Afghan War Blog

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Afghan News Snippets (Jan 4, 2015)

Nolan Peterson writes why soldiers miss the war. (Blue Force Tracker, January 2015)

The Afghan public is frustrated with the delays in forming the government cabinet and in the continuing Taliban attacks. (The Washington Post, Jan 2, 2015).

A book review by Brock Dahl of Jack Fairweather's "The Good War" can be read here. (The Washington Free Beacon, January 3, 2015).

An editorial by The New York Times (Jan 3, 2015) says that President Ghani is over-reaching. They cite his insistence that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) relinquish responsibility for the management of the fund provided by western donors to operate and pay for the Ministry of Interior and the Afghan National Police. The Law and Order Trust Fund managed by the UNDP has been criticized by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) for miss-management and a lack of oversight. President Ghani appears to be over-confident about the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) ability to manage funds. The MoI is notoriously corrupt and President Ghani, despite being in office over three months, has failed to appoint his cabinet.

A book review of "The Dogs are Eating them Now" can be read on The LA Times (Jan 4, 2015). Graeme Smith's book, a Canadian, focuses on his observations in Kandahar based on over 17 stints between 2005 and 2011.

Afghan intelligence foiled a suicide attack by the Haqqani Network in Laghman province. The NDS says the would-be suicide bomber was to use a motorcycle packed with explosives. (Khaama Press, Jan 3, 2015).

It appears that Afghan National Army (ANA) members will be court-martialled over the wedding rocket attack in Helmand province. 17 people, mostly women and children, died in the attack and over 53 others were wounded. The numbers of killed and wounded are in dispute with conflicting reports. (Khaama Press, Jan 2, 2015).

Bulgaria. Over 8,000 Bulgarian soldiers served in NATO's Afghanistan mission. The first contingent arrived in 2002 and the last Bulgarian contingent left in December 2014. Currently only 110 Bulgarian military advisors and instructors remain in Afghanistan. (Sofia News Agency, Jan 3, 2015).

Max Boot comments on the recent ceremony held at ISAF headquarters celebrating the end of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. He feels, despite statements to the contrary by President Obama, that the Afghan War is in full swing. He cites Helmand province as an example - where not only combat troops have been pulled out but advisors as well. Read more in "Max Boot: Afghanistan is still at war", The Gulf Today (AE), January 3, 2015.

A retired Pakistan general offers his observations of the United States involvement in the Afghan War. Read "NATO Wraps Up its Flag from Afghanistan", Scoop Independent News (New Zealand), January 3, 2015.

Guest Contributors Needed

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

Daily News - Start off Day Right!

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.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Khowst and CIA - 5 Years Later

"Five years ago, on a cold, gloomy December afternoon in the mountainous region of Khowst Province in southeastern Afghanistan, an al-Qa'ida terrorist detonated a bomb strapped to his chest and killed seven CIA officers and injured six others; one of the deadliest attacks ever conducted against Agency personnel. The suicide bomber had been recruited as a CIA informant and taken to Afghanistan to infiltrate the upper ranks of al-Qa'ida. For months, he provided the Agency with independently verifiable intelligence on the terrorist network, and he promised to lead the CIA to the group's most senior members. Instead, the asset was an al-Qa'ida double agent"

Read the rest of this story published by the CIA in "Khowst - 5 Years Later", CIA News & Information, December 2014.

CIVCAS Afghan Wedding

News reports indicate that six members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) have been arrested in the wake of the civilian casualties from the recent attack on a wedding. The bride was wounded and is reported to have died of wounds in the hospital. The rocket exploded at a wedding in Sangin district, Helmand province on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Many of the 17 victims were women and children. The incident took place while there was a government and insurgent fight in the area. Afghan officials have said that the ANA was responsible for the incident. Read more in a news story (Radio Free Europe, Jan 1, 2015).

Gen Raziq: Hero or Liability?

General Raziq, the Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP) of Kandahar province is also the "King of Kandahar". He is one of the most popular yet despised men in Afghanistan. Some say he rules Kandahar with an iron fist. He enjoys great support from the Americans (especially SOF). As much as he is good for the security of the province he also detracts from the pursuit of just governance. He is associated with the drug trade and controls the borders - extracting much of the customs revenue for his own purposes. It remains to be seen how President Ghani handles this warlord. Does he keep Kandahar secure by keeping Raziq on or does he push for a just and ethical provincial government risking the gains in security made thus far? Read more in "General Raziq Hero or President Ghani's liability", Khaama Press, January 1, 2015.

ISIS in Afghanistan? Not So Much

A recent news article explores how much influence the Islamic State (IS) has in Afghanistan. The conclusion is - a small amount of activity that does not (at least for now) amount to much. Read more in "The Islamic State in Afghanistan: The boogeyman under the bed", Global Post, by Jean MacKenzie and Aziz Ahmad Tassal, December 31, 2014.

Complexities of Afghan Endgame

A news article explains the complexities of the Afghanistan mission and ultimate endgame. During his 2012 re-election campaign President Obama pledged to end the Afghan War in 2014. Well, he is withdrawing troops and cutting back sharply on U.S. involvement - but the war certainly has not ended. 11,000 U.S. troops still remain in Afghanistan at the start of 2015. Many are engaged in advising and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan Security Institutions but some are still advising on the ground with Afghan units (SOJTF-A) and others are conducting limited counter-terrorism operations. Read more in "Impossible to gloss over the complexities of the Afghanistan endgame", AJC.com, January 1, 2015.

Mission Ends? Sacrifices Not Over

While the U.S. militarys' combat mission in Afghanistan has ended the sacrifices continue. Thousands of U.S. military personnel will continue to serve in Afghanistan, and despite the "non-combat" role, some of them will remain in the path of danger. Still more thousands are going to spend the next several years - and perhaps all of their life - recovering from broken families, divorces, mental health issues, and serious wounds and injuries. Read more in "Mission Ends in Afghanistan, but Sacrifices Are Not Over for U.S. Soldiers", The New York Times, by Dave Philipps, December 31, 2014.

Fight in Dangam District Ongoing

The weeks long fight in Dangam district, Kunar province is continuing. Dangam district is a forested valley located adjacent to the Pakistan border; easily crossed by the Taliban. A few weeks back in December 2014 some of the local villages staged an uprising against the Taliban. There have been a number of local uprisings against the Taliban across the country; but not coordinated, not enough, and most are - in the long-term - unsuccessful due to lack of Coalition and Afghan government support. In Dangam district the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) jumped into the fray. The Taliban are not yielding territory just yet but are taking some hits. Coalition aircraft have assisted in limited airstrikes to support the 201st ANA Corps. Read more in "Afghan mountain hamlet a proving ground for the army", The Washington Times, December 31, 2014.

ANA Officers Graduate

The Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) graduated 1,200 new Afghan National Army (ANA) officers on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by top Defense Ministry officials. Read more in "1,200 ANA Officers Graduate, Prepare for Deployment", Tolo News, December 30, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 3, 2015)

A news report by Tom Bowman summarizes the change in mission for the United States and the international community in Afghanistan. Tom says while the 'combat mission' is at a close with the end of Operation Enduring Freedom there will actually still be some fight left in the U.S. military. For one, the U.S. will continue to provide (admittedly on a very limited basis) some air support to avoid a catastrophic failure of the Afghan National Army . In addition, SOJTF-A will still have some combat advisors deployed with the nine Afghan Army Commando Kandaks and other specialized elite units. And, of course, there is the counter-terrorism mission against senior Taliban and al-Qaeda. However, the main mission focuses on the train and advise mission. Read more in "After Years of Conflict, U.S. Mission Shifts in Afghanistan", NPR Parallels, December 31, 2014.

The 608th Construction Management Team (CMT) has departed Afghanistan. Their primary mission was the conduct of retrograde operations all over Afghanistan. They assisted with the closing and transfer of Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and managed descoping projects. Read more in "608th Construction Management Team retrograde Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 31, 2014.

The Russians, who had their own long war in Afghanistan, are being slightly critical of the United States role in Afghanistan. Read more in "Kremlin Says NATO 'Bears Responsibility' For Afghanistan Security", Radio Free Europe, December 31, 2014.

Haroun Mir, an Afghan analyst in Kabul and founder of Afghanistan's Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) provides us with his viewpoint on Afghanistan's future. Read "Is Afghanistan ready for the drawdown?", Yahoo! News UK, January 1, 2015.

Afghan Cabinet. There is still no Afghanistan government cabinet selected. Afghans are getting frustrated and the government is hampered in its efforts to improve the economy and security situation. Read more in "Still No Cabinet in Kabul: Who Loses Most?", United States Institute of Peace, December 31, 2014.

Four Azizi Bank employees were among 4 killed in a Helmand province explosion on Friday, January 2, 2015. The banks branch manager was among those killed.

The U.S. Army is coming out with new Physical Fitness gear. The new outfit is all black with yellow lettering that says "ARMY". Very original. Also great wear for running down Gruber Avenue on Fort Bragg 6:00 am on a winter morning when it is still dark out. The new Army Physical Fitness Uniform or APFU drops reflective materials - which addresses stealth issues while working out in a war zone (I am serious!). Read more in "Costs for high-performance Army PT gear", Army Times, January 1, 2015.

The "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" - more commonly known as the Taliban - have released a video that showcases its operations and a training camp in the remote northeastern province of Kunar. Read more in "Taliban highlights training camp, operations in Kunar in video", The Long War Journal, January 2, 2015.

Do you want to know how the Department of Defense wasted the U.S. taxpayers dollars? Well, first off, there is the J-35. And there is more. Read "Here's How the Military Wasted Your Money in 2014", War is Boring, December 31, 2014.

A short (3 mins) video about the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) can be viewed here. (Facebook).

A political observer of Afghanistan, Tamim Asey, provides an insight into the future of Afghanistan and says that the country has three options to pick from to ensure a secure and economically prosperous future. Read "End of Longest American War and Uncertain Future of Afghanistan - OpEd", Eurasia Review, January 2, 2015.

Share Your Afghan Knowledge

Afghan War News and Coffee at 5:00 am

Friday, January 2, 2015

Police Advisors Pledge Support to MoI / ANP

An agreement was recently signed that coordinated the advisory efforts of several different international organizations that are training, advising, and assisting (TAA) the Afghan National Police (ANP) and the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Representatives from the European Union Police (EUPOL) Mission Afghanistan, the German Police Project Team (GPPT), and ISAF/RS signed a "Memorandum of Cooperation" on Monday, December 29th, 2014. The memorandum improves coordination and cooperation and transitions the TAA effort from a tactical focus to a more strategic level at the Ministry of Interior. The head of the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB) was also in attendance. It would seem that the 'memorandum' addresses what some might call an uncoordinated and disjointed police training effort in the past. So, the good news - the effort is now jointly coordinated. Hopefully it being coordinated by someone with some police experience and not an infantry or armor officer who read a book on police advising and who is on his first Afghan tour. And, the bad news - the memorandum seems to move the advising and training effort off the tactical level and up to the strategic level. So we are adopting a 'top down' approach to police training and advising - when the need is at all levels. Read more on this topic in "International police reps pledge support to Afghan National Police, Ministry of Interior", ISAF News, December 29, 2014.

To Apostrophe or Not - Freedom ( ' ) s Sentinel

There was some initial confusion on the way to refer to the new military campaign in Afghanistan. With the end of the ISAF mission - and President Obama saying that our war in Afghanistan had come to a 'responsible' end - we needed a name to replace "Operation Enduring Freedom". Just like we needed a new name in Iraq once we had won the war there - "Operation Iraqi Freedom" became "Operation New Dawn"; which, by the way - because the war wasn't really over in Iraq either, is now called "Operation Inherent Resolve".

So, back to the apostrophe . . . seems the Department of Defense has an apostrophe . . . and ISAF didn't. I was perplexed and didn't know how to type the phrase. So I went both ways; which in today's Army is now perfectly acceptable . . . I have been told - no first hand experience. But now, the word is out. Use the apostrophe. That makes it a real pain in the neck but I will struggle with it. It is now "Operation Freedom's Sentinel". And, just to clear away any confusion - "Operation Resolute Support" is the NATO term and "Operation Freedom's Sentinel" is the U.S. term.

Read more in "Amid Confusion, DoD Names New Mission 'Operation Freedom's Sentinel", Military.com, December 29, 2014.

President Obama and "End of Combat Mission"

President Obama marked the end of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and the start of the Resolute Support Mission (RSM). Read "Statement by the President on the End of the Combat Mission in Afghanistan", The White House Briefing Room, December 28, 2014.

Poor Leadership = Poor Morale

An extensive article looks closely at the reasons for the poor state of morale in the military services. The author acknowledges that some benefits are being chipped away, the increases in pay are less than they should be (got to pay for that F-35 somehow), and deployments have been outrageous over the past decade. However, according to the author, ". . . the key factor is senior leadership that has not kept faith with its troops." There is a feeling that the admirals and generals are throwing the military under the bus to appease those in the administration and Congress. Read more in "The Real Reason For the Poor State of Military Morale", Task & Purpose, December 29, 2014.

Review of Books on War

Michiko Kakutani has penned an extensive article that reviews a host of books that have been published about the Iraq and Afghan Wars. Read "Human Costs of the Forever Wars, Enough to Fill a Bookshelf", The New York Times, December 25, 2014.

Troops in Afghanistan Beyond 2016?

Michael E. O'Hanlon predicts that President Obama will rethink his plan to have all operational U.S. combat forces out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016. Obama will recognize (hopefully) that although great progress has been made in Afghanistan - more needs to be done. The gains made thus far - at great cost - are fragile. Obama, irregardless of campaign promises, will not want to have his legacy ruined by loosing both Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more in "Prediction: Obama Will Decide to Keep U.S. Troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016", Brookings, December 22, 2014.

Afghan - Pak Deal on Taliban

It is common knowledge that Pakistan harbors, supports, and aids the insurgent groups that attack U.S., ISAF, and Afghan security forces in Afghanistan. Some speculate, and Pakistan accuses, that Afghanistan returns the favor. In effect, Pakistan's military and intelligence service supports the Afghan Taliban (so-called "good Taliban") while (supposedly) Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) provides support (or at least turns a blind eye) to the Pakistan Taliban (so-called "bad Taliban"). The terms "good" and "bad" are from the Pakistani perspective. There is hope that with a new Afghan President and new leader in Pakistan (and the end of the ISAF mission) that this situation will improve. Read more in "An opening in Afghanistan: Kabul's deal with Pakistan", New York Post, December 28, 2014.

Article - "Tragedy of American Military"

According to a recently published article ". . . the American public and its political leadership will do anything for the military except take it seriously. The result is a chickenhawk nation in which careless spending and strategic folly combine to lure America into endless wars it can't win." The writer, James Fallows, states that the American public knows little about the members of the military. According to Fallow - ". . . about 2.5 million Americans, roughly three-quarters of 1 percent, served in Iraq or Afghanistan at any point in the post-9/11 years, many of them more than once". The other 99 per cent might know someone who served in the military. In his article he examines what he calls the "chickenhawk war, chickenhawk politics, and chickenhawk economy". He discusses the role of Congress and the newly elected members who are veterans of the Iraq and Afghan Wars. While the author has some valid points there are some detractors out there criticizing his work. A long read but worth it if you have the time. Read "The Tragedy of the American Military", by James Fallows, The Atlantic, January 2015.

Restoring Historic Afghan Landmarks

Afghanistan has a rich history and this is reflected in some of the historic landmarks left behind by older civilizations. Unfortunately, many of these historic sites have been destroyed by the Taliban, are decaying, or are suffering from neglect. There are some organizations and individuals striving to reverse this trend. Read more in "Meet the Afghan Workers Restoring Historic Landmarks Destroyed by the Taliban", Vice News, December 28, 2014.

Podcast on Transitions in Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig, a long-term observer of all things Afghanistan and co-founder of the Afghan Analysts Network (AAN), provides his comments on the 2014 elections, democracy, and governance in Afghanistan. Listen to the podcast here (AAN, Dec 26, 2014, 9 minutes).

Daily News Snippets - (Jan 2, 2015)

A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden vehicle (some reports say 'truck' and others 'Toyota Corolla') into an ANA base in central Maiden Wardak province on Tuesday. (Tolo News, Dec 30, 2014). The bomber was killed and one Afghan soldier was injured (some reports say killed). The incident took place in the Sayed Aabad district.

Joshua Keating, a staff writer at Slate focusing on international affairs, asks "Is America's Longest War Really Over?", Slate, December 29, 2014. He seems to think that the conclusion of combat operations in Afghanistan felt awfully anticlimactic and less than definite.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) published a statement on their website saying the 'so-called governor' of Kapisa was killed with two of his aides. I would link to the statement on the MoI website but China has infected the Afghan government websites with malware and I don't know if the problem has been cleared up!

And about that malware attack by China . . . Khaama Press (an Afghan news outlet) has more on that story in "Cyber attack on Afghan Government Websites? Was it really an attack?" (Dec 30, 2014).

Anna Mulrine writes in The Christine Science Monitor about the ending of the ISAF combat mission and move to continue advisory and counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan. Read her story here (Dec 29, 2014).

John McCain says that Afghanistan is on the verge of becoming another Iraq. He says pulling troops out for political reasons is a mistake that could lead to instability and violence similar to what we now see in Iraq. (Defense News, Dec 30, 2014).

A blue-ribbon commission on military compensation and retirement is coming to the end of its two-year long study and will be releasing its proposals for change in early February. The Defense Department will review the proposed changes and then send its recommendations to President Obama. Those who currently serve in the military and those who have retired are holding their breath. There is concern that the retirement system could be changed (for the worse) and that Tricare could get folded into Obamacare or Medicare (oh, that would hurt). Then, of course, there are our admirals and generals who like big ships and expensive planes (can you spell J-35) and feel that lower pay and reduced benefits could help fund the big ticket items. It is hard to see how the enlisted man comes out ahead on the upcoming changes. Read more in "DoD braces for political battle over military pay", Military Times, December 30, 2014.

While President Obama has declared a "responsible end" to the Afghan War - others seem to think that the war is still on-going. Read "Afghan's War Remains Fierce After Coalition Ends Combat Mission", The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2014.

It seems a lot of money was spent on women's programs in Afghanistan but that some of it may have been poorly spent resulting in less than anticipated gains. Read more in "U.S. failed to track spending on aid for Afghan women, auditor finds", Los Angeles Times, December 30, 2014.

A news article by Dan Murphy, a staff writer for The Christian Science Monitor, entitled "The Afghan war that didn't really end yesterday ended in defeat" (Dec 29, 2014). He states that none of the claimed long term objectives for the war in Afghanistan,either from the Bush or Obama administrations, have been achieved.

It appears that the Australians were present for the "Secret Ceremony" that marked the end of the ISAF mission and the beginning of the Resolute Support mission. There are still about 400 Australians in Afghanistan who haven't got the word that the war is over; several attended the ceremony. Read more in an Australian news report (Dec 30, 2014).

Guest Bloggers Wanted!

Start the New Year off with Afghan War Newsletter

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

ISAF Mission Complete

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

ANP doing ANA's Job

The outgoing head of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) had some insightful comments about the current state of security in Afghanistan. Karl Ake Roghe (Sweden) has led the EUPOL mission for over 2 1/2 years. He stated that the main problem for Afghanistan is how the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is dividing the responsibilities for fighting the insurgency. He states that the police are bearing the brunt of the counterinsurgency fight; more so than the Afghan National Army. Afghanistan has 157,000 police that were created, trained and funded (partially) by the European Union. These police are under attack every day from the Taliban; especially in remote districts centers, outlying checkpoints, and in rural areas. The police receive little backup from the army and do not enjoy air support, medical evacuation, and hospitals. The emphasis given to police training is almost insignificant when compared to the money, training, and equipment provided to the Afghan National Army.

Of course, everyone familiar with counterinsurgency tactics, techniques, and procedures knows that the police are in the lead in a counterinsurgency effort (read FM 3-24 if you didn't and see note 1 below). Unfortunately, the Ministry of Interior was terribly corrupt and incompetent for many years (probably still is), and the Afghan National Police ill-trained, under-equipped, and also very corrupt. ISAF's efforts (as opposed to EUPOL) in improving the MoI and Afghan National Police (ANP) suffered from over emphasis on the Afghan National Army (ANA) and less than effective police training programs (see note 2 below). Read more in "Head of Afghan police training says high casualties are deadly cost of doing the army's job", Fox News, December 28, 2014.

Note 1: According to FM 3-24, para 6-90, page 6-19, (15 Dec 2006) "The primary frontline COIN force is often the police - not the military" . . . "Because of their frequent contact with populace, police often are the best force for countering small insurgent bands supported by the local populace." However, the police need the support of other government institutions (judicial, prosecutors, government officials, etc.) and the army. In Afghanistan, these institutions were poorly developed or corrupt.

Note 2: In the 2012-2013 period the United States deployed hundreds of Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams (SFAATs). Some of these teams were tasked with advising police district centers. The SFAATS advising the police were supposed to have a senior U.S. Army Military Police NCO on the adviser team - but rarely did this happen. In addition, the police advisor teams were supposed to be augmented with four Embedded Police Mentors (EMPs) - contract civilian policemen from the U.S. - but the contract for the EPMs was not amended in a timely manner to provide the required number of EPMs. The experience level of some EPMs left a lot to be desired. In addition, the SFAATs received very little training in police operations in a COIN environment and knew very little about the ANP prior to deploying to Afghanistan. In effect, the U.S. Army's attempt to professionalize the ANP was not at the level needed; the U.S. Army expended a lot of time, money, effort and personnel on the police training effort but not in a coherent and wise manner.

SF Team Cleared in Friendly Fire Incident

Two Special Forces Soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group have been cleared of wrongdoing in a friendly fire case that occurred on June 9, 2014. A B-1B bomber dropped two bombs on the position of a Special Forces team killing five Americans and one Afghan sergeant. U.S. Central Command conducted an investigation and pinned some of the blame on the SF team on the ground. The lead investigator, Air Force MG Jeffrey Harrigian, called for charges against the two Green Berets. However, the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), commanded by LTG Charles Cleveland, conducted a review of the incident and cleared the SF team leader and team sergeant of any wrongdoing. The B-1B was conducting a five-mile orbit at 12,000 feet - placing it outside of the effective range of the radios used by the ground team - which caused a decrease in communications effectiveness between the aircrew and the ground team. In addition, the air crew was relying on night vision devices that did not have sufficient range to detect ground team signals. An Air Force Joint Terminal Air Controller (JTAC) on the ground with the SF team called in the air strike. The bombs landed directly on the SF teams position. The B-1B, flying too high and too distant from the SF teams position, was unable to properly execute a mission more suited to the Air Force A-10. The A-10 has crews that specialize in close air support of ground units and can fly low and slow - increasing the effectiveness of communications and able to observe the situation on the ground. Read more in "Green Berets cleared in Afghanistan friendly fire deaths", The Washington Times, December 28, 2014.

Central Asia and Afghan Drawdown

Central Asian states are concerned about the spread of ISIS and the possible flow of insurgents northward from the Afghan nation. The situation in northern Afghanistan gets worse and worse as years go by. The ability of the Coalition under the new Resolute Support Mission to influence or shape events on the ground in what used to be referred to as Regional Command North (RC North) is minimal. Train, Advise, Assist Command - North, under German leadership, has little strength in numbers and very little combat power. Air support is non-existent and comes out of Bagram if at all. The small amount of troops not dedicated to staff, command, advising, or support are providing "force protection" and "guardian angel" services. Confined to Camp Marmal, except when advisors and their force protection detail head to the 209th Corp HQs, the Coalition sees very little on what is happening in northern Afghanistan. TAAC North's intelligence assets are very likely limited and probably blind on the true tactical situation. Relying on the intelligence provided by the 209th Corps, OCC-R, ANP, and ABP is problematic.

The Taliban, IMU, and other insurgent groups have made great inroads into northern Afghanistan and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have proven themselves not up to the challenge. There is a very real threat to the Central Asian states to the north. While ISAF may be blind to the situation the Central Asian states are aware of what the future may bring.

Read more in "Central Asia and Afghanistan as the Drawdown Deadline Arrives", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 29, 2014.

Life of an ANP EOD Specialist

A news account details the life of an Afghan specialist in defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He works for the Afghan police in Helmand province - and according to some accounts has defused over 6,000 IEDs. Simply amazing. "The war in Afghanistan is over, but the battle against the Taliban - and their IEDs - goes on", The Independent, December 29, 2014.

NATO Transition to Resolute Support

There is lots of news out there on the Internet about the NATO transition from the ISAF mission to the Resolute Support mission. The mission officially ends at midnight on December 31. Listed below are some of the news articles:

"Nato marks transition to new Afghanistan mission", BBC News Asia, December 28, 2014

"NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan", NATO, December 18, 2014

"Nato ends its war in Afghanistan as insurgency rumbles on", The Telegraph, December 28, 2014.

"A Nation Towards Transformation", Khaama Press, December 29, 2014.

"The war in Afghanistan is over, but the battle against the Taliban - and their IEDs - goes on", The Independent, December 29, 2014.

View photos of ISAF's change of mission ceremony posted on Facebook. See "ISAF to RS Change of Mission Ceremony".

"Taliban vows to continue fighting as NATO combat mission ends", Khaama Press, December 29, 2014.

Operation Freedom's Sentinel is the name of the U.S. military's campaign in Afghanistan - replacing the 13 year long Operation Enduring Freedom.

Canada's Secret Soldiers

Canadian SOF, nicknamed "CANSOF" by some, were an early entry in the Afghan War - deploying as early as 2002. A recent news article posted online provides us an inside look at the training and employment of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) based in Petawawa. Read more in "Canada's secret soldiers: Special Forces' work takes place under the radar", The Vancouver Sun, December 28, 2014.

Afghan Nat Sec Advisor Remarks at Ceremony

Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghanistan's National Security Advisor, made some remarks at the ISAF / Resolute Support transition ceremony in Kabul on Sunday, December 28, 2104. He expressed Afghanistan's deepest gratitude for the NATO Coalition's efforts and sacrifices in Afghanistan since 2001. Read his comments posted on ISAF News (Dec 28, 2014).

PSYOP Tab Now Awarded

Photo courtesy of Duffel Blog

Members of the Psychological Operations community are celebrating the long-awaited recognition that they deserve for being part of the Special Operations community. The PSYOP community has always been associated with the Special Warfare mission - going back to the early 1950s. Those individuals who are graduates of a recognized PSYOP course - the PSYOP correspondence course counts - are eligible to wear the "Psychological Operations" tab. Current service members can start wearing the tab once they have by-name orders published - the personnel action is initiated by their unit S1. Former members of the Army can send a letter (with an attached DD 214) to the S1 of the 4th Military Information Support Group for award of the PSYOP tab. The award of a tab for completion of a specialized Army course is not without precedent. Members of Special Forces who have undergone Special Forces training are awarded the 'Special Forces' tab for completion of the SF qualification course. This is often informally referred to as the 'long tab'. However, SF dudes are now calling the PSYOP tab 'the longest tab' because of the number of letters required (see picture at left). In the tabbed world there are a lot of changes afoot - from the establishment of the PSYOP tab to the soon-to-be seen spectacle of women wearing the Ranger Tab. Get ready for it! Progress is unstoppable! Read more in "Psychological Operations Debuts New 'Longest Tab'", Duffel Blog, December 29, 2014.

Book - "Answering the Pashtun Question"

Abu-Bakr Siddique has wrote a book entitled The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The book examines the Pashtun jihadists ("good" and "bad"), history of jihadism in Pakistan, Pakistani motivation for supporting the Afghan Taliban ("good"), and the significance of the Durand Line. The book is also very rich in analysis and provides a good history of the Pashtuns. The book is reviewed by Myra MacDonald, a former Reuters journalist and book author. Read the book review in "Answering the Pashtun Question", War on the Rocks, December 29, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 30, 2014)

After years of ignoring them, Pakistan has begun to crack down on violent Islamists. Read more in a news report (The Washington Post, December 28, 2014).

Russia is in the process of drafting a framework agreement that would govern the providing of weapons to Afghanistan. Read more in a news report (Radio Free Europe, Dec 29, 2014).

The Taliban have declared victory against the foreign invaders with the observance of the end of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Read more in "Taliban declare 'defeat' of U.S., allies in Afghanistan", Thomas Reuters Foundation, December 29, 2014.

William Dalrymple, author of Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42, writes up a piece comparing the first Anglo-Afghan War to the present conflict. Read "Road to Gandamak", The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, October 19, 2014.

The head of the Ulama Council of central Maidan Wardak, his son and a bodyguard were wounded by a bomb planted on a vehicle on Sunday morning.

Taliban Declares Victory. The Taliban has cranked up its Information Operations machine in celebration of the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan. Read more in "Taliban: U.S. Leaving Afghanistan in Defeat", Foreign Policy, December 29, 2014.

Shashank Bengali writes that "U.S. airstrikes remain crucial to Afghan forces in Taliban battles", Los Angeles Times, December 28, 2014.

Pakistan remains a very strong ally in the fight against terrorism. The suspected mastermind of the 2008 militant attacks on Mumbai that killed 166 people has won his appeal against detention in Pakistan. Hmmmm. (Voice of America, Dec 29, 2014).

Some press reports say that the closing ceremony for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan was "held in secret". Read more in "One sentence that shows how badly America failed in Afghanistan", VOX.com, December 29, 2014.

Robert Scales, a retired major general and former commandant of the Army War College, has penned a piece about the infamous U.S. Army M16/M4. Read "Gun Trouble", The Atlantic, December 28, 2014.

Which country is the worst Narco-State in history? According to RAWA News it is Afghanistan.

Russia's special representative to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, has warned that Islamists in Afghanistan are concentrating along the Tajik and Turkmen borders. He believes that the number run into the thousands and that a number of training camps exist in northern Afghanistan as well. (Radio Free Europe, Dec 29, 2014).

Max Boot says you can re brand (ISAF to Resolute Support) the Afghan War however you want but Afghanistan is still at war. (Los Angeles Times, Dec 30, 2014).

Pakistan has increased the requirements for the process of buying SIM cards. The government started requiring call centres, franchises, and authorized dealers to have every customer scan his or her Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and thumbprint into biometric machines as part of the process of buying SIM cards. This will make it difficult for criminals and terrorist as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked Afghan-based subscriber identity module (SIM) cards from access to roaming services. (Central Asia Online, Dec 29, 2014).

Pakistan is not a fan of the U.S. TV spy drama "Homeland". Seems their feathers have been ruffled by the unflattering portrayal of Pakistan's powerful spy agencies. It appears the TV show links the Haqqani Network with the Inter-Service Intelligence agency. (Newsstalk ZB, Dec 29, 2014).

Stay One Step Ahead!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Australia Pre-Deployment Handbook

The Australia Department of Defense has published a useful publication that will assist Security Force Assistance advisors who are deploying to Afghanistan. It is entitled Pre-Deployment Handbook: Afghanistan (post 2014). The handbook provides information that will assist in understanding the complex environment that is Afghanistan in 2014 and beyond. The research and analysis supports Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel operating in Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission Op Resolute Support. The authors, David Matthews and Raspal Khosa, are part of the Joint and Operations Analysis Division of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. The code for the handbook is DSTO-GD-0909 and it is dated May 2014. It is an Adobe Acrobat PDF, is 141 pages long, and is 9 MBs big.

www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a605161.pdf

Transition Ceremony Kicks off Resolute Support Mission

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) held a ceremony concluding operations in Afghanistan and transitioning to the new NATO-led Resolute Support mission. The ceremony paid tribute to the international efforts launched in 2001 to help establish a new government and security in Afghanistan. The Resolute Support mission will consist of more than 12,500 troops focused on building Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) sustainability. This will be done through the implementation of Functionally-based Security Force Assistance. The force will consist of 28 NATO allies and 14 partner nations. Under Resolute Support, efforts to train, advise, and assist Afghan Security Institutions (ASI) and the ANSF at the ministerial, operational, and institutional levels will focus on eight essential functions. These 8 EFs comprise the systems and processes required for the professionalism and sustainability of the ASI and ANSF. There was no mention of whether the NATO RS mission would advise and train the ANSF in counterinsurgency operations - an area in which the ANSF desperately needs assistance. Read more in "Transition ceremony kicks off Resolute Support Mission", NATO News, December 28, 2014.

Polish Advisors now with TAAC East

After several months of preparation in Poland a unit of advisors has arrived at Tactical Base Gamberi to take part in the Resolute Support Mission as an element of the Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC East). They arrived on December 19, 2014 and are part of a larger Polish contingent known as Task Force White Eagle. The advisors are detailed to the Military Advisory Team and Police Advisory Team and are conducting a transition with the current advisors from the U.S. Army's 3d Cavalry Regiment. Read more in "Polish advisers ready for Resolute Support in Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 27, 2014.

ANA Logistics Still Broke

Despite an intense effort over the past two years to fix the Afghan National Army logistics and supply system prior to the departure of ISAF at the end of 2014 the ANA log system is broke, units are suffering from lack of ammunition, supplies, and material, and vehicles sit in boneyards broke and unusable. Read more on this deplorable situation in "Uh-oh in Afghanistan", by David Wood, Senior Military Correspondent, The Huffington Post.

Herat Govt Officials Dismissed by Ghani

Afghan President Ghani has fired several governmental officials in Herat province due to charges of corruption. Ghani visited Herat and announced the dismissal of the provincial head's of the attorney, oil, power, customs and education offices. He also fired the heads of police in all of Herat's 15 districts. Very welcome news indeed! Read more in "Afghan President Dismisses Officials in Western Province", Radio Free Europe, December 27, 2014.

NATO Troops End on Mission, Start Another

The end of 2014 sees the ISAF mission in Afghanistan end and the NATO Resolute Support Mission begin. The Afghan War, which has lasted over 13 years, has seen critics expound upon the successes and failures of the NATO mission thus far. Read more in "NATO troops end one Afghanistan mission, start another", Deutsche Welle (DE), December 27, 2014.

ISAF Flag is Lowered in Afghanistan

A ceremony was held at ISAF Headquarters ending the NATO commitment to Afghanistan under the ISAF mission. Beginning in January 2015 NATO will continue to provide support and assistance to Afghanistan under the Resolute Support Mission. Read more in "NATO flag lowered in Afghanistan as combat mission ends", The Washington Post, December 28, 2014. See also "US, NATO mark end of mission to Afghanistan", Yahoo! News, December 28, 2014.

UN Afghanistan Quarterly (Winter 2014)

The United Nations Afghanistan Quarterly most recent edition has been published. Some of the articles include comments from the UN Special Envoy, "Young Afghan activist wins UNDP peace award", "UN political chief urges new approach to Afghanistan", "Country's solutions are political and not military", "Campaign to eliminate violence against women", "Violence against Afghan women widespread", "UN: Universal Declaration for all people everywhere", "UN envoy, Afghan President decry rights violations", "Winter comes to Afghanistan, affecting most vulnerable", Information law hailed as press freedom milestone", and "UN urges reform to ensure country's security".

United Nations Afghanistan Quarterly, Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2014.

UK SIGINT in Afghanistan

In a counterinsurgency environment Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) is extremely important. Many of the Coalition troop contributing nations deployed their own SIGINT units. Some units were 'national' assets while other units were 'tactical' elements. The United Kingdoms' Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), an intelligence and security organization, sent SIGINT equipment and personnel in Afghanistan to develop targeting information and for force protection purposes. Read more in "GCHQ ran string of front-line listening posts in Afghanistan", The Telegraph, December 28, 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.