Cabinet Still Not Formed

The 'forced marriage' between Ghani and Abdullah is showing some signs of discord. The cabinet has not yet been named. Half of the positions were to be named by each; however President Ghani has not accepted the half by Abdullah due to lack of qualifications. Read more in "Afghan cabinet delays stoke worry, frustration", The Washington Post, December 23, 2014.

COMISAF & Afghans visit Pakistan

Top Afghan and U.S. generals have visited Pakistan this week to address anti-terrorism efforts with Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif. The meeting was focused on military coordination on both sides of the border. Read more in "US, Afghan Generals in Islamabad for Border Security Talks", Voice of America, December 23, 2014.

ANA Kabul Bus Rides Halted

The intensified Taliban offensive in Kabul has caused the Afghan National Army (ANA) to stop the practice of transporting its soldiers to and from work on buses. A number of buses have been targeted by Taliban suicide bombers in recent months causing deaths and injuries. Read more in "After Bus Bombings, Afghan Army Halts Soldier Transports", Voice of America, December 16, 2014.

Pakistan to Execute Hundreds of Terrorists

Pakistan says it will begin executing nearly 500 prisoners convicted on terrorism-related charges in the coming weeks. The moratorium was imposed by Pakistan in 2008. The New York-based Human rights Watch (HRW) has called on Pakistan to immediately stop the execution of the death-row terrorists (of course). Read more in "Pakistan to Execute Hundreds of Terror Convicts", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 2, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 24, 2014)

Contractor Overbilled Pentagon. Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems over billed the Pentagon for work performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Firm will repay $27.5 million to settle over billing charges. (Defense One, Dec 22, 2014).

Fixing America's Aid to Afghanistan. Jordan Olmstead, a freelance writer and Research Affiliate at the Southwest Initiative for the Study of Middle Eastern Conflict, says that the US needs a more strategic approach in providing assistance to the two troubled countries. He states that "An ideal aid program would be guided by four key principles: targeted, conditional, tiered, and post hoc." The Diplomat, Dec 23, 2014).
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/fixing-americas-aid-to-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

General John Campbell, COMISAF, accompanied Afghan Army Chief General Sher Mohammad Karimi on a visit to the Pakistani Chief of the Army General Raheel Sharif in Islamabad, Pakistan. The meeting focused on coordinating Pakistan-Afghanistan military and counter-terrorism operations on both sides of the border. The generals agree that their subordinate commanders will begin meeting immediately to further coordinate border area security operations. (Editors Note: Up to this point the Afghan military representatives to previous border meetings have been outclassed by their Pakistan counterparts. And outmaneuvered.) Read more in a new release by ISAF News, Dec 23, 2014.

Pay Raise for Army. U.S. Army Soldiers will receive a one-percent increase in basic pay in January. Read more in a news release by DoD News, Dec 22, 2014.

Broke Afghan Government. The Kerry-brokered Afghan power-sharing agreement hasn't resolved any problems, or appointed any ministers. Read more in "Afghanistan's Still-Broken Government", The American Conservative, December 23, 2014.

COMISAF Spells It Out. Are you wondering what the mission is in Afghanistan? How well are the Afghan National Security Forces doing? General John Campbell spells it out in an article found on the website of Defense News (Dec 23, 2014).

China Hacking Afghan Gov Websites? It appears that someone in China is hacking the websites of the Afghan government. Read more in "Is China hacking Afghan government sites", The Hill, December 22, 2014. See also "China Blamed for Operation Poisoned Helmand Attack on Afghan Sites", Info  Security Magazine,  December 23, 2014.

Analysis of Peshawar School Massacre. John Wilson has penned a piece for Eurasia Review (Dec 22, 2014) entitled "Peshawar Massacre: What Now?" where he explains the complex situation of "Good" and "Bad" Taliban and how the Pakistanis seem fixated on establishing "strategic depth" by continuing to back the Afghan Taliban in its fight against the Afghan government.

Afghan Film Breaks New Ground. A film depicting life in northern Afghanistan has been released that depicts the harsher side of Afghan culture. Read more in "The Afghan film where a Buzkashi game decides a woman's future", BBC News Asia, December 23, 2014.

Taliban Smelling Blood. The ISAF information operations machine tells us that all is well, the Afghans are in the lead, the transition is a success, and that we merely have to educate the Afghans on how to properly fill out their MoD 14s so their logistics system will work. Others, however, are not buying the PR offensive of paradise in the Hindu Kush. Read "Afghanistan: From Bad to Worse", Asia Sentinel, December 23, 2014.

Why Internet Browse for Afghan War News?

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. 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.

Afghan Commandos Are Ready

The U.S. Army Special Forces has been working with the Afghan Commando Kandaks for a number of years; ever since the first Commando Kandak was established in 2007. There are currently nine Commando Kandaks with plans for establishing a 10th. The Commando Kandaks have become more capable every year and are currently able to operate independently of advisors - although advisors are still present. With the increasing capability of the kandaks U.S. Army Special Forces have been able to draw down their forces in Afghanistan. As of December 2014 there will be only one battalion-sized U.S. Special Operations Task Force. There will be, however, some specialized units remaining to conduct counter-terrorist missions as well as numerous Special Operations Advisor elements to work with the higher level staff elements of the ANA at ministry and institutional level. Read more in "With U.S. leaving, elite Afghan commandos take up mission", Fayetteville Observer, December 15, 2014.

HELISAF - Spanish SAR in Afghanistan

ISAF Helicopters over Badghis province
(Photo TSgt Kevin Wallace)

As we reach the final days of the ISAF mission and the beginning of the Resolute Support mission a bit of history is slipping by. The past 13 years have seen numerous countries take part in the Afghan War. Beginning in January 2015 the commitment to Afghanistan, about 12,000 personnel, will provide advisory coverage on only four out of the six ANA Corps and some small bases in Kabul. As 2015 goes by the footprint will get even smaller; with about 6,000 troops at Bagram and Kabul only as 2016 begins. In an effort to capture some of the past history of the different nations participating the Afghan War News Blog will provide some glimpses of past operations, units, and events.

To this end we are highlighting an article about the Spanish Air Force Search and Rescue (SAR) teams that served for a number of years in western Afghanistan. The SAR teams (helicopters, crew, medical, and Spanish Air Force Special Force) provided medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) capability to the International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF) Regional Command West (RC-West). Erwan de Cherisey, an aviation expert and war correspondent wrote an extensive article detailing the Spanish SAR capabilities and a descriptive explanation of how they conducted their very important mission. Read "HELISAF: Spanish SAR in Afghanistan", Air Forces Monthly.com, February 2014 (posted on Spanish Department of Defense website).

Level II Advising Explained - 203rd Corps

With the drawdown of Coalition forces and closure of a significant number of small and large bases the reach of  U.S. and other troop contributing nations has diminished. Two of the six ANA corps and corresponding police units no longer have advisors on a permanent, persistent (daily face-to-face contact). Instead, advisors travel on a periodic basis to the 'uncovered corps' (203rd and 215th) to check in with the ANA leadership and staff. This is called "Level II Advising". Train, Advise, Assist Command - East is responsible for two corps - the 201st and 203rd. While TAAC-East gets to see the 201st everyday (as it is co-located with the 201st at FOB Gamberi) it has to travel to visit the 203rd,  Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Police, and the Operational Coordination Center (OCC).

In October, with the closure of the U.S. FOB Lightning in Gardez, the advising effort in southeastern Afghanistan transitioned to "Level II Advising". This type of advising is conducted by email, phone calls, and occasional visits. The infrequent advising trips, called Expeditionary Advisory Packages (EAPs), are planned and coordinated with Afghan counterparts. The EAPs are conducted just a couple of times a month.

Soon, the 203rd Corps - because it is doing so well in defeating the Taliban in contested districts like Azra, Nerkh, Chak, Mohammad Agha, and others - will progress to "Level III" advising. Level III advising for the 203rd Corps will begin in January 2015 and will be conducted by an "Advise and Assist Cell" or ACC based in Kabul. As other Afghan army corps and regional security forces continue to progress in 2015, the AAC will assume Level III advisory responsibility from each of the five TAACs currently partnered with Afghan security forces. By 2016, the AAC will conduct advising of all Afghan security forces from Kabul.

Information for this post taken from "Army, USMC generals talk Afghanistan transition on advisory trip", ISAF News, December 20, 2014.

Helmand Province - Taliban Offensive

The 2014 fighting season, typically over by this time of the year, is still ongoing in Helmand province. With the departure of British troops and U.S. Marines a few months earlier the 215th ANA Corps and the Afghan police are now on their own. The Taliban are pushing hard to take over one or more districts (one of them Sangin). The situation is so bad that the 215th ANA Corps commander was replaced recently. Read more in "Taliban Push Into Afghan Districts That U.S. Had Secured", The New York Times, December 22, 2014.

Afghan Govt Websites Have Malware

ThreatConnect, a cybersecurity firm based in Virginia, says that its researchers found a corrupted JavaScript file used to host content on "gov.af" websites. It seems the malware, likely linked to China, has no known antivirus remedies. The firm believes that "Operation Poisoned Helmand" is linked to Chinese intelligence. The malware was found on websites for the ministries of justice, foreign affairs, education, commerce and industry, and others. Read more in "U.S. firm finds malware targeting visitors to Afghan government websites", Reuters, December 21, 2014.

Culture: Weddings Costly in Afghanistan

Weddings are very costly in Afghanistan. Since the fall of the Taliban wedding costs have increased enormously. The government of Afghanistan is trying to put a cap on wedding costs. Costs of weddings for the upper class can go to $20,000 and beyond. Because of these costs a person can not get married for many years. Some engagements last over five years. Dresses are expensive - from $100 to $2,000. To compensate for the increased costs mass weddings are gaining popularity. View a video (4 mins) entitled "My big fat pricey Afghan wedding", NATO Channel, December 22, 2014.

CIA Continues to Assist Pakistan

Shuja Nawaz, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, writes an opinion about the CIA and the help it provides Pakistan in fighting terrorism. In 2011, the Central Intelligence Agency and the ISI (Pakistan's intel service), were not on speaking terms. However, there is a thaw in the air and some collaboration is taking place. According to Nawaz, the atmosphere can improve if the CIA would only try to understand ". . . Pakistan's aspirations and fears." (Hmmmm.) He says that the CIA ". . . should attempt to broaden its official relationships inside Pakistan to strengthen the country's civilian intelligence bureau and the newly formed National Counter Terrorism Authority." Yep. Work more closely with the ISI - the same organization from a country that sheltered Osama bin Laden, keeps Mullah Omar safe, and provides support and sanctuary to the Afghan Taliban. Read more in his opinion piece in The New York Times, December 21, 2014.

Kandahar PCoP & Cross-Border Opns

The Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP) for Kandahar has authorized his forces to respond to insurgent attacks from across the Afghan-Pakistan border. He states that insurgents will fire there weapons within 100 meters of Pakistani forces. The Ministry of Interior says that the support PCoP Raziq's actions. Read more in "MoI Backs Raziq to Respond to Cross Border Attacks", Stars and Stripes, December 22, 2014.

Hope for Afghanistan

The Director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) provided a briefing on December 17, 2014 for the Asia Society Policy Institute. You can read the transcript at the link below. Despite continued Taliban violence, a slowing economy, and political uncertainty (no cabinet thus far) there is some cause for hope. The Taliban were not able to disrupt the elections and the international community has signaled continued support in the coming years. Read more in "Afghan Think Tank Director Sees 'Growing Political Maturity' and Support for Democracy", Asia Society, December 18, 2014.

Backgrounder: Taliban

Zahid Hussain provides us with a backgrounder on the Taliban's re-emergence since 2001 on both sides of the Durand line. Hussain is the author of Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam and several other books and journal contributions. He is currently a columnist for Pakistan's daily Dawn newspaper and is a former correspondent for the Times of London and the Wall Street Journal. From 2011 to 2012 he was the Pakistan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. His extensive and informative article is entitled "The Taliban Question", The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, October 19, 2014.

Challenges of Afghan Government

Afghanistan is entering the new year with a host of new challenges; and they will be getting less help in meeting those challenges. The cabinet has still not been formed up by Ghani and Abdullah, the insurgency is intensifying, attacks in Kabul have increased, and the Afghan National Security Forces are still experiencing capability gaps in logistics, aviation, and intelligence. The drug trade and corruption hampers development and governance in the rural areas. While the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan government officials are issuing confident messages about the "National Unity Government", "transition", and "Afghan security forces in the lead" - others are more wary about the future. One of those expressing concern is Kate Clark of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). Read more in "After Pivotal 2014, Afghanistan Faces New Challenges With Less Help", Voice of American, December 22, 2014.

Revisit Afghan Endgame

Bruce Riedel, writing for Brookings, provides us with his opinion on what is to be done in Afghanistan. He says that President Obama's decision to publicly lay out his timeline for ending American troop involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake. Riedel also informs us that Pakistan needs to be pressured to end its support to the Taliban.

"But the real problem has not changed: Pakistani support for the Taliban insurgency. Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, has been providing the Taliban with safe haven and sanctuary in Pakistan for over a decade. The ISI participates directly in planning Taliban operations and target selection against Nato and Afghan targets. It helps arm and fund the Taliban and assists its fundraising efforts in the Gulf states".

Riedel concludes with a recommendation that the withdrawal from Afghanistan should be event driven and not time driven; that Obama should revisit his timeline and endgame. In addition, he thinks that India should step up and assist Afghanistan more than it does and that real pressure needs to be applied to Pakistan to stop their support of the Afghan Taliban. Read his article in "Revisit Afghanistan's End Game Plan", Brookings, December 15, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 23, 2014)

Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan are worried that Pakistan may forcibly expel them to Afghanistan. Pakistan issues a month deadline to refugees living in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. Nearly 3 million Afghan refugees live in Pakistan but half of them are registered with  Pakistan's government. Read more in "Afghan Refugees Oppose Pakistan's Repatriation Deadline", Tolo News, December 22, 2014.

New PGov. President Ghani has appointed a new governor for Paktika province. Abdul Karim Mateen will take over the PGov duties of the province located in eastern Afghanistan. 

Tajik Border Guards. Four members of the Tajik border guard force were abducted by the Taliban on December 20. The Taliban hope to exchange the guards for Taliban supporters being held in Tajikistan.

Human rights groups are fearful that CIA 'ghost prisoners' will vanish into Afghan jails. After the closure of the U.S. detention center in Bagram there are concerns for some of the prisoners in the hands of Afghan intelligence and detention authorities. Read more in "Fears build as CIA's 'ghost prisoners' vanish into Afghan jails", The Guardian, December 20, 2014.

The deteriorating security situation in Pakistan is turning into a national security threat to that country and poses difficulties for other countries in the region. The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) provides us with their take on the situation in "Pakistan headed for a dangerous denouement - analysis", IDSA, December 22, 2014.

Catherine Powell of the Council of Foreign Relations asks us "What does security in Post-2014 Afghanistan really mean?" - in the context of what it means for women in Afghanistan. She "redefines" security for us - providing us with a broader interpretation. (Defense One, December 22, 2014).

Bowe Bergdahl is either going to jail or will get paid lots of money in back pay upon his departure from the Army. The investigation into his "disappearence" and subsequent capture by the Taliban was completed. The investigation was reviewed. And now it is going to be sent to General Mark Milley to decide what is next. Some people say that Bergdahl has suffered enough. However, others point out he hurt the war effort in that area of Afghanistan for a significant amount of time. Even more, some of the former Soldiers who served with him state that six Soldier died during operations intended to find and recover Bergdahl. Members of Congress point out that five very important Taliban detainees were traded for Bergdahl. (The Washington Times, Dec 22, 2014).

Share Your Afghan Knowledge

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 Daily Afghan News

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. 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 - Pakistan's Posture toward Afghanistan

Khalid Homayun Nadira has wrote an academic paper about the Pakistan posture towards Afghanistan. Pakistan has followed competing courses of action in regard to Afghanistan. In some respects it is working with the United States to transport equipment and material along its LOCs, allowing aircraft to overfly its territory, and allowing drone attacks (in some cases). However, its intelligence agency and parts of its military work with the Taliban opposed to the Afghan government; providing sanctuary, information, money, and equipment. Nadira's paper attempts to explain the multifaceted approach of Pakistan. Read "Old Habits, New Consequences: Pakistan's Posture Toward Afghanistan since 2001", International Security, Fall 2014, Vol 39, No. 2, Pages 132-168, posted online November 21, 2014, MIT Press Journal. Read abstract below:

"Since September 11, 2001, Pakistan has pursued seemingly incongruous courses of action in Afghanistan. It has participated in the U.S. and international intervention in Afghanistan at the same time as it has permitted much of the Afghan Taliban's political leadership and many of its military commanders to visit or reside in Pakistani urban centers."

Chak Valley, Wardak: Contested Area

Chak Valley in Wardak province is a highly contested area. 6th Battalion, 4th ANA Brigade is charged with securing the valley and the district - but it is a tough fight. Over the past several years the best the battalion has done is securing the district center, several small outposts in the immediate vicinity of the district center, and from time to time the road that leads east to Highway One. In 2014 the ANA stepped up the fight but progress has been costly - and could be fleeting. Chak Valley, located to the west of Highway One, is a refuge and support zone for the Taliban who seem able to interdict the highway running from Kabul to Kandahar at will with ambushes and IEDs. This year the fighting season has lasted longer than usual with indications that Taliban forces - who usually return to Pakistan or to their families in Afghanistan - will fight throughout much of the winter. Read "In a strategic valley, a glimpse of Afghan troops' future after most U.S. forces leave", The Washington Post, Dec 21, 2014.

Taliban Camp in Faryab Province

The Taliban have released a video showing their members training in a camp in the northern province of Faryab. Faryab is located in the Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North (TAAC-N) area of operations. The video, released on December 18, 2014, is one hour long. In the video Taliban fighters are shown undergoing weapons training to include firing weapons from a vehicle. Read more in "Taliban publicize training camp in northern Afghanistan", The Long War Journal, December 21, 2014.

Fort Bragg and Afghanistan

A correspondent from the Fort Bragg area writes up on the connection between Fort Bragg units and Afghanistan. Drew Brooks provides us with a glimpse of the strong ties that Fort Bragg has with Afghanistan. Many of Fort Bragg's units have seen multiple deployments to Afghanistan; to include:

Special Forces
82nd Airborne Division
18th Airborne Corps
1st Theater Sustainment Command

Read more in "Afghanistan was Fort Bragg's war", The Fayetteville Observer, December 20, 2014.

Afghan Cabinet Picked?

It appears that some cabinet positions may be nominated; although the list has not been finalized. Some key positions may be filled by:

Defense Minister - Sher Mohammad Karimi
Interior Minister - Fazi Ahmad Manawi
Foreign Affairs Minister - Salahuddin Rabbani

Afghanistan Times, Dec 20, 2014.
www.afghanistantimes.af/news_details.php?id=10187

Interview - UN Official Talks about Aid

A United Nations offical - Haoliang Xu, assistant secretary-general for Asia and the Pacific and director of the UN Development Program's regional bureau - is interviewed by Corinne Podger about Afghanistan, the recent London Conference, and whether aid should be "on-budget" or "off-budge". Read "A critical moment for Afghanistan's decade of transformation", DEVEX, December 11, 2014.

Fair: Explains Politics Behind Pak School Attack

Dr. Christine Fair, Assistant Professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, explains the politics behind the December 16th, 2014 attack on the military-run children's school in Peshawar, Pakistan. 145 people were killed in the attack, including 132 children. The Pakistani civilian and military leaders vowed to attack the Taliban of all types but there is deep skepticism about that promise. The interview of Dr. Fair is by The Diplomat, is about 12 minutes long, and helps explain the difference between the "Good Taliban" and the "Bad Taliban". Posted on YouTube by The Diplomat.

http://youtu.be/-ah7oj5CmPo

Daily News Snippets (Dec 22, 2014)

Four Released Prisoners. An article posted by Eurasia Review (Dec 20, 2014) by Andy Worthington states that the four recent prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay U.S. military detention facilty are insignificant and probably should have been released years ago. The four have been repatriated to Afghanistan. The four detainees were flown to Kabul in a U.S. military plane and released to Afghan authorities.  More details are provided in an article by Radio Free Europe (Dec 22, 2014) and in an article by The Telegraph (Dec 21, 2014). You can also read the news release by the DoD in "Detainee Transfer Announced" (Dec 20, 2014).

Drones. For over a decade American defense contractors have dominated the business of building UAVs or drones. However, the Americans are seeing some competition from across the Atlantic. The U.K. is stepping in the fray (The Motley Fool, Dec 20, 2014).

The Polish President, Bronislaw Komorowski, has approved the deployment of up to 150 military personnel to Afghanistan in 2015. (Radio Poland, Dec 19, 2014).

Afghan Cabinet. The picking of the Afghan cabinet has been a slow and laborious process. There are a lot of interest groups on all the issues that need consulting. President Ghani is eager to build a meritocratic government and move away from the corruption that characterized former President Karzai's government. Read more in "Afghan Leader's Two-Man Government Raises Concerns", ABC News, December 20, 2014.

Romania. The country of Romania will be sending an extra 450 troops to Afghanistan. Romania will provide advisors in addition to troops who will provide force protection to the Kandahar airport and military base in southern Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe, Dec 21, 2014).

7 Afghan Local Police Killed. Seven members of the ALP were killed by the Taliban at a police outpost in Qush Tepa district of Jowzjan province. There were seven more ALP wounded in the evening raid. (Los Angeles Times, Dec 21, 2014).

Practice Your Writing Skills

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

5:00 AM News on Afghanistan

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. 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.

Commentator on "Right Thing to Do"

Captain Robert Newson, a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officer has penned an article about "doing the right thing" for our Afghan allies. Specifically, the Afghan interpreters who risked their lives assisting the U.S. military during combat operations. He calls for the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive visa legislation to increase the number of authorized visas for Afghan interpreters, expanding the application window, and to fully fund its execution to include rapid processing and resettlement. He also proposes new legislation to enhance the "Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI). MAVNI is a program that would benefit the former interpreters (gives them a job) and provides the U.S. military with talented personnel useful in counterinsurgency environments (insurgencies are NOT going away). Read more in "In the Last Days of Afghanistan, To Many Shadows of Vietnam", Defense in Depth Blog, Council on Foreign Relations, December 17, 2014.

Pakistan's Ties to Militant Groups

While Pakistan is suffering from attacks from Taliban militants it is - at the same time - supporting Taliban militants attacking Afghanistan. The Pakistanis are outraged when over 100 people are killed in a Pakistani schoolhouse (rightly so). Yet Pakistan is strangely silent when a suicide bomber belonging to a Taliban group supported by Pakistan kills over 80 people (some children) at a volleyball match in Afghanistan. Read more in "Pakistan's ties to militant groups complicates its terrorism fight", Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2014.

Women on Front Lines - "A Politically-Correct Mistake"

Some British military figures have condemned the move to allow women to fight on the front line as a "politically-correct mistake". Some question whether women have the 'killer instinct' and others point out that 99% of women lack the upper body strength to pass the physical fitness tests that males must successfully pass. Read more in a news article in The Independent (Dec 19, 2014).

ISAF Legal Update on BSA and NATO SOFA

The ISAF legal office has published an online update and Fact Sheet on the Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO SOFA as it applies to contractors.

"Office of Legal Advisor gives update on BAS, NATO SOFA implementation", ISAF News, December 19, 2014.
www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-news/office-of-legal-advisor-gives-update-on-bsa-nato-sofa-implementation.html

ISAF / USFOR-A BAS/SOFA FAQs (Dec 14, 2014).
www.isaf.nato.int/images/media/PDFs/141214bsasofafaq.pdf

McCain: A-10 to Stay Awhile

Senator McCain, the incoming Armed Services Committee chairman, says that the A-10 will be around for a little while longer. Certainly this is good news for the Army; which, although it wants to leave counterinsurgency fights behind it, will certainly find itself engaged in COIN efforts like Afghanistan in the future. The A-10, besides being an extremely effective tank killer, provides great close air support. This, of course, is bad news for the Air Force leadership. The Air Force likes their very expensive shiny new toy (F-35) and wants to free up funds buy a lot more of them. Read more in "McCain vows A-10 fleet has a long life ahead", The Hill, December 19, 2014.

Review of London Conference

William Bryd, a development economist and senior expert on Afghanistan at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has wrote an article (Dec 19, 2014) about the London Conference recently held in the United Kingdom. This conference was an important event for the future of Afghanistan. While the results of the conference were diminished because the Afghan government had not yet been formed; many positive gains were made and negative events averted. Read more in "Afghanistan: Struggling for Momentum in London".

Good News on Afghanistan

It is easy to be pessimistic about Afghanistan. We have spent tons of money and many of our military members have lost their lives or suffered life-long injuries. And for all of that we still have an enduring insurgency, outrageous corruption, a thriving drug trade, and Afghan security forces that don't understand counterinsurgency. However,  . . . a lot of good has come out of our very long stay in Afghanistan. Read more in "The good news in Afghanistan's Marshall Plan", by Mike Corones in Reuters, December 19, 2014.

Bergdahl Investigation Complete

The final results of the Army's review of the investigation into the capture (desertion) of SGT Bowe Bergdahl is complete. The investigation, concluded in October, was to determine whether he had deserted his post prior to his capture by the Taliban in 2009. The Army has reviewed the investigation and should be briefing DoD (SECDEF?) soon. The investigation was conducted by MG Kenneth Dahl. (The Hill, December 19, 2014).

Pakistan's False Narrative

The United States has spent over $28 billion in aid to Pakistan in an effort to assist the Pakistani government and military to confront the Taliban operating in their country. Unfortunately, despite protestations otherwise, the Pakistani's are very selective on which Taliban groups they attack. Read more in "America's $28-Billion Failure in Pakistan", The Atlantic, December 19, 2014.

European Union and Terrorism

Since 9/11 the European Union has worked hard to strengthen anti-terrorist laws and increase cooperation among member nations in the counter-terrorist fight. Read more in "US-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism - Analysis", Eurasia Review, December 19, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 21, 2014)

Rumor has it that President Ghani has ordered the security ministries (MoI, NDS, and MoD) to report to the national security advisor (Hanif Atmar) and not to the office of the president.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has received a briefing on the security challenges, political landscape, and drug trade in Afghanistan. The briefing was conducted by the Chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) - Mr. Nicholas Haysom. Read more in a news report by Afghanistan Times (Dec 18, 2014).

Many Afghans seeking medical attention will travel to India. However, it is a journey that only some Afghan citizens can afford. The cost of medical care in India is rising - some say due to rising fees and others due to extortion practices. Some of the money goes to interpreters. Read more in "High Costs Burden Afghan Medical Patients in India", Tolo News, December 19, 2014.

Army Learning Concept 2015. The Army is changing up the learning experience for its Soldiers. Students will be learning about new concepts, immerse himself in the concept, and then shares that experience with others. There is a YouTube video posted by Military Review that explains the Army Learning Concept published on December 19, 2014.

According to the United Nations civilian deaths in Afghanistan have reached a new high. At least 3,188 Afghan civilians have been killed in the war with the Taliban in 2014 - making it the deadliest year on record for non-combatants. (The Huffington Post, Dec 19, 2014).

A news report says that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is moving in to compete with al Qaeda and the Taliban in the legendary region of Khorasan - which comprises Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Read "ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits", The Daily Beast, December 19, 2014.

"Leaving Afghanistan: A Look Back in Photos" by Stars and Stripes.
www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/afghanistan

View pictures of Afghans working the saffron fields of Herat, Afghanistan (The Guardian, December 19, 2014).

Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has published its "Thematic Dossier VII: Detentions in Afghanistan - Bagram, Transfer and Torture", December 20, 2014 available here.

Stars and Stripes  has posted an article entitled "Rising casualty count takes toll on Afghanistan's veterans", December 19, 2014. Care for wounded veterans needs to improve.

The United Nations is reporting that casualties among Afghan civilians is up nearly 20 per cent in 2014 (UN News Centre, Dec 19, 2014).

Airstrikes targeting Pakistan Taliban continue in response to school massacre (The Washington Post, Dec 20, 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.

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DoD IG Report - ANA Logistics

The Department of Defense Inspector General has issued a report (December 19, 2014) entitled Assessment of U.S. Government and Coalition Efforts to Develop the Logistics Sustainment Capability of the Afghan National Army, Report No. DODIG-2015-047. The primary focus of the report was to evaluate the progress made by U.S. and Coalition forces to train, advise, and assist in the development of an enduring logistics sustainment capability for the ANA. The specific objective was to assess the planning and execution of logistical processes developed and implemented by the U.S. and Coalition Force in Afghanistan for the ANA.

The report contains 14 observations resulting in 28 recommendations. Some of the issues identified include the lack of ANA logistics planning capability, ANA equipment disposal processes, issues with the unity of effort among the Coalition staff, obtaining the required number of logistic advisors with the right experience and expertise, and planning for post-2014 contractor support.

There were a number of recommendations to include ensuring functional Security Force Assistance teams have the capability and resources required to continue effective development of ANA logistics, assist the ANA in procurement of contractor support, and providing oversight on the Regional Military Training Centers.

Read or download the report at the link below (Adobe Acrobat, 114 pages, 5 MBs).

www.dodig.mil/pubs/documents/DODIG-2015-047.pdf

CIA Analysis of HVT

According to a 2009 CIA analysis (it was secret until released by WikiLeaks) raids, drones strikes, and other types of military operations against high value Taliban targets had little overall effect. This was, in part, due to the militants ability to replace leaders. Some criticized the 'High Value Target" (HVT) operations as "whack-a-mole"; as soon as you hit one target, another pops up. In addition to the ease that the Taliban enjoyed in replacing leaders was the inability of the Afghan government to expand its counterinsurgency efforts throughout the country effectively. Perhaps the HVT operations would be more effective if done within the context of a successful COIN environment? Read more in "CIA analysis: 'high-value targeting' had limited effect against Taliban", The Washington Post, December 18, 2014.

New Afghan Control Center to Coordinate Security

A new security control center has been (or will be?) established to coordinate security forces and stop the upsurge in insurgent attacks in Kabul. The new control center will have the authority to command and coordinate a joint response by Afghanistan's army, police, and intelligence organizations in the event of an attack. Read more in "New control center to fight rise in attacks in Afghan capital", Reuters, December 18, 2014.

India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan

Most insurgencies are not ended through military means alone. When we evaluate the effectiveness of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in conducting coutnerinsurgency - it is unlikely that the Taliban will be defeated. Sure . . . the ANSF can "overmatch" the Taliban on the battlefield when supported by fires and air support ("overmatch" is a favorite phrase of the U.S. military to lead you to believe the ANSF are winning). However, the ANSF can't do effective COIN and are unlikely to defeat the Taliban.

One of two things need to occur to end an insurgency; and many times, both. The first is the root causes of the insurgency need to be identified and addressed and the second is that negotiations with the insurgents need to take place. Afghanistan, being one of the poorest and most corrupt nations in the world, is a long way from being able to provide essential governmental services and good government - therefore it probably can't address the root causes in the near future. The track record for negotiations with insurgents thus far has not been good. Additionally, because the insurgents enjoy the protection of Pakistan, the key to negotiations with the insurgents is Pakistan.

One observer of the South Asian region explains the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan; and further, how India and China are involved and what these two nations can do to aid the negotiation process. Read "Afghanistan should not make a false choice - analysis", Eurasia Review, December 18, 2014.

Border Problems with Turkmenistan

It appears that not all  is well along the Afghan-Turkmenistan border. Villagers in the northern Jowzjan province are concerned about encroachment of Turkmenistan border guards onto their agricultural lands. Read more in "Afghan Villagers Threaten to Attack Turkmenistan", Radio Free Europe, December 19, 2014.

DCGS-A TeT

The U.S. Army's Distributed Common Ground System - Army (DCGS-A) is a failed intelligence system that is slowly coming around as a result of very expensive modifications to the operating system and its software. In the past DCGS-A has been tagged as too complex and not fully operational by intelligence analysts working in the counterinsurgency environment in Afghanistan; and many preferred a less complicated and better suited commercially available system known as Palantir. To address the many deficits and training requirements of DCGS-A the Army is fielding "Tactical Engagement Teams" or "TeTs". The TeT is a team of subject matter experts from across the military intelligence corps who plan, coordinate, and execute training so that leaders and Soldiers understand the functionality of DCGS-A. The TeT training begins by focusing the intelligence professional on the tactics, techniques and procedures of employing and putting into action DCGS-A tools that specifically support the commander's decision-making cycle and processes. The entire concept is focused on supporting mission command. Read more in "Intelligence center develops DCGS-A tactical engagement teams to support mission command", Army.mil, December 16, 2014.