Afghan War Blog

Monday, December 29, 2014

Timeline of Afghan War

Now that the ISAF mission in Afghanistan has ended everyone is updating their timelines of the history of the Afghan War. The UK's Daily Mail has their version posted here.

Operation Freedom's Sentinel

It appears that the name of the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan under the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission will be called Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 29, 2014)

Five provinces received new science class packages worth over AFN 5 million from Germany. The Afghan Ministry of Education's Provincial Education Directorates (PEDs) of Balkh, Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, and Sar-e-Pul received the new science equipment. The equipment was funded by the German government and includes laboratory materials for math, chemistry, biology, and physics classes. GIZ BEPA was the agency responsible for the handover of the science equipment. BEPA, or Basic Education Programme for Afghanistan, is a joint program of the German Government with the Afghan Government and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammmenarbeit (GIZ). Read more in "5 provinces receive new science class packages worth over AFN 5 million from Germany", Wadsam - Afghan Business News Portal, December 27, 2014.

The NATO Secretary General issued a statement on the upcoming Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Read more in "NATO Secretary General's statement on a new chapter in Afghanistan", NATO News, December 28, 2014.

NATO has published an online Fact Sheet (Dec 2014) on NATO's commitment to Afghanistan after 2014. You can read the backgrounder here.

A regional Taekwondo championship with the nations of Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Malaysia competing saw Afghanistan place very well. Read more in "Afghanistan wins 48 medals in International Taekwondo Championship", Khaama Press, December 24, 2014.

An IED killed a local tribal leader in Alingar district in the eastern province of Laghman on Sunday afternoon. Read more in "Tribal elder among 2 killed in Laghman explosion", Khaama Press, December 28, 2014.

Plans by the United States to transfer military equipment to the Ukraine is opposed by Afghanistan. The U.S. is in the process of moving excess MRAPs to the Ukraine and President Ghani is not happy. He intends to discuss this development with President Obama soon. Read more in this news report by Eurasia Review (Dec 27, 2014).

CIVCAS. NATO mistakenly killed three Afghan nomads in an air strike in Logar province on Friday. An additional two people were wounded. The victims were inside a house. Reuters, December 27, 2014.

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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Gardens of Afghanistan

In a war torn country like Afghanistan there are sometimes few pleasures to enjoy. This is especially true if you are member of the international military spending a lot of your time on a huge Coalition base - built of concrete, crushed stone, and pre-fabricated buildings. A first impression of Afghanistan is that of a country with lots of open spaces covered with rock and sand and little in the way of vegetation. For someone from a forested area of the United States Afghanistan can appear to be a desolate region. However, a lot of my time was spent on Afghan military bases where I discovered the Afghan joy of gardening. While the ANA may not be the best fighting force in the world they certainly are adept in planting gardens. The ANA has an abundance of new bases with modern buildings (paid for by Uncle Sam) - and although the ANA might have trouble maintaining the buildings - they certainly can spruce the surrounding areas up quickly with gardens. This was especially true of the 209th ANA Corps in northern Afghanistan where on any given day over 200 ANA soldiers were engaged in gardening and landscaping activities. Many SFA advisors often wondered which was more important to the 209th - providing security for RC North or tending to their flowers. Certainly the ANA far outclassed the U.S. military in this area; the U.S. military bases were essentially very drab places to live. The only U.S. military attempt at providing vegetation on a meaningful level that I can remember (I am sure there were a few others) occurred in 2013 when Disney Avenue at Bagram Air Field got a row of trees planted from one end to the other. ISAF HQs compound in Kabul has a nice garden but I think it dates from when it was the Afghan Army Sports Center; I am sure that somewhere along the way there was an American general officer who wanted to pull the trees and plants out to put in some pre-fab buildings. Read more about the importance of gardening in Afghanistan in a online report by Lalage Snow posted on the Afghanistan Analyst Network (27 Dec 2014).

Paper - Aviation Security Cooperation

The U.S. Air Force, over the past decade, has engaged in assisting the Iraqi Air Force and Afghan Air Force in rebuilding from scratch. Over the course of the last ten years (and more) the U.S. Air Force has had to revamp its air advisor and training programs to meet this challenge. Over the years the U.S. Air Force advisory effort has had some mixed results but seems to be on track now. However, it appears that the Air Force may be ditching the ability to execute 'Security Cooperation' (SC) in order to find money to fund big ticket programs like the J-35.

A recently published paper argues that ". . . it is in the Air Force's interests to OT&E an effective standing operational SC Capability in the GPF". Doing so would help the service realize its vision of global vigilance, global reach, and global power; help deal with the challenges of highly contested environments; and provide a low-cost way to support US strategic interests and the nation's emphasis on shaping the strategic environment to prevent or deter conflict". The paper then states that the requirements for attaining such a standing SC capability is an investment of dozens of billets and tens of millions of dollars annually in the short term.

Read the paper entitled "Aviation Security Cooperation", Air & Space Power Journal, September-October 2014, pages 92-117.
http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA610320

J-35 to Replace A-10? Let's Hope Not

The news just doesn't get any better for the use of the new J-35 as a close support aircraft for ground troops. The Air Force would like to replace the A-10 with a version of the J-35 but it seems the "top-of-the-line" aircraft can't see the battlefield that well. In fact, the technology designed for the J-35 is ten years behind that being used right now by legacy aircraft. Read more in "Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter 10 Years Behind Older Jets", The Daily Beast, December 26, 2014.

Afghan Interpreter Finds New Life in U.S.

An Afghan interpreter who spent years working for the U.S. military and who's life was threatened by the Taliban has started a new life in the United States. He is being aided by a U.S. Marine in his fresh start. Read more in "Afghan Interpreter Finds Refuge at Marine's Home", Military.com, December 26, 2014.

NATO Airstrike CIVCAS in Logar

According to Afghan news agencies a NATO airstrike caused civilian casualties in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province on Friday. The airstrike hit a civilian home. Read more in "NATO Airstrike Kills 5 in Logar", Tolo News, December 27, 2014.

Foreign Investment in Afghanistan? Unlikely for Now

Everyone acknowledges that the Afghan economy, despite some bright spots here or there, is in trouble. Foreign investment is stalled and Afghan money is flowing to Dubai and other locations. According to the World Bank the country has the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the region with an average per capita annual income of around $670. Many are calling for government policies to encourage foreign investment but . . . with an ongoing insurgency that shows no signs of going away and a continuing problem with rampant corruption . . . it is unlikely that very much foreign investment will take place at a significant level. Read more in "Attracting Foreign Investments to Afghanistan: A Reality or Dream?", Khaama Press, December 27, 2014.

Advising and Training the Afghan Air Force

A female air advisor and trainer, Maj Mary Clark, recently completed a one-year tour at Shindand Air Base, in western Afghanistan training and advising students learning to fly Mi-17 helicopters. Read her thoughts about her experience, the value of a female instructor/advisor, and on the Afghan Air Force in "Female aviator makes difference training Afghan AF", U.S. Air Force News, December 26, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 28, 2014)

President Obama recently told U.S. troops in Hawaii that "we are safer" and that Afghanistan "is not going to be a source of terrorist attacks again". Hmmm. Very optimistic words; let's hope he is right. However, one political observer has his doubts (Fox News, Dec 26, 2014).

Afghanistan is in a shambles according to one commentator; citing problems with a resurgent Taliban, major political setbacks in 2014, fraudulent elections, poor economy, and the continued presence of U.S. forces. The author suggests that "It is high time for the US to accept its defeat in Afghanistan and completely withdraw its troops as its flawed strategy has done irreparable damage to Afghanistan as well as the rest of the region." The writer feels that the only avenue for success is intra-Afghan peace dialogue so that the Taliban and all other factions can resolve their differences. The writer doesn't mention what Plan B is if the Taliban don't want to negotiate. Read more in "Afghanistan in Shambles - OpEd", Eurasia Review, December 26, 2014.

According to Reuters two U.S. drone strikes have killed seven militants in northwest Pakistan.

Newsletter Every Day

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Ghani Lights Fire Under UNDP

President Ghani has come strongly against the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He is demanding that the agency turn over control of nearly $500 million in a fund that bankrolls the salaries of the Afghan police officers. The Law and Order Trust Fund of Afghanistan (LOTFA) is funded by western nations and the UNDP has done a poor job of administering it. It has come under the scrutiny of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) for a lack of oversight on the funds (see SIGAR letter). Of course, nobody really has a high degree of confidence that the Afghans can administer the fund any better than the United Nations. Read more in "Afghan Leader Tells U.N. Agency to Relinquish Control of Funds, Officials Say", The New York Times, December 24, 2014.

Gen Milley, Bergdahl & Prosecution

The case of the Army deserter (Bergdahl) will soon be hitting the headlines. Bergdahl left his post in 2009 and was subsequently captured by the Taliban. His disappearance caused a major disruption of U.S. combat operations against the Taliban for a long period of time. The cost of his disappearance was immense in terms of time, money, energy, resources, and personnel. Combat units were pulled from their ongoing missions to search for Bergdahl in an attempt to rescue him. Scarce intelligence resources (SIGINT, drones, etc.) were diverted from ongoing and future missions to try and locate him. According to some sources - at least six members of the military died in combat conducting operations in search of Bergdahl.

The investigation of his disappearance and capture was conducted this past fall. A review of the investigation was conducted in November. The case has been referred to General Milley, the head of U.S. Forces Command located at Fort Bragg, NC; and he should be addressing it over the next few months. There are a surprising number of desertions that occur in the U.S. military. Since 2001 there have been over 1,900 cases of desertion prosecuted. Many of these cases are handled without going to court martial - Soldiers are administratively punished or medically discharged.

General Milley has wide discretion on how to handle this case. Milley, a former Special Forces detachment commander (in the early days of his military career), was recently the commander (as a three-star general) of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC) in 2013. Bergdahl is subject to court martial or lesser administrative action. He could be the recipient of actions that include counseling, reprimand, forfeiture of pay, reduction in rank, and / or separation from the Army. At stake for Bergdahl is avoiding imprisonment, losing almost $300,000 in pay, reduction in rank, and health care benefits. Read more in "Army deserters rarely face prosecution", PBS Newshour, December 24, 2014.

Afghan Elections - Unanswered Questions

The international community can look back at 2014 and say that the Afghans had a democratic transition from one Afghan leader to another through elections. However, below the surface are a number of questions that nag one's outlook. While the election(s) was held successfully and the international community rejoiced that the era of international troops engaging in combat operations in Afghanistan is over - there is much to worry about. Despite the election of President Ghani who claims he will reduce corruption - the warlords and power brokers still control many of the positions within the government and security forces. The economy is in a shambles. The Taliban are stronger than ever (announcements of ISAF otherwise should be disregarded). Read more in "Afghanistan elections leave unanswered questions for future", Stars and Stripes, December 23, 2014.

Afghanistan Still Dependent on West

The western world has sunk massive amounts of aid money into Afghanistan. Some of this aid money has been used to a good purpose with measurable results. However, much of the aid money was siphoned off by corrupt Afghan politicians, squandered on expensive projects poorly done or still incomplete, or paid to contractors and implementing partners to provide security for aid projects in contested areas. Read more in "After 10 Years of Western Aid, Afghanistan Is A Dependent Mess", Business Insider, December 24, 2014.

Afghanistan & Strategic Autonomy

A news article provides us with a look at how Afghanistan can become more independent, secure, and stable in a post-2014 environment. Read "Afghanistan's quest for strategic autonomy", LiveMint.com, December 24, 2014.

Analysis - TTP and Pakistan

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), accused of the terrible attack on the children's school in Pakistan, is the subject of much discussion in recent days. One assessment by John Wilson attempts to explain why the TTP is attacking the Pakistani state and its army. Wilson provides an assessment of the nature and character of the TTP. Read his report in "Why does TTP target Pakistani State? - Analysis", Eurasia Review, December 25, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 27, 2014)

Afghans associated with the regime of Communist President Hafizullah Amin look back 35 years and comment on how the Soviet invasion changed Afghanistan's fate. (World Bulletin, Dec 26, 2014).

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has hired WorleyParsons to assist the Afghan mining and oil ministry.

A recent study found that a surprisingly high number of U. S. Army Lieutenants are victimized as a result of abusive relationships with their respective platoon sergeants. The study, drawing on information from a poll of Army Lieutenants, found instances of NCO behavior that could be chargeable as "abuse" under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Read more in "Study: 99% of Lieutenants in Abusive Relationship with Platoon Sergeants", Duffel Blog, December 26, 2014.

According to an Afghan news service (Khaama Press) at least five civilians are feared dead following an airstrike by NATO-led coalition security forces in central Logar province. The airstrike took place in Baraki Barak district on Thursday night.

The establishment of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has encouraged thousands of residents of Central Asian states to join ISIS. This fear, plus the withdrawal of Coalition combat troops from Afghanistan, has set the Central Asian states on edge - fearing the return of jidadists from Iraq and Syria who would be supported by insurgent groups with sanctuary in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more in "Counter-terrorism in Central Asia requires international cooperation", The Washington Post, December 26, 2014.

Newsletter - Afghan War News

Friday, December 26, 2014

Big Battle in Dangam District, Nangarhar Province

D-30 fires in support of ANA in
Dangam district Nangarhar province.
(Photo by SGT Gul 201st ANA PA).

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Taliban are in a big fight in eastern Nangarhar province. The battle has raged for more than a week in difficult mountainous and forested terrain. An ANSF spokesman says over 151 Taliban fighters have been killed by government forces with an additional 100 Taliban wounded. The fighting, taking place in Dangam district, is between the ANSF and members of the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-ek-Taiba. There are differing reports coming in on this battle. Some reports say that the U.S. are aiding with air strikes and drone attacks while others say that the ANSF are in desperate need of air support. It appears that there may have been a local uprising against the Taliban by some villagers of the district. Read more in "Afghan police chief claims 151 Taliban fighters killed in 12-day battle", The Guardian, December 23, 2014. In addition, it appears that Afghan security forces have temporarily halted the operations in Dangam district to allow besieged residents evacuate the area. (See article in Tolo News, Dec 24, 2014).

Review of Movies about Afghanistan

Christian Bleuer has wrote up an extensive review about movies produced about Afghanistan or set in Afghanistan. A very interesting and entertaining read. Read the article here on Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) December 23, 2014.

Afghan Mission Unsustainable?

Outside observers (meaning not members of ISAF) are looking hard at the sustainability of the Afghan security forces as well as the immense bureaucracy designed by the western nations for Afghanistan. And many are coming to the conclusion that the created bureaucracy and numerous aid projects are unsustainable. Read more in "Insight: a decade of Western aid in Afghanistan - mission unsustainable?", Yahoo! News, December 23, 2014.

Afghan War Photos

A photographer embedded with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Afghanistan provides us with a glimpse of the war. View his 55 photos in "Embedded in Afghanistan", Baltimore Sun, December 23, 2014.

Pakistan Making Progress Against Militants

Julia Thompson, writing for Foreign Policy Magazine, says that the Taliban attack on the military children's school in Peshawar, Pakistan ". . . obscures the fact that Pakistan's military has been making progress against the country's militants." Read more in "A Small Measure of Progress" (December 22, 2014).

Female Guard Soldier Heading to Ranger School

The Army is pushing ahead with plans to integrate women into Ranger School. One of the first women to go will be from the Utah Army National Guard. The woman is 37-years old. What I remember about Ranger School is it is a young man's game. I went through at age 32 and I was the 4th oldest in the class to graduate. Sure . . . establishing programs like Project Diane and Cultural Support Teams (CSTs) for special operations is a good thing (it worked for the OSS and it can work for Special Forces); but there are ways to train and integrate women into these units without watering down the training standards of existing Army courses. The standards for graduation are going to drop drastically in order to give women the ability to pass Ranger School. There is an old saying that goes like this - "I went through when Ranger School was hard". I am thinking there are a lot of tabbed folks out there getting ready to start saying that. Read more in "Guard soldier among 1st group of women to head to Ranger School", Stars and Stripes, December 24, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 26, 2014)

7 ID. The U.S. Army says that the 7th Infantry Division is reorganizing to be deployable. The division was reactivated in 2012 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The move is a result of new demands placed on the Army and new developments in Iraq and Africa. (Army Times, Dec 23, 2014).

2015 Military Pay Rates. The DoD announced the 2015 military pay and compensation rates for service members. The new rates take effect on January 1, 2015. Basic pay for service members will increase one percent. Learn more here (DoD News Release, Dec 22, 2014).

Bergdahl Investigation. The DoD released a statement on the current status of the Bergdahl investigation. The investigation has been forwarded to a General Courts Martial Convening Authority - General Mark Milley - the commanding general of Forces Command. (DoD News Release, Dec 22, 2014).

Pakistan. Political and military leaders of Pakistan are meeting to finalize a new national plan on counterterrorism. The heads of the military and intelligence services were summoned by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the meeting. (Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, Dec 24, 2014).

President Ghani has dismissed Fazlullah Wahidi as the governor for the western Herat province. There has been an increase in violence in Herat province. Read an article on this topic in Khaama Press, Dec 24, 2014.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has penned an Op-Ed entitled "A new chapter in Afghan-NATO ties", NATO News, December 24, 2014. The article lays out the framework for the upcoming Resolute Support mission.

President Ghani will face a tough road ahead in negotiations with the Taliban. Read more in an article by Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe (December 23, 2014).

USAID has posted an article entitled "Sowing Seeds of Empowerment: Small Loans to Afghan Women Growers", Frontlines, Dec 2014. Learn more about the Ghoryan Women's Saffron Association.

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas - Afghanistan 2002

Christmas Eve 2002 Camp Vance, Bagram Air Field

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?

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

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).