Daily News Snippets (Dec 20, 2014)

ISAF's deputy commander, LTG Carsten Jacobson, and other German soldiers visited a children's hospital in Kabul and presented a donation that will be used to finance daily operations and improvements to medical care. Read more in "German troops donate Ocktoberfest profits to Kabul children's hospital", ISAF News, December 17, 2014.

The war on terror is estimated to have cost the United States a lot of money. Read more in "Wars' Cost to U.S. Since the Sept. 11 Attacks: $1.6 trillion", Bloomberg News, December 19, 2014.

Pakistan is in close talks with Afghanistan to find ways to fight the Taliban. The government of Pakistan along with its military and intelligence services say they are in the lead in the fight against terror and insurgents. According to General Sher Mohammad Karimi, the Afghan chief of army staff, the Pakistani Army has assured Afghan leaders they want to fight against all terrorists. Read more in "Afghan Army Chief Sees Antiterror Cooperation with Pakistan", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 18, 2014.

Oh, . . . and in more news on that front you can read "Mumbai attacks 'mastermind' Lakhvi bailed in Pakistan", BBC News Asia, December 18, 2014. Read more about the Mumbai terror attacks.

Tolo News reports that there is more fighting in the Dawlat Shah district of Laghman province. 

Tolo News is also reporting on the continuing fight in Dangam district in Kunar province. Reportedly, villagers in the district rose up against the Taliban - but the struggle is continuing and the villagers are requesting government assistance. The commander of the 2nd ANA Brigade, 201st Corps - Afzal Khan - states that his brigade has taken control of vital areas and are offering assistance. Read more in "ANSF Must Use all Abilities, Efforts to Defeat Insurgency: Salangi" (December 19, 2014).

A car bomb killed a police officer in Kabul on December 18th. Three other people were injured and the Taliban have claimed credit. (LA Times, Dec 17, 2014).

At a gathering of community leaders in Farah province in western Afghanistan the topic of education and its ties to insurgency was discussed. There, according to participants, seems to be a link between illiteracy and easy recruitment into the Taliban. Read more in "Education Link to Afghan Insurgency", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 18, 2014.

Contributors Wanted for Blog

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

Inbox - Have Your Afghan News Waiting!

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.

Georgia Troops for Resolute Support

The country of Georgia has been a reliable and valued troop contributing nation during the ISAF mission. The country will continue its efforts on behalf of its allies and Afghanistan with its commitment to the Resolute Support mission. A reconnaissance company from the 4th Mechanized Brigade of the Georgia Armed Forces is heading to northern Afghanistan to serve as part of the Train Advise and Assist Command - North under German leadership. The Georgian company of about 170 soldiers will be the rapid reaction force at Camp Marmal near Mazar-e-Sharif. The country has committed about 700 troops to the Resolute Support mission. The 51st Light Infantry Battalion is serving at Bagram Air Field - having deployed there in November 2014. Read more in "Georgian Troops Head to Mazar-i-Sharif", Civil Daily News Online, December 16, 2014.

Peace Talks May Resume

There is a possibility that peace talks may soon resume between the government of Afghanistan and insurgent groups. This is good news to some observers who note that most insurgencies are not won by military means - and many are negotiated settlements. However, negotiations with the Taliban have generally been fruitless. But I suppose attempts should be made. According to a senior member of the Afghan High Peace Council peace talks should start up again in Qatar next week. The Afghan Taliban maintain a contact office in Qatar. Representatives from Pakistan will also be in attendance. The Afghan media report that China may have representatives attending as well; an interesting development. Read more in "Peace Talks with Afghan Taliban Expected to Resume", Gandhara Blog, December 18, 2014.

French Soldier View of US Soldier

A French soldier has wrote a piece about his time serving with alongside a unit of the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan. He is highly complimentary of the U.S. Soldiers. Read "A French Soldier's View of US Soldiers in Afghanistan", Warrior Lodge, December 15, 2014.

Finnish Projects in Afghanistan at Risk

Finland devoted large amounts of money, time and effort to the Coalition mission in Afghanistan. Much of the Finnish work was done in northern Afghanistan. However, some of that work is coming undone. Insurgents have destroyed some of Finland's development aid projects and taken over others (to include district police stations). The Taliban have taken control of areas previously patrolled and secured by Finnish troops. The province of Faryab, once a Finnish occupied area (the Finns left in 2007), is now partially controlled by the Taliban. Read more in "Finnish development projects under fire in Afghanistan", Yle Uutiset (Finland media), December 18, 2014.

Afghan Spy Chief Explains Problems

The head of the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) says that with the departure of Coalition forces there is now a vacuum in the intelligence-gathering field. In testimony before the lower house of the Afghan parliament the NDS chief says that loss of intelligence is a result of inadequate manpower and a lack of technology. The drones, SIGINT, surveillance balloons, HUMINT networks, and intel fusion capability that the Coalition had when there were 150,000 ISAF troops spread across the country is now gone. Read more in "Afghan spy chief laments intelligence vacuum as foreign troops leave", Reuters, December 17, 2014.

Taliban Bank Siege Ends in Helmand

The Afghan security forces ended an insurgent attack against a bank branch in Helmand province. Five civilians, one police officer, and two ANA soldiers were killed. Fourteen others were injured. Read more in "Police: Afghan forces end Taliban bank siege in Helmand province", CNN World, December 17, 2014.

Customs Officials Largely Corrupt

Tolo News reports in a news article that there is widespread corruption in Afghanistan's customs system (big surprise there!). The customs operation is coming under scrutiny as a result of the new National Unity Government crackdown on corruption. It is hoped that if corruption with the customs officials can be lessened the government will begin to decrease its revenue shortfall. Custom officials are the source of the problem and widespread firings need to take place. Afghan businessmen are routinely expected to pay bribes to get goods into Afghanistan. Read more in "Experts Say Customs Agents are Main Source of Corruption", Tolo News, December 17, 2014.

SIGAR Report on Afghan Women

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has issued a report entitled Afghan Women:  Comprehensive Assessments Needed to Determine and Measure DOD, State, and USAID Progress, SIGAR 15-24 Audit Report, December 2014. The report states that there is no comprehensive assessment available to confirm that gains have been made in the status of women as a direct result of U.S. efforts. Together, DoD, State, and USAID spent over $64 million on over 650 projects, programs, and initiatives to support Afghan women from 2011 to 2013. SIGAR found there is a lack of accountability in the programs because none of the three agencies (DOD, State, and USAID) have effective mechanisms for tracking the funding associated with the women's projects. The report contains a number of recommendations on the way forward. Read the report at the link below:

www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-24-AR.pdf

EU Extends Police Mission

The Council of the European Union has extended the mandate of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan until December 31, 2016 - for two more years. It also approved a budget of 58 million Euros for the mission for the year 2015. EUPOL Afghanistan will support the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to strengthen its civilian police service, improve the rule of law framework, and uphold human rights. Read more in a  news report by Khaama Press, December 18, 2014.

Afghan's Millionaires

There is tremendous poverty in Afghanistan yet there are an abundance of millionaires. Some Afghans became rich because of their ability to manipulate the government system and steal money. Others became rich as a result of hard work and good business sense. Read a news article about "Afghanistan's New Millionaires", Bloomberg Business Week, December 18, 2014.

Interview - NPR Speaks to J. Sopko

National Public Radio (NPR) interviews John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, about Afghan corruption. Listen to the four minute audio tape on NPR. "Fight Against Corruption in Afghanistan Press On", NPR, December 18, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 19, 2014)

It looks like former President Karzai is busy forming up a political opposition. This is unfortunate. He should just go away to his villas in Dubai and let Afghanistan move on to a better future.

Khaama Press reports that 5 Taliban insurgents were blown up by their own explosives in Herat. I hate when that happens!  :)

News reports indicate that the Pakistan head of the ISI was recently in Afghanistan asking for assistance in defeating the "Bad Taliban". No word on whether the ISI will stop supporting the Haqqani Network. Time will tell. Learn more in a post on CNN (Dec 18, 2014).

Along the same lines some observers see ISI's ambiguous approach towards different groups in effort to counter Indian influence as fueling attacks. Read more in "Pakistani spy agency's relations with militants blamed for school massacre", The Guardian, December 17, 2014.

Afghan press are covering stories saying that 59 suspected insurgents were recently arrested in Kabul. Other reports indicate that a bicycle bomb went off near a Kapisa police hqs wounding 3 people. It appears that some suspects have been arrested in the recent killing of the Supreme Court Chief Secretary. The fight between the Taliban and government forces is continuing in Dangam district in eastern Afghanistan. 

Decades of war have devastated the Afghan hand-knotted carpet industry. A new public-private initiative will help traditional artisans to rebuild the supply chain to provide raw materials. Read more in "Bringing a supply chain back to life in Afghanistan", Supply Chain Quarterly, December 17, 2014.

Many are predicting that the Afghan economy will fall apart with the departure of Coalition troops and diminished funding from international donors. Read more in a news report by Mother Jones (Dec 17, 2014).

WikiLeaks has released a classified CIA study that casts doubt on the effectiveness of drone attacks against insurgents. Read more in "Drone strikes counterproductive, says secret CIA report", The Sydney Morning Herald, December 19, 2014.

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) improperly collected information through unauthorized surveillance of U.S. citizens and companies. Read more in "Pentagon's IED unit improperly collected intel", USA Today, December 18, 2014.

There are changes afoot in the world of U.S. Army aviation. The regular Army is switching out one type of aircraft for another with the Army National Guard. Read more in "Army Details Future Controversial Helicopter Swap", Defense One, December 18, 2014.

The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is investigating a Pentagon task force that spent a significant amount of money to develop the country's gem industry. It appears that the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations might be involved in "imprudent spending". Read more in a news article in The Hill (Dec 16, 2014).

German lawmakers have approved the continued Afghanistan training mission for the Bundeswehr. The German Army has the led for the Train, Advise, and Assist Command North (northern Afghanistan).

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

Morning Updates by 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.

Paper - "Rethinking Victory in Counterinsurgency"

Colonel Michael C. Griffin, a USMC officer, has wrote a paper entitled "Rethinking Victory in Counterinsurgency". He suggests replacing the term "victory" with "success". According to Griffin victory is almost always unobtainable in a counterinsurgency but success - an endstate that can be defined in many different ways - is sometimes obtainable. He subscribes to the theory that counterinsurgency is 80% political and 20% military (I am in strong agreement with him on this point). He further states that defeating an insurgency or at least achieving a political solution that causes the insurgency to go away requires eliminating the "root causes" of the insurgency. (He is right again!). This is a very good paper that places counterinsurgency in its proper context; especially in light of the events in Iraq and Afghanistan this past year (2014). The paper (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 42 pages, 1.2 MBs big) was published in October 2014 by the United States Army War College Press, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and is available to read online or download at the link below.

http://pksoi.army.mil/Publications/Papers/Griffin%20monograph.pdf

EU Says Widespread Fraud in Afghan Election

A report by European Union election observers states that widespread fraud took place during the Afghan presidential elections. It says that over 1/4 of the votes cast came from polling stations with voting irregularities. More than 2.3 million votes during the runoff came from polling sites in which more than 95 per cent of the votes went to one candidate. The European Union's chief observer for the Afghan election, Thijs Berman, said of the fraud - "That is a North Korea situation". Read more in "E.U. Confirms Wide Fraud in Afghan Presidential Runoff Election", The New York Times, December 16, 2014.

Pakistan ISI Support Backfires?

Columnists are focused on Pakistan in light of the massacre of school children by the "Bad Taliban" (Tehriki-i-Taliban Pakistan). One observer asks if the Pakistan ISI support for the "Good Taliban" has backfired. Read more in "Peshawar school attack: Has Pakistan ISIS 'secret support for Taliban' backfired?", International Business Times, December 16, 2014.

CSIS Report on Afghan Forces

The Center for Strategic & International Studies has published a report (17 Nov 2014) entitled "Afghan Forces on the Edge of Transition - Volume IV". The study summarizes the key policies and metrics and provides considerable insight into the success of the transition and the capability of the ANSF to defeat the Taliban. The report also examines the ". . . growing emphasis on "spin" and the public relations efforts to sell progress at the expense of realism and objectivity - often by simply ceasing to report metrics that have proved to be embarrassing in the past". (Ouch!). The study, divided into four different parts, focuses on 1) US policy and cuts on US forces and spending; 2) sharply contradictory data on levels of violence, 3) measuring the transition from ISAF to ANSF, and 4) progress in Afghan force development. You can read an abstract of the report and download the report at the link below:

http://csis.org/publication/afghan-forces-edge-transition-iv

U.S. is "Horrible in Influence Operations"

The U.S. is horrible in conducting influence operations. This is something that I have posted about for the last couple of years. But don't listen to me. None other than the head of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), LTG Cleveland, says as much (see the news article linked to below). It is worth noting that the United States had three lines of effort in countering the Taliban insurgency: security, governance and development. USASOC is closely tied in with all three of these lines of effort with its seven Special Forces Groups, schoolhouse for Unconventional Warfare (SWCS), Ranger Regiment, SOF Aviation, and its 95th Civil Affairs Brigade. The CA bubbas being "experts" at governance and development and the SF dudes knowing a whole lot about establishing security; and a little bit about governance and development with their experience in Village Stability Operations (VSO).

To a degree, there was a lot accomplished in all of three areas (security, development and governance) despite the obvious obstacles (Karzai, corruption, drug trade, sanctuaries in Pakistan, etc.). Where there was inadequate effort put forth was in the Information Operations arena - now referred to as "Inform and Influence and Activities".  Of course, USASOC plays a big role in this field as well - since it commands the 4th Military Information Support Group.

An online news article explores this topic (the importance of IO or IAA) in greater detail. Read more in "Killing is Not Enough: Special Operators", by Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr, in Breaking Defense, December 16, 2014.

CFR - "Behind Pakistan's Taliban War"

Daniel S. Markey, a Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), is interviewed on the topics of Pakistan, the "Good Taliban", and what the future holds in light of the recent killings of over 100 school children in Pakistan. Read "Behind Pakistan's Taliban War", Council on Foreign Relations, December 17, 2014.

Max Boot: "Pakistan: Incubator of Evil"

Military historian and book author Max Boot says it is time to recognize Pakistan for what it is - "An Incubator of Evil". He says that the recent killings of school children in a Pakistani school is a case of a self-inflicted wound. Boot points out that you cannot support Taliban extremists to attack Americans and Afghans in Afghanistan and not see the same type of attacks come back at you. Read more in "Pakistan: Incubator of Evil", Commentary Magazine, December 16, 2014.

Afghanistan Index by Brookings

The "Afghanistan Index" by Brookings tracks the progress and security in a post-9/11 Afghanistan. The document is updated every month and posted on the Brookings website. The index is a statistical compilation of economic, public opinion and security data. The resource provides updated and historical information on various data, including crime, infrastructure, casualties, unemployment, Afghan security forces and coalition troop strength.

www.brookings.edu/about/programs/foreign-policy/afghanistan-index

Daily News Snippets (Dec 18, 2014)

A former employee of a U.S. contractor was indicted for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes for his influence in awarding U.S. government-funded contracts in Afghanistan. Read more in a news release by the U.S. Department of Justice (Dec 16, 2014).

Insurgents attacked a bank in the southern province of Helmand on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 killing at least ten people including three policemen. (CBS News, Dec 17, 2014).

Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development is moving on. Read an online statement by Secretary of State John Kerry. (DoS, Dec 17, 2014).

The Taliban have mounted an offensive in Dangam district, Kunar province near the Pakistani border. Read more in a Stars and Stripes report (Dec 16, 2014). 

U.S. airstrikes are attacking Pakistani and Afghan Taliban in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Read more in a post by The Long War Journal (Dec 17, 2014).

The killing of over one hundred children by the Pakistani Taliban has brought to the forefront the fact that there are "Good Taliban" and "Bad Taliban". The "Good Taliban" are the groups supported by the Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI) and the Pakistani military. The "Bad Taliban" are the groups conducting attacks against the Pakistan military. Read more on this topic in "How the Pakistani Taliban became a deadly force", The News York Times, December 16, 2014.

U.S. Army Special Forces leaders are confident that the Afghan National Security Forces will do well after the withdrawal of combat troops by the International Security Assistance Force. MG Edward Reeder, the commander of SOJTF-A in Afghanistan stated "Our partnered forces have never lost a fight." Read more in "U.S. forces have prepared Afghans for success", Fayetteville Observer, December 17, 2014.

A United Kingdom diplomat who served two years in Afghanistan as the British Ambassador to Afghanistan had some critical comments about the British politicians overseeing the war effort from London. Read more in "Collective self-delusion: UK diplomat slams Afghanistan strategists", RT.com, December 17, 2014.

The Pakistani Army Chief visited Kabul where he apologized for Pakistan's support to the Taliban. NOT! Just kidding! He actually visited with President Ghani for talks and the two vowed to fight terrorism and extremism together. Read more in "Pakistani Army Chief in Kabul, Vows to Fight Taliban", Radio Free Europe, December 17, 2014.

NATO is wrapping up the ISAF era and paid tribute to the ISAF mission at a recent gathering. See a NATO news release on the topic. (Dec 17, 2014).

Contractors will continue to play an important role in the force structure that remains in Afghanistan. That will diminish the reduction in the budget for Afghanistan. (Fayetteville Observer, Dec 17, 2014)

Representatives of women's groups in the fight for the rights of Afghan women are saying unkind words about the international donors who recently met at the London Conference. Read a news story by members of Human Rights Watch in "Women fighting for justice in Afghanistan are treated with contempt by foreign donors", International Business Times, December 17, 2014.

DynCorp International (Texas) was awarded a $42 million contract modification for OEF aviation maintenance support.

CACI of Arlington, Virginia is being awarded a $38 million contract for joint geospatial analytical support services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. The work goes out to December 2015 and takes place in Florida and around the world.

Much attention has been focused on the massacre of children in Pakistan by the "Bad Taliban". Some of that attention is being directed at the government of Pakistan - folks are asking what the government will do in the future. Pakistan's covert policy of supporting the Afghan Taliban is being questioned as well as actions to be taken against the "Bad Taliban". Unfortunately, the jihadi militants occupying the 'ungoverned areas' of Pakistan do not have neat lines separating the "good" from the "bad". As one former Secretary of State (who I will not name because I am not fond of her) said ". . . you can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbors". Read more in "Pakistan's Tolerance of Jihadis Backfires Badly", The Huffington Post, December 17, 2014.

Provide Your Input to the News!

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 Every Morning

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.

Report - EU Election Assessment Team

The European Union Election Assessment Team (EUEAT) has issued its final report on the presidential election held on 5 April 2014 and the run-off election held on 14 June 2014. The report covers a number of topics to include the legal framework, election administration, voter registration, registration of political entities and candidates, electoral campaign, voter information and civic education, media, participation of women, civil society organizations and election observation, complaints and appeals, election days, audits of the results, election results, and recommendations. The report is an Adobe Acrobat PDF and is 51 pages long. You can download the report at the link below.

www.eueom.eu/files/dmfile/FINAL-REPORT-EUEAT-AFGHANISTAN-2014-c_en.pdf

Kazakhstan

The Central Asian states are showing great concern about the future of Afghanistan in light of the withdrawal of ISAF combat forces. Their biggest fear is that religious extremism and drug trafficking will spread north from Afghanistan. Kazakhstan, one of the Central Asian states, hopes to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the expansion of the Afghan economy with the intent of providing additional stability to the country. The existence of the Northern Distribution Network and the advancement of the New Silk Road are factors that will contribute to this economic revival. Read more in "Kazakhstan Eyes Prestige in Afghanistan After 2014 Drawdown", Foreign Policy Report, December 16, 2014.

Corruption in Afghanistan

An article recently published in Joint Force Quarterly (published by the National Defense University) explores in great detail the corruption that takes place in Afghanistan. Read "Dealing with Corruption: Hard Lessons Learned in Afghanistan", Joint Forces Quarterly 75, by Richard Holdren, Stephen Nowak, and Fred Klinkenberger, September 30, 2014. Abstract is below:

"Operation Enduring Freedom has exacted a tremendous cost on the United States in terms of both blood and treasure. By the end of fiscal year 2013, the financial toll had reached $645 billion. While we have made a significant investment in rebuilding Afghanistan, certain actors have seen our sacrifice as an opportunity to enrich themselves by stealing money and material intended to aid in the rebuilding of the country".

Peace Talks to Resume?

A recent news report indicates that the Government of Afghanistan may resume peace talks with the Taliban group located in Qatar in the near future. A member of the High Peace Council has provided this information. Pakistan may take part in the talks; which is important as the Pakistanis are supporting the Taliban with money, intelligence, and sanctuaries. (Khaama Press, Dec 16, 2014).

"Bad End to Good War"

An excerpt of the book "The Good War" by Jack Fairweather is provided at the link below. In this excerpt he addresses the U.S. withdrawal, U.S. strategy, negotiations with the Taliban, drone strikes over Pakistan, U.S. public support for the Afghan War, how attempts to nation-build fail, and the difficulties of establishing a strong central government in Afghanistan. Read "Afghanistan: Coming to the Bad End of the Good War", by Jack Fairweather, War on the Rocks, December 16, 2014.

Hundreds Killed at Pakistan School

Over one hundred people, mostly children, were killed by Pakistani Taliban in a school in Peshawar. Some reports say that as many as 126 people were killed. There were about 500 people in the school when the attack began. Reports indicate that there were five or six attackers. A spokesman for a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said that the attackers were ordered to shoot older students. The attack was initiated with two explosions.

Afghanistan's Neighbors Worried about Drugs

Most experts would agree on the statement that the Western war on drugs in Afghanistan has been a failure. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) in 2014 Afghanistan had the largest opium harvest in history. Afghanistan's regional neighbors and countries beyond are clearly worried. Read more in "Afghanistan's Thriving Drug Trade Worries Neighbours", Silk Road Reporters, December 15, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 17, 2014)

The European Union has updated its air safety list (Dec 14). It has banned Afghan Airlines from European airspace. Hmmm. (Silk Road Reporters, Dec 15, 2014).

Winter blackouts are once again happening in Kabul. The demand for energy is high during the winter and in the past few years has started to fail. Read more about the inability to provide sufficient power to Kabul in this news article (Khaama Press, Dec 16, 2014).

USAID has published an article entitled "The Women of Afghanistan: Looking Back, Moving Forward" in its November / December 2014 Frontlines edition.

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has sent a letter to the Department of Defense expressing their concerns about the safety of a natural gas pipeline in northern Afghanistan in which the DoD has helped to repair. It seems that the repair work started has not been completed and the DoD agency (TFBSO) charged with overseeing the repairs is shutting down operations. Read the letter here (Dec 11, 2014).

While President Obama may say that we have reached a 'turning point' in the Afghan War there really will not be much change on the ground in Afghanistan. His symbolic speech in early December 2014 at Fort Dix announcing the cessation of combat operations is in stark contrast to the fact he has extended the mandate of U.S. forces to conduct combat operations and provide air support to the ANSF in 2015. And, of course, there were the two newest casualties of the war when two Soldiers were killed in an IED attack outside of Bagram Air Field. Read more in "NATO mission in Afghanistan unlikely to change much", Stars & Stripes, December 16, 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 Every Morning

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.

"Cold Base" and Advising from Afar

SFA Advisor, CPT Jeff Burgett from 10th Mountain, interacts

with 203rd Corps counterparts in Feb 2014. At this time the

203rd Corps was still advised on a daily basis. (Photo by 

PFC Dixie Rae Liwanag).

The Coalition has shrunk its force in Afghanistan in preparation for the Resolute Support mission that will begin on January 1, 2014. In an attempt to reduce the force footprint to around 12,000 by the beginning of 2015 some decisions had to be made on where to place advisor teams. ISAF planners decided to pull advisory teams off two of the six Afghan National Army Corps - leaving no advisors in those regions to interact with the ANA corps, Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Police, and the Operational Coordination Centers (OCCs). Those two regions were the 215th Corps in Helmand province and the 203rd Corps in southeastern Afghanistan. Both regions are highly contested by the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

Naturally, the experienced SFA advisor would prefer to be "embedded" full-time on a permanent basis with the Afghan unit to maintain constant day-to-day contact with the advised unit. This would entail living and working on a Coalition base adjacent to or 'embedded' within an Afghan installation or base. But with the limited number of advisors in country and the counter-productive "risk adverse" attitude of higher command this is not always possible.

Efforts to maintain some type of communications (and influence?) with these two corps (203rd and 215th) are problematic. The ability to interact, influence, train, advise, and maintain situational awareness through emails and cell phone calls with an Afghan counterpart is extremely limited. So periodic visits to the corps are utilized. The Coalition attempts to stay in touch with the 203rd Corps utilizing what used to be called Level II Advising and now is referred to (at least informally) as a "Fly to Advise" methodology or "expeditionary advisory package". Apparently that is called an "EAP" for short; so another acronym for the glossary gets added.

However, flying into an Afghan base and staying for hours or days requires a support mechanism and facility to set up radios, a work center, and living / sleeping areas. Enter the "Cold Base" concept for advisors. In lieu of embedding with the Afghan unit or co-locating with an adjacent Coalition unit the advisors utilize the EAPs and Cold Base concept described in "A reduced presence does not equal a reduced commitment", DVIDS, December 13, 2014.

Video - "An Army for Afghanistan"

The New York Times has posted a short video entitle "An Army for Afghanistan". It is a short video (8 mins) posted on December 15, 2014 that depicts an Afghan National Army (ANA) unit visiting an Afghan Local Police (ALP) unit suspected of firing on an ANA outpost. Interesting interaction between the ANA and ALP.

www.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/opinion/an-army-for-afghanistan.html

Obama Declares "Turning Point" in Afghanistan

In an address before troops at Fort Dix, New Jersey President Obama declared a "turning point" in the Afghan Conflict. He stated that ". . . after more than 13 years, our combat mission in Afghanistan will be over". Read more in "Obama declares 'turning point' for US military as Afghanistan mission winds down", Stars and Stripes, December 15, 2014. See also a DoD news release (Dec 15, 2014) on the same topic. And staying on topic but with a different viewpoint read "It's not really the end in Afghanistan", Herald Online.com, December 15, 2014.

CASA-1000 Project

The CASA-1000 project is an ambitious venture - supported by the United States - to have Central Asian countries export surplus electricity to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the summer months. While there are many critics of this program the U.S. State Department and USAID believe it will change the economic environment for Central Asia and specifically, Afghanistan. Read more in "Powering a New Silk Road: Helping Connect Supply with Demand in South and Central Asia", USAID Frontlines, November / December 2014.

The U.S. Military Optemp Takes a Toll

The United States military has been at war for the longest period ever. Over 13 straight years with no end in sight. The Afghan War, with the end of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), was supposed to end this month (December 2014). However, over 10,000 troops will still be deployed in Afghanistan after the end of 2014 and the U.S. is still taking casualties (two Soldiers died in December 2014). The U.S. is also re-involving itself in Iraq with over 3,000 deployed and many more from outside the country participating in bombing raids off aircraft carriers and from airfields in adjacent countries. This high operations tempo is taking its toll on the United States military members and their families. Read more in "America's Military: The crushing deployment tempo", Military Times, December 14, 2014.

Landslides in Afghanistan

Many parts of northern Afghanistan are prone to landslides. These events often cause many injuries and deaths among the population who typically live in small villages at the base of mountains or in the valleys of canyons where landslides occur. In the spring of 2014 a humanitarian disaster occurred in Argo district of Badakhshan province when a landslide swallowed the village of Abi Barak. Hundreds of lives were lost and thousands lost their homes. The Afghan government was slow to respond and when it did the response was less than effective. In addition, corrupt police and local government officials stole or diverted aid meant for the landslide victims. A recent paper explores the disaster of Abi Barak and how these man-made natural disasters occur. Read more in "Unnatural disasters", Philanthropy Age, September 24, 2014.

Uphill Battle for Female Aid Workers

This article (Dec 15, 2014) provided by IRIN - a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - describes the obstacles that women have while employed by humanitarian organizations working in Afghanistan. Read "Afghanistan: Uphill struggle for female aid workers".

American Woman With Life Long Afghan Interest

A recent news article provides us with information about a women who has spent much of her life in Afghanistan gathering books, artifacts, and other cultural treasures about Afghanistan. Nancy Hatch Dupree fell in love with Afghanistan on her first visit to the country in 1962. She has studied the countries history, writing travelogues, and collecting maps, photographs, and recordings of folk music. Read more in "American seeks to preserve storied Afghan past", Yahoo! News, December 15, 2014.

Special Forces Leaders Talk about Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan has lasted a long time and for members of the Special Forces community the country holds a special place in their lives. Many Special Forces Soldiers have completed six or more tours in the country. In a recent news article some Special Forces leaders chat about their commitment to Afghanistan. Read more in "Special Forces leaders say building friendships key in Afghanistan", Fayetteville Observer, December 15, 2014.

Video - Afghan Dance "Attan"

Banned under the Taliban, the centuries-old Afghan dance known as the Attan is flourishing once again. A traditional dance with its origins buried deep within Afghan history, the Attan was once a Pashtun specialty but is now performed by Afghans of all tribes for various occasions. View "Reviving the Attan; Afghanistan's national dance", NATO TV, December 9, 2014 (posted on YouTube, 3 mins).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypaxe2F5cLc

Daily News Snippets (Dec 16, 2014)

Some Afghan interpreters have been fortunate enough to obtain special immigrant visas for the United States. That is part of the struggle for these brave men to leave Afghanistan behind. The next part of the struggle is surviving in the United States. Adapting to a foreign culture, learning a skill or trade, and finding employment is difficult. Read more in "Afghan interpreters risked all for U.S., struggle in Omaha", Omaha.com, December 14, 2014.

There have been a lot of attacks by the Taliban across Afghanistan. Read more in "An Especially Deadly Day in Afghanistan", Defense One, December 14, 2014.

The Afghanistan War, the longest overseas conflict in United States history, has been expensive. The cost has been nearly $1 Trillion dollars and rising. However, that is just the costs that can be tracked. In reality the cost of the war is much higher; especially when taking into the consideration the lifelong medical costs of veterans who were injured or wounded. Read more in "$1tn cost of longest US war hastens retreat from military intervention", CNBC 25 News, December 15, 2014.

An agreement is likely to be concluded that will provide a contract mechanism for a Czech arms maker to provide spare parts and repair T-55 tanks for the Afghan National Army. Read more in "Czech firm may repair T-44 tanks of Afghanistan", Khaama Press, December 15, 2014.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah met in talks during a gathering of prime ministers at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana on December 15, 2014. (Gandhara Blog, Radio Free Europe, December 15, 2014).

Macedonia will provide 38 servicemen to serve in Afghanistan on the Resolute Support mission. The Macedonian parliament endorsed the action on Monday, December 15th. Macedonia has continued the mission in Afghanistan that started back in 2002 with its first deployment. The 38 Soldiers will consist of staff officers that will augment the German-led Train Advise and Assist Command in northern Afghanistan as well as the Turkish-led contingent conducting the TAA mission in Kabul (hmmm . . . Macedonia and Turkey  . . . ). The Macedonian Soldiers (quite often fondly referred to as the M . . .  Nuts) have provided expert and diligent force protection duties at ISAF HQs for the last several years. (Global Post, December 15, 2014).

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense stated that five more ANA soldiers were killed in an IED attack.  According to security officials the ANA is averaging 4 deaths a day; most from IED attacks.

Three post 9/11 veterans will serve on the Senate Armed Service Committee. Good to see we will have some military members with recent combat experience on that very important committee. (Defense One, December 15, 2014).

Kabul is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. People from rural areas flocking to Kabul are straining the infrastructure, overloading the municipal services, and having trouble finding employment. A news article in The Guardian (Dec 16, 2014) asks if Kabul can handle its growing pains.