The Riddle of Pakistan

If there is one thing that can be admired about the now-departed President Karzai it is his constant criticism of the United States for not doing enough to eliminate the Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan. It is difficult to defeat an insurgency if it receives constant support from a neighboring nation (that would be Pakistan). Some see the recent visit by President Ghani as an indication that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan will improve and Pakistan's support for the Taliban may subside. Wishful thinking! Read more in "Explaining Pakistan's Confidence", by Myra MacDonald, War on the Rocks, December 10, 2014.

SIGAR "High-Risk List" Dec 2014

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has published a new document that highlights areas of concern for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The new publication is called the High-Risk List and the first issue is dated December 2014. SIGAR created the High-Risk List to call attention to program areas and elements of the U.S.-funded reconstruction effort in Afghanistan that are especially vulnerable to significant waste, fraud, and abuse. With the list, SIGAR seeks to identify and address systemic problems facing U.S. funded efforts. The list will highlight program areas on which SIGAR believes the implementing agencies need to focus and will discuss how specific agencies are failing to mitigate risks in areas that involve their operations. Although 48 page report covers a variety of topics it is of value to Security Force Assistance advisors - specifically the sections on "ANSF Sustainability" and "High-Risk Area: ANSF Capacity and Capabilities".  You can read or download the report online at High-Risk List, SIGAR.

Slovak Republic in Afghanistan

The Slovak Republic has maintained a constant presence in Afghanistan. It started in 2002 when the country sent a 40-member engineer airfield construction platoon to Bagram Air Field. Later the country sent a demining unit to the Kabul International Airport. Those two units were then combined into the Multifunctional Engineer Unit and posted to the Kabul airport. The unit was then sent to Kandahar Air Field where it stayed until the end of 2012. In addition to these engineer units the Slovak Republic has also fielded personnel to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), medical teams, Force Protection Units, OMLTs, EOD teams, and a Special Operations Tactics Unit (SOTU). Read more in "Slovak Republic: An ISAF Legacy", ISAF News, December 10, 2014.

SFAAT 82 Completes Advisor Mission with ABP

Detachment 82, Security Force Assistance Advisory Team of the 80th Training Command completed the demobilization process at Fort Bliss, Texas after returning from a mission in Afghanistan where they advised the Afghan Border Police (ABP) at brigade level in Herat, Afghanistan. SFAAT 82 was comprised of 16 Soldiers from 10 different states that first met each other only a few months prior to their January 18, 2014 mobilization. The team leader of SFAAT 82 was complimentary of the ABP sayiing ". . . they are extremely professional, probably some of the better we've seen in the ANSF." Read more in "Det. 82, SFAAT completes mission in Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 9, 2014.

Sinophobia in Afghanistan

During his recent visit to China President Ghani signed several economic and security agreements with the Chinese government and received a commitment of $327 million in foreign aid by 2017. One commentator believes that the Afghans usually have two views on foreign nations "assisting" Afghanistan. Some see it as an infringement and others see it as true assistance. Read more in "Sinophilia and Sinophobia in Afghanistan", by Tamin Asey, The Diplomat, December 10, 2014.

New U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan

The U.S. Senate has approved the administrations' nominee for Ambassador to Afghanistan. Peter McKinley passed muster on December 9th. He is an experienced diplomat with service in Kabul. McKinley is a former U.S. Ambassador to Peru and Columbia. He arrived in Afghanistan in 2013. (Radio Free Europe, December 10, 2014).

State of Afghan Midwifery

The Afghanistan Country Office of the United Nations Population Fund has published a report entitled State of Afghanistan's Midwifery 2014. Participating organizations include the World Health Organization, USAID, and others. Topics covered in the report include "Midwives save lives", "Midwifery in Afghanistan: before 2002", "Revitalizing midwifery: 2002 to today", "Midwifery today", and "Afghanistan's way forward". The report is an Adobe Acrobt PDF, 42 pages long, and 2 MBs big. You can read online or download the report at this link.

Pakistan and Afghan Peace Prospects

There is a slight increase in the cooperation between Pakistan and the United States. The benefits of this cooperation is supposedly two-fold. The U.S. attacks Taliban targets that oppose the Pakistan regime and the Pakistan military attacks Taliban targets that attack Afghanistan (and the U.S.). How much effort the Pakistani military is actually putting forth in attacking Taliban groups like the Haqqani Network is a matter of conjecture. (I am not optimistic). There is hope that this new era of cooperation will translate into the Pakistani government putting pressure on the Taliban to come to the negotiation table. Read more in "U.S., Pakistan increase cooperation in faint hope of Afghan peace", Reuters, December 10, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 11, 2014)

Soldiers from the Arizona Army National Guard's 153rd Brigade Support Battalion were welcomed home from a nine month deployment to Afghanistan. Fifteen Solders from the 153rd BSB supported Special Operations Forces by conducting logistics operations while assigned to Bagram Air Field. They were responsible for the movement of equipment, supplies, and material throughout the theater of operations. Read more in "Arizona Army Guard welcomes home last unit deployed to Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 9, 2014. (Just in time for Christmas!!!!)

A woman in Afghanistan has started a school that prepares girls for college. The school is unique in that it is a boarding school. Her nonprofit School of Leadership in Kabul offers college prep courses and helps graduates get into universities around the world. Read more in a news report by National Geographic (Dec 12, 2014).

About 200 Soldiers from the "Marne Division" - 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters are now working at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The hqs responsibilities will include logistical, medical, sustainment, signal, and fuel support across Afghanistan, as well as physical security at Bagram Fir Field. Read more in a recent DVIDS news release dated December 9, 2014.

Airmen from two different Air National Guard units (Oregon) recently returned from their deployment to Afghanistan. Personnel from the 142nd Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) and the 142nd FW Security Forces Squadron are now demobilizing. Read more in a DVIDS news release dated December 9, 2014.

The Army wants to improve the capabilities of the troubled Distributed Common Ground System - Army (DCGS-A) with a "request for information" seeking industry feedback on specific capabilities. Read more in "Army issues second DCGS-A RFI", C4ISR Net, December 9, 2014.

John F. Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), spoke on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. You can read his prepared remarks about corruption in the Afghan government and security organizations (SIGAR, Dec 10, 2014).

Let Folks Know What You Think

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Receive Afghan Updates Every Day!

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

CRS Report - Afghanistan (Dec 2, 2014)

The Congressional Research Service has issued a report (CRS RL30588) entitled Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, by Kenneth Katzman dated December 2, 2014.  The report covers topics such as Afghan conflict background, Security Policy (including transition), Drawdown, Residual Force, 2016 Planned Exit, Building Afghan Forces, Establishing Rule of Law, Regional Dimension, Aid and Economic Development, and more. (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 88 pages, 1 MB).
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/234979.pdf

NUG but No Cabinet

The Afghan "National Unity Government" is having trouble getting its Cabinet up and running. In the meantime deputy ministers are running many of the important ministries such as the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Ministry of Defense (MoD). Both Ghani and Abdullah are locked in a protracted struggle to pick the cabinet. The international community is hoping that the cabinet will be picked soon; as that would be a sign of some real progress in governance and reform. Afghanistan Analyst Network's ". . . Martine van Bijlert takes a closer look at what might be holding up the discussions, where they may be going and how the government has fared so far". Read more in "The National Unity Government's Elusive Cabinet", Afghanistan Analysts Network, December 9, 2014.

Video - Afghan Cashmere

A small herd of Italian goats have been imported to Afghanistan in a bid to improve the quality of Afghan cashmere. Afghanistan is a large exporter of cashmere fibre. However, the quality of the fibre is not as good as that of the main suppliers - Mongolia and China. The project, funded by the US Department of Defense, is aimed at raising the ranks of Afghan cashmere globally. Watch a video on this topic on a farm near Herat by NATO TV published June 5, 2014 entitled Upgrading Afghansitan's Cashmere.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=POfHzKq5_iA

Chayes and Sopko Talk Afghanistan

On December 10th, Wednesday, (9:30 am - 11:00 am EST) in Washington, D.C. two people very familiar with Afghanistan will take part in a panel discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Read more about this event at the link below:
http://carnegieendowment.org/2014/12/10/aid-in-afghanistan-after-2014/hvvc

Photos of Afghan War

Stars and Stripes has posted some of its best photos from the Afghan War online. You can view them at "Afghanistan: A look back at 13 years of War".
http://media.stripes.com/i/AfghanWarGallery/#bar

Efshagar - Reporting Corruption in Afghanistan

How can an Afghan citizen report corruption? It is now possible using a website called "Efshagar". Efshagar was created by Integrity Watch Afghanistan to allow anyone in Afghanistan to report and track corruption anonymously. Efshagar harnesses the collective power of active citizens in the fight against corruption by reporting on the type, location, government agency or office, and value of corrupt acts. The report can be entered via the website or by SMS. Learn more at the Efshagar website.
www.efshagar.af

Lack of Justice Drives Taliban Recruiting

The establishment of Rule of Law (RoL) in Afghanistan is not progressing as quickly as it needs to. There are a lot of factors holding RoL back to include the drug trade, government corruption, ineffective and corrupt police, lack of security, and a corrupt judiciary. These same factors are a major factor in the recruitment of young people for the Taliban cause. Read more in "Afghans Believe Rule of Law Vital to Security", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 9, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 10, 2014)

ISAF Joint Command (IJC) has shut down. Established in November 2009 the command (3-star billet) served as NATO's operational headquarters in Afghanistan. At its peak, IJC controlled over 130,000 troops from more than 40 nations across six regional commands. Read more in "ISAF Joint Command ends mission, makes history", ISAF News, December 8, 2014.  

Read a news report about Najiba Ahmadi - a quiet revolutionary working to end violence against Afghan women (The Independent, Dec 7, 2014).

The move to integrate women into combat arms is proceeding. The Army has selected 31 female Soldiers to be "Observer/advisers". They will report to Ranger School in January 2015 to observe men going through Ranger School from January to March. Read more in "Female advisers will report to all-male Army Ranger School in January", The Washington Post, December 9, 2014. (OMG!).

While visiting Tactical Base Gamberi (used to be FOB Gamberi) Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel attempted to explain the difference between the withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq. Read a DoD news report here (Dec 8, 2014).

Integrity Watch Afghanistan celebrated the International Anti-Corruption day on Tuesday, December 9, 2014. Read all about it here. (Integrity Watch Facebook, Dec 9, 2014).

A program to help Afghan interpreters escape retribution by the Taliban for assisting the U.S. military in Afghanistan may see some new life if Congress does the right thing. Congress is looking at approving 4,000 more visas for Afghan interpreters; but that number is still thousands short of the visas that are needed. Read more in a news report by The Washington Times, December 8, 2014.

In a video posted by the Wall Street Journal LTG Michael T. Flynn, former director of the U.S. Defense Department Intelligence Agency is interviewed about intelligence gathering in Afghanistan. See the video here (7 minutes).

The 2014 SPECA Economic Forum was recently held in Turkmenistan. The forum is a gathering of representatives from land-locked nations (Afghanistan would be one of them) to increase economic prosperity through the establishment of transit routes. This forum was held to look at how regional cooperation can most effectively contribute to the stabilization and economic development of Afghanistan. Read more in "Central Asian cooperation forum reviews connectivity successes in Afghanistan", UNESCAP, December 8, 2014.

The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) Heron remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has flown its last mission from Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by airforce-techonology.com, December 8, 2014.

Share Your Knowledge of Afghanistan

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

News in Your Inbox

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Video - A-10 in Action

The U.S. Air Force, proving once again that it disdains the close air support mission so vital to the U.S. Army, is trying to retire about 300 A-10 Warthogs. The USAF maintains that the new F-35 stealth fighter is an adequate ground support despite the fact that it carries a reduced payload, has a low loiter time (compared to the A-10), flies too fast, and is years away from service as a close air support aircraft. Read more in "Watch the A-10 Movie the U.S. Air Force Doesn't Want You to See", War is Boring, December 4, 2014.

Weapons of SOF

A detailed online posting describes the weapons issued and weapons of choice for the U.S. special operations community. The SOF of the U.S. receives extensive training and utilize a variety of weapons based on the mission at hand. Read more about the M4, SOPMOD 2, M3X, LA-5, EOTech 553, PEQ-2, M249, M240B, M2 .40 cal, Mossberg 500, M110 Sniper System, M67 grenade, flash bang, MP-5 SD3, and more in "The Weapons of Army Special Operations", Business Insider, December 4, 2014.

Afghanistan - A Future Land Bridge?

There is a big push, spear-headed by the efforts of China and Russia to develop the economic structure of Central and South Asia. In fact, all countries in the region have an interest in this - Pakistan, Central Asian countries, Iran, India, etc. Even the United States attempted to generate some activity in this regard with its roll out of the Northern Distribution Network and the New Silk Road Strategy. While the emphasis is on the mineral, energy, and transportation sectors of Central and South Asia - the fact is all the countries are looking after their own economic and political self-interests. Afghanistan - because of its central geographical location - and if it can solve its political and security problems, can also benefit. However, Afghanistan has to develop its road and railroad networks in order to be the "crossroads for trade" in the region. Read more in "Long Road to the Ocean: Afghanistan's Quest for a Seaport", Eurasia Review, by Tamin Asey, December 7, 2014.

Honesty from Departing IJC Cdr?

LTG Joe Anderson, the commander of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC) - now shut down, provides a last minute informal assessment of the Afghan National Security Forces - and Azam Ahmed gives us the details. See "Misgivings by U.S. General as Afghan Mission Ends", The New York Times, December 8, 2014. The surprise contained within this news report is the honesty the general seems to provide us. He points out many of the persistent problems that afflict the ANSF and doesn't sugar coat it. If only more of our generals could be this honest with us!

IJC Shuts its Doors

ISAF Joint Command (IJC) has shut down. Most of its personnel have returned to the states or will return shortly. Those that stay on will be absorbed into the ISAF structure which will soon be the command structure for the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "U.S. and NATO Ceremonially End Afghan Combat Mission", The New York Times, December 8, 2014. See also an ISAF news release - "ISAF Joint Command formally ceases operations", ISAF News, December 8, 2014. And just a little bit more in "With the troops: Bittersweet farewell for 18th Airborne Corps", Fayetteville Observer, December 8, 2014.

Photography and Afghanistan

An article about a photojournalist (Larry Towell) and his work in Afghanistan is presented by The New York Times (December 8, 2014) in "Losing the Media War in Afghanistan".

Saying "Goodbye" to Afghanistan

As December 31, 2014 approaches we will see in the press an assortment of news articles, opinions, and commentary about the end of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. The ISAF mission comes to an end and the Resolute Support mission will begin. One commentator, Jonathan Foreman, provides his insight on the ISAF mission - believing that the various military leaders, advisors, and mentors were just starting to get to know the Afghans. Read his piece in "Afghanistan, We Hardly Knew You", The Daily Beast, December 8, 2014.

Finland at London Conference for Afghanistan

Finland will continue its financial support of Afghanistan with a commitment of 30 million euros per year. Read more in "Minister Paatero's speech at the International Afghanistan Conference", Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, December 4, 2014.

Morale of Military Falling

Military Times has conducted an extensive survey of the United States military and its findings are very worrisome. The morale of the military has fallen dramatically over the past few years. Read more in "America's Military: a force adrift - how the nation is failing today's troops and veterans" (December 7, 2014).

Hagel - Ghani News Conference

President Ghani and Secretary of Defense Hagel conducted a joint news conference in Afghanistan on Saturday, December 6, 2014. During the conference a number of issues were addressed to include the additional 1,000 U.S. troops post-2014, combat role of U.S. troops during Resolute Support, reform of Afghan security forces, retirement of 15 senior generals in the ANA, and selection of ANA generals. Read the news transcript at the link below:
www.defense.gov/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=5550

Ghani - Slow Down Troop Drawdown

President Ashraf Ghani is hinting that the U.S. and its allies should slow down the troop withdrawal process in Afghanistan. Ghani believes that the ANSF still needs quite a bit more help. Read more from Julian Barnes and Adam Entous in "Afghan Leader Seeks to Slow U.S. Troop Drawdown", The Wall Street Journal, December 7, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 9, 2014)

Missy Ryan, of The Washington Post explains the Resolute Support Mission in a recent news article (Dec 7, 2014). See "In Afghanistan, a tight timeline for new U.S.-led training and support mission".

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel visited Tactical Base Gamberi in eastern Afghanistan where he met with the troops that comprise Train Advise Assist Command - East (TAAC-E). Read more in "Hagel: Afghan training is key in war's final act", Salon, December 7, 2014.

A US drone reportedly killed 13 alleged militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan. An 'important commander' believed to be inside a Pakistan compound may have been killed. Read more this news article posted on The Guardian (December 8, 2014).

Slovakia is set to join the new NATO-led non-combat mission in Afghanistan called Resolute Support. It will provide over 66 Slovak servicemen in January 2015. The proposal to send the troops will first need to be approved by the Slovak parliament.

Monish Gulati, a Senior Fellow with the Society for Policy Studies, new Delhi, provides insight into the relationship of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the latest US decision to continue combat operations in the context of the prevailing geopolitical situation in Afghanistan. See "Post-2014 AF-PAK Dynamics: Now US Change of Heart? - Analysis", Eurasia Review, December 7, 2014.

Fort Bragg continues to deploy units and troops into Afghanistan. Drew Brooks, a military editor and reporter for The Fayetteville Observer points out that Fort Bragg has a number of units deployed to Afghanistan to include the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, members of 3rd Special Forces and more. Read "Brooks: Fort Bragg's role in Afghanistan continues" (December 7, 2014).

The F-35 will be replacing the A-10 at some point in the future. However, many advocates of the A-10 question the merits of this action; saying the F-35 is not suited for close air defense. Today we learn that the F-35 can't run on warm gas from a fuel truck that sat in the sun. Seems the design of the F-35 has heat transferred from its air frame into the fuel. The fuel acts as a heat sink -absorbing the heat of the aircraft. But if the fuel is too hot already then it can't absorb heat and the F-35 shuts down. Not a big concern unless you are pumping fuel from fuel trucks that have been sitting next to the runway in places like . . . Iraq or Afghanistan. But really, how often do we go to places like that? Read more in this news article by Foxtrot Alpha (December 8, 2014).

More on the Air Force's ill-advised plan to retire the A-10. See "The Fight Over the A-10 Is About More Than Just a Plane", Task & Purpose, December 8, 2014.

News reporters are commenting on the security situation in Afghanistan as the U.S. and NATO pulls out (almost) its combat troops leaving just 12,000 some trainers and advisors behind. Read more in "Afghanistan mired in war as US combat command ends", Yahoo! News, December 8, 2014.

An Afghan interpreter working for U.S. Army Special Forces turned his contacts, English skills, and business acumen into a successful business venture. His support of U.S. Special Forces teams in remote areas provided valuable assistance to the small, lightly-defended teams conducting village stability operations and setting up Afghan Local Police. Unfortunately, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has targeted the former interpreter and the evidence would seem to indicate unfairly. Read more in a news article in The Daily Beast (Dec 8, 2014).

Explore Your Writing World

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Morning News via Email

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

AREU Paper - ANSF Sustainability Challenges

On November 18, 2014, Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, delivered a public lecture and then answered questions during the follow-on discussion about the long-term sustainability of the Afghan National Army. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published the transcript and posted it on their website. The lecture addresses some of the specific challenges of the ANSF - the ability to logistically support units in the field with supplies, ammunition, fuel, etc.; personnel administration; functioning of the Afghan Security Ministries (ASIs); procurement procedures, and more. Some of the points made by Giustozzi include:

- the drawdown of western forces affected the morale of the ANSF;
- the ANSF realizes they don't have the financial resources needed;
- Kabul military leaders don't have good ground truth of tactical situation;
- the ANSF realized they underestimated the strength of the Taliban;
- the Taliban enhancement of village-level operations;
- concern of ANSF to hold on next two years;
- high level of desertions from ANSF;
- higher level of ANA corruption than previously thought;
- 63% of ANA fuel is stolen;
- 2/3s of ANA food is stolen;
- poor quality of boots for the ANA;
- lack of foreign advisors and mentors means higher levels of "ghost soldiers";
- lack of advisors at kandak / brigade may increase non-judicial killings;
- a worry that ANA cdrs will use fires instead of sound SUTs;
- a lack of middle-class Afghans participating in the ANSF;
- lack of educated Afghans in ministries working budgets, etc.;
- ISAFs maintenance failures on the 11 Mi-24 combat helicopters;
- inability to field the 20 A-29 Tucano close support aircraft on time;
- ISAF fumbling of the C-27 maintenance plan;
- inability of ANSF to conduct aerial MEDEVACs affects morale;
- ANA commanders forming "truce pacts" with Taliban;
- lack of ANA doctrine (current manuals are translated US manuals);
- concern that Afghanistan could follow Iraq's present situation;
- senior Afghan military leaders and commanders "not up to the task";
- dismal prospects of reconciliation with the Taliban;
- optimistic narrative "everything is fine" of ISAF is counterproductive

The paper (transcript) was published December 7, 2014 and is available at the following link (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 22 pages, 1.3 MBs):
"The Afghan National Army: Sustainability Challenges beyond Financial Aspects".

Kabul's Dangerous Road

The Kabul - Jalalabad Road is known as the 'Valley of Death' - the most dangerous of roads to travel on. In the past few months the Taliban have stepped up their attacks in the Kabul area - ignoring the traditional end of the fighting season. Sudarsan Raghavan, writing for The Washington Post (Dec 7, 2014) tells us more - "In Kabul's Valley of Death, hints of Afghanistan's security woes".

Daily News Snippets (Dec 8, 2014)

According to one U.S. Senator the Pentagon botched the investigation of a bin Laden raid leak to the folks making the "Zero Dark Thirty" movie. (Stars and Stripes, Dec 4, 2014).

Ata Mohammad Noor, the governor of Balkh province, recently addressed a conference in Mazer-e-Sharif where he criticized the high level of corruption in the Kabul government. Comes under the heading of "the kettle calling the pot black". (Afghan Zariza, Dec 7, 2014).

Taliban Attacks. Recent attacks by the Taliban include the attack on a wedding party Saturday night in northern Balkh province killing four and injuring 12. Five Afghan policemen were killed when attacked by Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province on Saturday night. 

Rula Ghani is continuing her high-profile activities to improve the lot of Afghan women. However, not everyone is happy; some believe that the foreign-born, Christian first lady could pose a threat to Islamic values.(The Diplomat, Dec 7, 2014).

Cutting edge winter gear will soon be issued to the Army in 2015. There is a chance that the U.S. Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2015 during the Resolute Support mission may have the cold weather clothing next winter. Read more in "This Cutting-Edge Winter Gear Will Soon be Issued to Soldiers, Banned for Wear", Duffel Blog, December 7, 2014.

A senior Taliban militant captured by U.S. forces last year was secretly flown to Pakistan last week. The move could be part of a thawing out of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Perhaps it will lead to the cessation of Pakistani support for the Taliban? No, probably not. (Reuters, Dec 7, 2014).

The commander of Air Combat Command, General Hawk Carlisle, visited Bagram Air Field in the later part of November 2014 where he was briefed on current operations and mission capabilities and assets. (DVIDS, Dec 5, 2014).

The German government has voted in favor of plans to aid Afghan forces when the NATO-led ISAF mission ends. (Deutsche Welle, Dec 7, 2014).

A new book about Afghanistan is out (surprise) about an American woman who is breaking new ground for women in Afghanistan. Read a review of Mountain to Mountain: A Journey of Adventure and Activism for the Women of Afghanistan, The Boston Globe, December 6, 2014.

Photo of woman in Kabul with legs bared goes viral on Internet. (The Washington Post, Dec 7, 2014).

The New York Times editorial board has penned an opinion piece entitled "Backsliding in Afghanistan" (Dec 6, 2014). The editorial leads you to the conclusion that President Obama is making "a huge mistake" in broadening the war.

Sharmadha Srinivasan writes in The Diplomat that the outcome of the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was a disappointment. The member countries failed to sign two major agreements on rail and road connectivity. Afghanistan will benefit with any improvement in the Central and South Asian economic environment - as all boats rise with the tide. (Dec 2, 2014).

Guest Bloggers Wanted

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan War News Morning Brief

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. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

U.S. Troop Levels in 2015

According to recent news reports the troop levels originally planned for Afghanistan will be exceeded. Plans had been for the United States to be at or below 9,800 total troops by January 1, 2015. However a few developments have transpired to change that number. It now appears that the troop number ceiling of 9,800 will be exceeded by about 1,000 for at least several months. One reason is that the Europeans (for whatever reason) have not yet made the necessary coordination to deploy the troops they were on the hook for in a timely manner. While the Europeans are certainly going to continue their commitment to Afghanistan, it will be in reduced numbers. Another factor is that the Obama administration is reeling from its mistakes with Syria and Iraq and is now worried about the same thing happening in Afghanistan post-2014. Still further is the extension of the fighting season by the Taliban, the current spate of high-profile attacks in Kabul, the resilience of the Taliban in rural areas, and the heavy losses suffered by the ANSF during this past fighting season.

Interview - Author "Warrior Diplomat"

Mike Waltz, Green Beret, Afghan policy guy, and book author, is interviewed by Peter Bergen of New America on his book, Afghanistan, and how to move forward in the conflict. See the interview of the author of "Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan" that took place on December 4, 2014 and is now available for viewing on YouTube (1 hour 20 minutes - time well spent).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq2jR1RUbRM

Video - Women on Bikes

Women do not usually ride bicycles in Afghanistan. However, a small women's group is changing that. The meet once a week to ride bikes in a group. Watch a video about this at "Afghan women's two-wheel revolution", NATO Channel TV, December 4, 2014.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1HaiyK8xeU

JFC Brunssum Trains for RSM

Joint  Forces Command Brunssum is preparing the next rotation of personnel to man the desks and computers in Kabul and outlying areas for the beginning of the Resolute Support Mission that starts January 1st, 2014. Read more on the train-up the personnel will be going through in "Resolute Support Mission leaders train at JFC Brunssum", Allied Command Operations, December 3, 2014.

Poland Completes ISAF Mission

The country of Poland is completing its ISAF mission in Afghanistan after a 13 year presence. Some 28,000 Polish personnel, military and civilian, took part in the mission over those long years. Many Pole Soldiers were deployed to Ghazni province as part of Task Force White Eagle. Over the course of Poland's presence in Afghanistan, 45 Soldiers died while 361 were injured. Read more in "Polish ISAF mission wraps up in Afghanistan", Poland Radio, December 4, 2014.

Women's Rights a Fragile Situation

Kimberley Motley, writing for The Daily Beast worries about women's rights in Afghanistan. Although much progress has been made, she believes these are reversible without continued international support. Read her piece in "We're Not Done in Afghanistan".

Making of a Narco State

In 2014 Afghanistan produced 90% of the world's supply of opium. The drug trade is an integral part of Afghanistan's economy and the corruption goes up to the highest of levels within the police, military, and government. Read more in "Afghanistan: The Making of a Narco State", Rolling Stone, by Matthieu Aikins, December 4, 2014.

Military Dog Contract to End

In the fight against IEDs military working dogs have proven to be the most effective and cost-efficient measure to detect bombs. However, the military is on the verge of doing away with most of this capability. Read more in "K2 Solutions' military dog contract ends, may lay off 70 workers", Stars and Stripes, December 4, 2014.

PTSD and Time

Tom Ricks, an author, commentator, and observer of all affairs military, has wrote an article about his experiences in Iraq and PTSD. Very interesting. Read "In and Out of Time in Iraq", The New Yorker, December 5, 2014.

China, India, and Pakistan

There are three key nations that can influence the course of history for Afghanistan - China, Pakistan, and India. The new president - Ashraf Ghani - has quickly reached out to all three in an effort to seek their assistance in establishing stability for Afghanistan. Read an insightful column by Harsh V. Pant posted on YaleGlobal Online (Dec 4, 2104) that provides good background information on this topic - "An Afghan Dilemma for China and India".