glossary.

Chronic Insomnia Among Afghan War Veterans

A new medical study has determined that Iraq and Afghan war veterans from the Army had the highest rate of chronic insomnia among the armed services over a long decade of war. Personnel with chronic insomnia were more likely to have high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. 41 per cent of returning veterans from combat zones reported problems sleeping. The results of the study were published in a recent issue of the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report. The highest incidents were among those who served in infantry, artillery, armor, and motor transport. With the prevalence of IEDs along the roadways for Iraq and Afghanistan it is understandable that 'motor transport' would have similar rates as the traditional combat arms. Read more in "Soldiers lost a lot of sleep in Iraq, Afghanistan", San Antonio Express News, November 4, 2014.

Nagl Interview - Drinking Beer Thru a Straw

John Nagl (West Point graduate, Rhodes Scholar, author, COIN expert, combat veteran, think tank president, Naval Academy professor, school headmaster, and co-author of FM 3-24) is interviewed about his new book Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice. Nagl is asked and answers "20 Questions". Some of his comments are:

COIN: "Counterinsurgency can't be dead as long as insurgency is alive and well - and it is, and is likely to be for some time".

Iraq: "Defeating the Islamic State in Iraq is actually not very difficult; we should dramatically increase the number of combat advisors we have supporting the Iraqi Army and allow them to embed inside Iraqi battalions".

RAF or Advisor Corps: "Regionally Aligned Forces are a poor man's Advisor Corps, but they're better than nothing".

Afghanistan: "Saving Afghanistan is relatively easy. We need to station some 20,000 advisors there, supported by air power and intelligence and logistics assets, to put spine in the Afghan forces and help keep the Taliban at bay".

https://medium.com/@Doctrine_Man/learning-to-drink-beer-with-a-straw-93308b1649d6

Iraq - A Lesson for Afghanistan

A recent editorial looks at the current situation in Iraq and draws some conclusions and recommendations for how quickly we depart from Afghanistan. Read more in "Iraq offers cautionary tale for US withdrawal from Afghanistan", The Boston Globe, November 2, 2014.

China Plans $16 Billion Fund of New Silk Road

In an endeavor which will surely impact Afghanistan, China is committing over $16 billion dollars to finance construction of infrastructure linking its markets to three continents utilizing a re-established "New Silk Road". The fund will be used to build and expand railways, roads, and pipelines in Chinese provinces that are part of the overall plan to facilitate trade over land and shipping routes. The land route will travel over parts of Central Asia and will will help Afghanistan in direct and indirect ways. The old Silk Road was a trade route (think camels) that went from China (and some say India) to Venice (Afghanistan was one of the way points). Xinjiang province, in western China, will have a prominent role to play in the new economic belt and New Silk Road. Read more in "China planning $16.3 Billion Fund for 'New Silk Road'", Bloomberg News, November 4, 2014.

More News Snippets

Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is looking for a new UAV (C4ISR & Networks, 10 Nov 14). The Army and SOCOM is searching for cheaper and lighter shoulder-fired weapons (NDIA, 10 Nov 14). Troops from Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, and Italy are departing Afghanistan (Khaama Press, 11 Nov 14). A new book out called Why We Lost is a 3-star general's account of how we messed up in Iraq and Afghanistan; see a book review (NPR, 9 Nov 14).

Social Media in Afghanistan

The use of technology and telecommunications in Afghanistan is one of the bright shining stars that holds great potential for the country. Social media is a big part of this; especially in an age where most of the Afghan population is under 30 years old. Read more in "A Look at Digital Afghanistan", The Huffington Post, November 4, 2014.

Endgame in Afghanistan - Risk Management?

A commentator provides his thoughts on what the U.S. has accomplished in Afghanistan (and Iraq) after years of fighting. Read "The American Endgame in Iraq and Afghanistan: Euphemism for Risk Management?", Small Wars Journal, by Ilwoo Lee, November 4, 2014. Mr. Ilwoo Lee is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore. He has a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a former officer in the U.S. Army.

Reflections on End of Helmand Campaign

A writer who spent some time in Helmand province as a member of a Human Terrain Team (HTT) reflects on the departure from Helmand province by the Marines and other ISAF partners. Read "Sorrow, Memory and the End of the Helmand Campaign", by Ryan Evans, War on the Rocks, November 4, 2014.

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Daily News on Afghan War

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

UK Afghan Legacy

United Kingdom forces have been in Afghanistan since 2001. The UK special operations forces have played a significant role throughout the country (as part of ISAF SOF and later NSOCC-A) as well as numerous conventional force units in Helmand province. In late October 2014 UK forces departed Helmand province; however, some UK troops will remain on the ISAF staff and at the ANA Officer Academy near Kabul. The infographic above shows the troop strength of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and the United Kingdom from 2006 to the end of 2014. (Infographic from UK Ministry of Defence, 1 Nov 2014).