Afghan War Blog

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Video - "Drones: Fact vs. Myth"

In early March at a Congressional Briefing, a panel of RAND experts seek to dispel some of the myths that have arisen with respect to the use of long-range armed drones. Some of the questions pondered include 1) Are long-range armed drones dramatically changing global warfare?, 2) How might U.S. armed drone policies shape the way other nations use armed drones?, and 3) How can preventing the potential proliferation of armed drones be balanced with future sales to allies?

Watch "The Use of Long-Range Armed Drones: Fact v. Myth", RAND Corporation, March 3, 2015. Video is 30 minutes long.

News Snippets (March 14, 2015)

ALP Killed. An Afghan official says that seven members of the Afghan Local Police were killed by the Taliban in the province of Ghazni at a police checkpoint. (Fox News, Mar 13, 2015).

President Ghani praised British troops for their contribution to the stability of Afghanistan. In a statement he made on March 13th he said that the British presence enabled Afghanistan to ". . . live in freedom, in hope for peace, prosperity, and dignity". The UK is holding a large "Afghan Service" parade along with some ceremonies. (Gandhara Blog, March 13, 2015).

Hazara hostages. It seems that negotiations are underway for the 31 hostages taken in southern Afghanistan. No news of the big ANSF operation mounted days ago to try and recover them. Relatives of the 31 hostages staged a protest in Kabul on March 12th calling for the government to do more.

More Magnetic Bombs. A mag bomb was attached to a police vehicle in western Herat. Security officials say no one was injured in the blast on March 13th.

AAF and A-29. Franz-Stefan Gady provides us an update on the fielding of the A-29 Super Tocano close air support aircraft for the Afghan Air Force (AAF). The aircraft will be a cost savings for the AAF as one hour of flying time only costs $1,000. Compare that with the F-35 that the U.S. Air Force says will replace the A-10 Warthog (our CAS platform) that runs at $67,000 per hour. Looks like we bought the right aircraft for the Afghans. Read more in "When Will the Afghan Air Force be ready to Fight the Taliban?", The Diplomat, March 12, 2015.

A resident of Bamiyan remembers when the Taliban forced him to take part in the destruction of the two Bamiyan Buddhas in the spring of 2001. Read "Haunted by the Bamiyan Buddhas", Gandhara Blog, March 13, 2015.

The UK DFID has posted an infographic on Twitter providing facts and figures on the progress that has been made in Afghanistan since 2001. Girls in school, increased #s of schools, road construction, return of refugees, healthcare, doctors, and mine clearing facts.

Border Corruption. Matthew Gault writes in War is Boring Blog on how much cash Kabul loses to crooked customs officials and how the American taxpayers make up for that lost money. Read "Border Corruption Costs Afghanistan a Quarter of its Budget", March 12, 2015.

Army Specialist Indicted For Afghan Bribes. A former specialist with the U.S. Army has been indicted for accepting bribes from Afghan truck drivers at FOB Gardez, Afghanistan. The drivers were allowed to take thousands of gallons of fuel from the base to sell on the black market. (U.S. DoJ, Mar 12, 2015).

Kabul Energy Shortage. Kabul is still experiencing electrical shortages. It is taking time to repair the transmission lines that were destroyed during recent avalanches.

Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER). The Army's computer whiz kids are expanding rapidly. Currently the Army has 25 of 41 Cyber Mission Force (CMF) teams that have reached initial operational capability. In addition, the Army Reserve is creating 21 cyber teams. Perhaps one of the CMF teams can deploy to Afghanistan to help get rid of the malware code the Chinese put into the Afghan government websites. Read more in "Army cyber force grows fast", C4ISR & Networks, March 12, 2015.

Sufi Killings. No suspects have been arrested for the Sufi sect killings at a spiritual center in Kabul last week. Reports say that eleven people were killed during a prayer session.

Doug Beattie in a BBC News article reflects on war tours of duty in Afghanistan. The former Royal Irish Regiment soldier served three tours in Afghanistan. He discusses the human factors - feelings of pride, shame, and sadness.

ISIS is trying to establish a foothold in some Central Asian nations to include Afghanistan. With the splintering of the Taliban, uncertainty of continued Pakistan support to some Taliban insurgent groups, and other factors - the Islamic State feels the time is right to expand its influence. Read more in "ISIS' expedition into Central Asia: A spoiler or boon for the Taliban - Analysis", Eurasia Review, March 13, 2015.

Why Stay in Afghanistan. Yesterday I posted an editorial by The New York Times entitled "No Cause to Delay the Afghan Pullout". On March 13th the Times posted a letter to the editor with an opposing view. "Why We Need to Keep Forces in Afghanistan" is penned by Ms. Michelel Flournoy - a former under secretary of defense and Mr. Stephen Hadley a former national security advisor.

India - Pakistan - and Afghanistan. The dynamics between these three countries is the topic of many books, publications, papers and news articles. Yet one more is provided in "President Ghani: Stuck Between India and Pakistan", Foreign Policy, March 12, 2015. The author wonders, that as AfPak relations improve, will Indian support of Afghanistan wane?

Peace Talks. There are conflicting reports about peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban. Read more in "No Signs of Peace Talks as Afghan Fighting Season Nears", Voice of America, March 13, 2015.

Afghan Women's Cycling Team. The Afghan " . . . Women's National Cycling Team has been breaking new ground for women's sports and pushing the boundaries of what is - and is not - acceptable for young women in the conservative Muslim country". Read more in a news article by NBC News - March 13, 2015.

Bamiyan Women's Cafe. A gathering place for women that is usual to find in Afghanistan. Read more in a news article by The Diplomat (March 13, 2015).

Develop 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

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Friday, March 13, 2015

Camp Bastion Info

In southwest Afghanistan the two major forces under ISAF stationed there were the British and the U.S. Marines. They had many of their forces based at Camp Bastion (Brits) and Camp Leatherneck (Marines) in Helmand province. The two camps were adjoining. The UK Ministry of Defense posted a graphic with info on Camp Bastion on their Twitter account (March 12, 2015). The graphic is below.

USAID Contractor Under Fire- (IRD)

The largest nonprofit contractor working for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is under fire. It seems that International Relief and Development, Inc. of Arlington, Va billed the U.S. government over $1 million for luxury parties and retreats for its executives and staff. Read more in "In a word, reprehensible: USAID contractor billed UW $1.1M for luxury parties, retreats", Stars and Stripes, March 12, 2015.

Extremists Flourishing in Northern Afghanistan

There are indications that parts of northern Afghanistan is slowly slipping into the grasp of militants. This has Central Asian nations north of the Afghan border quite concerned. Taliban groups, the IMU, and possibly newly-formed groups aligned with or part of the Islamic State have increased their influence. It would appear that the groups are cooperating with one another. Read more in "Militant Melting Pot: Extremists Flourish South of Turkmenistan", Qishloq Ovoz Blog - Radio Free Europe, March 11, 2015.

Video Conference: Obama and Ghani (Mar 12, 2015)

On March 12th President Obama and President Ghani chatted with each other by video conference. The White House released a statement about the video conference in a press release. The text is below:

Today, the President spoke with President Ashraf Ghani of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan by video conference, along with Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. The President encouraged accelerated Afghan progress towards forming an inclusive national unity government and expressed his expectation that their visit to Washington later this month will demonstrate our mutual commitment to a strengthened U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership. The leaders discussed the ongoing efforts of the Afghan National Security Forces to improve security in Afghanistan and the importance of countering extremist threats from groups like al-Qa`ida. The President commended President Ghani and Dr. Abdullah on their leadership in promoting an Afghan peace process to end the conflict in Afghanistan and their initiative to improve Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.

www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/12/readout-president-s-video-conference-president-ashraf-ghani-afghanistan

Nepotism & Corruption in the Ministries

On the first day of his one-year long tour in Afghanistan an American military officer advising his Afghan counterpart in an Afghan Ministry says "If you appoint your nephew to a high-level position on your staff that is corruption!" On the last day of his one-year tour in Afghanistan an American military officer advising his Afghan counterpart in an Afghan Ministry says "If you don't appoint your nephew to a high-level position on your staff that is corruption!"

Something to ponder.

In a related article, Pajhwok Afghan News has published an article entitled "Nepotism detected in appointing diplomats" stating that most of the diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) appointed " . . . are family members and relatives of government officials and lawmakers and their appointments appeared to be based on nepotism . . . "

www.pajhwok.com/en/=414605

Book - "For Love of Country"

Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Howard Schultz have penned a book entitled For Love of Country. Chandrasekaran is a reporter and editor for The Washington Post and Schultz is the chief executive of Starbucks. Starbucks has a comprehensive program to hire veterans. The book is about the veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. James Wright, president emeritus of Dartmouth College, reviews the book in The New York Times (March 2015).

AWN Snippets (March 13, 2015)

A female Afghan lawmaker who ran for President is found dead. Shahla Atta was found dead in her home on March 12, 2015. She was 52 years old and ran for president in 2009 - she was also an independent lawmaker in parliament. (Gandhar Blog, March 12, 2015).

More on Peace Talks. A recent news article suggests that a rift between two top leaders of the Taliban is preventing forward progress in the Afghan peace talks. One leader favors negotiations with the Afghan government while another wants to continue the fight unless the United States conducts direct talks with the Taliban. This news article explains some of the background to the current attempt to get peace talk negotiations started. Read more in "Secret meetings in Pakistan expose obstacles to Afghan peace talks", by Jibran Ahmad and Mehreen Zahra-Malik - Reuters, March 12, 2015.

The U.S. Army has released an updated publication about engineering. ATP 3-34.40, General Engineering, February 2015 can be read online or downloaded at the link below.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_34x40.pdf

The Department of Defense has issued a new instruction on the withholding or distribution of unclassified GEOINT produced by the NGA or derived from NGA materials. A GEOINT product that is unclassified may not be suitable to be released to the general public as it may contain some info that shouldn't be "Cleared for Public Release". This could be a method of releasing info (Google Earth products produced by NGA?) to the ANSF that controls distribution yet avoids the Foreign Disclosure Officer rules and regulations that restrict the ability of RS advisors to share information with their counterparts. You can read or download DoDI 5030.59 (Mar 10, 2015) at the link below.
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/503059p.pdf

Exchange Officers (USA and UK). In an opinion piece a writer, Scott Smitson, states that the U.S. and the UK should exchange military officers at the strategic level (DoD and MoD). He believes that there is great interoperability at the tactical and operational level as the result of the Afghan War but we miss opportunities to continue the 'special relationship' at the higher level. Read "An American in Her Majesty's Ministry of Defence", War on the Rocks Blog, March 12, 2015.

Delayed Deployment Uniforms for AF in Afghanistan. Airmen who are heading to Afghanistan (and the Middle East and Africa) will not receive their new combat uniform (fielded by the Army) until later this year. Read more in a news article by Air Force Times (March 12, 2015).

ALP. Pajhwok Afghan News reports that two Afghan Local Police (ALP) members who were kidnapped by militants have been killed in Shah Joi district of Zabul province. Pajhwok Afghan News news article (March 12, 2015).

Bombings. A series of bombings across Afghanistan killed at least 13 people. (The Washington Post, March 10, 2015).

Biometrics on the Afghan battlefield played an important role (supporters of biometrics will say). Detractors say that the compulsory recording of fingerprints, facial images, and iris scans went a long way to alienate the Afghan population - especially when conducted by American troops. However, those involved in the attacking of the IED networks found the biometric database very helpful. However, it appears that the biometric technology of the private commercial sector is far ahead of that of the DoD. Read more in "Can the Pentagon keep pace on biometrics?", FCW.com, March 11, 2015.

The Human Terrain Teams (HTTs) deployed to Afghanistan were a tremendous asset to the infantry units spread out across Afghanistan. I worked with several of them during my time in-country and I found the vast majority of the personnel very smart and knowledgeable. I do think they were underutilized by battalion and brigade commanders and staffs. The debate on the HTTs will go on forever - with supporters and detractors commenting for the next twenty years. Here is a link to one commentator's thoughts on the use of social scientists in a counterinsurgency. Read "We weaponized anthropology. Why didn't it work?", Fabius Maximus, March 11, 2015.

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Afghan News w/ Your Morning Coffee

Thursday, March 12, 2015

1/2 of Afghan Customs Revenue is Stolen

One of the drawbacks to a reduced U.S./NATO presence in Afghanistan is that progress is slowed in many areas to include security, development, and governance. Advancement in these three areas are a key factor in the fight against insurgents. However, with the 'thinning up' of the advisory effort - pulling advisory teams (SFAATs) off the lower levels of the ANA, ANP, Afghan Border Police, customs border control points, and other government organizations we see corruption starting to become a larger problem. This is evident in the customs service of Afghanistan. Our advisors (from the military and the Department of Homeland Security's Border Management Task Force) are no longer looking over the shoulder of customs officials of the eleven border control points such as Torkham Gate and Spin Boldac. Customs revenue accounts for over 1/3 of the Afghan government's domestic revenue; however, half the customs proceeds never reach Kabul. With the departure of U.S. forces from the border posts the customs revenue collection has reached its lowest point in over four years. Read more in "U.S. Still Giving a Corrupt Afghanistan a Blank Check", The Fiscal Times, March 11, 2015. Read another article on the same topic in "Afghanistan Can't Manage Billions in Aid, U.S. Inspector Finds", Bloomberg News, March 10, 2015. Read a letter sent to General Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, by the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) that provides more information of the rampart corruption within the Afghan customs service.

USAF JTAC Shortage

Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Shortage. In a news report (that really isn't breaking news) the U.S. Air Force says it has a shortage of JTACs. Ummm, yes, that is something that has been painfully obvious to the U.S. Army. Years ago the Air Force (AF) decided that they would pick up the mission of providing personnel who would call in airstrikes and help coordinate close air support missions (CAS). The AF pressed to ensure that the Army's ability to call in CAS was limited; stating that the Air Force could handle the mission. But the AF never provided sufficient JTACs. This was painfully evident during the long years of the Afghan and Iraq conflicts when Special Forces teams would be stationed in remote hostile combat areas. The SF teams could not schedule air cover for operations or call in pre-planned air strikes (only emergency CAS or E-CAS); that is unless they had a USAF JTAC. But not all teams got the JTACs due to the shortage. This caused a significant amount of heartburn among SF teams that had the skills to call in airstrikes but who were ignored by the AF because they didn't have a JTAC with them. Read more on the JTAC shortage in "Air Force Sees Rising Demand for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers", Military.com, March 10, 2015.

Video - 2/10th BCT Heading Back to Afghanistan

2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division of Fort Drum will return to Afghanistan later in 2015. There will be about 1,660 troops of the BCT conducting the Security Force Assistance mission. The brigade commander and deputy commander are interviewed about the upcoming mission. Watch the six minute long video on 7 News (WWNY TV) published on March 11, 2015.

AWN Daily Snippets (Mar 12, 2015)

Pashtun Poet. A very famous Pashtun poet, Abdul Ghani Khan (1914-1996), has had many of his poems translated into other languages - including English. Read more in "The Pilgrim of Beauty: A Pashtun Poet's Continuing Appeal", Gandhara Blog, March 11, 2015.

ANSF Operations. Tolo News reports that the ANSF are conducting clearing operations in the provinces of Farah, Zabul, Kandahar, Helmand, and Paktika to prepare for operations against the insurgents once the spring fighting season begins (Mar 11, 2015).

Afghanistan is the source of 80% of the worlds opium. Most of it goes through Iran and Central Asia to Europe; however, it appears that a 'southern route' is steadily being used - transiting the drugs through East Africa and then into Europe. (Business Insider, Mar 7, 2015).

China is paying a lot more attention to Afghanistan and folks are noticing. Some believe that China will play a helpful role in Afghanistan's future economic and security prospects. (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 8, 2015).

Humanitarian organizations are having a recruitment problem in Afghanistan. Development recruiters find that it is difficult to hire local and international aid workers for Afghanistan due to the security concerns. (DEVEX.com, Mar 10, 2015).

The Dutch Foreign Minister and Defense Minister visited Afghanistan recently. One of their stops was Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan. (NL Times, Mar 10, 2015).

Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst, has penned a report entitled "A gripping glimpse into bin Laden's decline and fall", CNN News, March 11, 2015. It also provides information on just how devastating the CIA's drone war in the skies of Pakistan has been on al Qaeda.

General John Campbell regularly posts warnings on Facebook the fact that he is happily married. It seems there are over 700 fake profiles on the Internet claiming to be him. (The Washington Post, March 10, 2015.

Not many Afghan interpreters are fortunate enough to escape the violence of Afghanistan and get to American (Visas from the State Dept are hard to get). However, the struggle does not end once in the United States; many suffer economically. Read more in "No Way to Treat an Ally", Free Beacon, March 11, 2015.

TAAC North Charity Run. The Europeans at Train, Advise, Assist Command - North located at Camp Marmal (near Mazer-e Sharif) held a charity run (called the "Wasa Run") for the families of fallen Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) personnel. The run, held on March 8, 2015 (Sunday is a "low ops" day at Camp Marmal), was initiated by soldiers of the Swedish contingent with help from other organizations on the base. Over 2,222 Euros (over $2K) was handed over to the Afghan Red Crescent Society Widow Center Maraston. There are over 21 countries working at Camp Marmal. (RS News, March 10, 2015).

Maintenance in the Afghan Air Force (AAF). While the pilots get all the glory the support personnel in the Air Forces the world over do much of the work to keep the pilots (and planes) flying. This is true of the newly-built (not quite ready) Afghan Air Force. A recent news release by U.S. Air Forces Central Command highlights the work that Afghan maintainers do to keep the Mi-17 helicopters flying. Read "Afghan Air Force runs on maintenance", CENTCOM, March 10, 2015.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Pakistan and Peace in Afghanistan

Pakistan is a major contributor to the insurgent problem in Afghanistan. Pakistan's viewpoint is that it is in perpetual war with India. Pakistan is very worried about a 'second front' developing in the rear so it wants to keep Afghanistan out of India's influence orbit and keep Afghanistan destabilized with the Pakistan proxies (Haqqani Network and other insurgent groups). President Ghani is trying to reassure Pakistan that its fears of a second front are exaggerated in hopes Pakistan will cease support to the Afghan insurgents and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. There is very little hope in defeating an insurgency with sanctuary in a neighboring country and state sponsorship; so President Ghani's move to appease Pakistan has some merit. However, this approach by Ghani to Pakistan is getting lots of attention.

Pakistan and Peace Talks. The speaker of the upper house of parliament (Afghan), Fazil Hadi Muslimyar, warned President Ghani to be careful about relying on Pakistan to help broker peace talks with the Taliban. He says that he does not ". . . have much faith in Pakistan's honesty over peace talks". Read more in "Afghan lawmaker says wary of Pakistan role in Taliban peace moves", Reuters, March 9, 2015.

"Sliding Under the Pakistan Thumb". The former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, also has concerns about Pakistan. The former President says he is worried over Afghanistan's tilt towards Pakistan and Ashraf Ghani's gamble on brokering a peace deal with the Taliban. Read more in "Hamid Karzai: Afghanistan in danger of sliding 'under thumb' of Pakistan", The Guardian, March 9, 2015.

Pakistan: From Meddling to Making Peace. All eyes seem to be watching Pakistan to see if they will stop supporting the Afghan Taliban and help in nudging them towards peace talks with Afghanistan. If anything can help out the beleagured Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police it would be Pakistan NOT providing sanctuary, money, intelligence, and other types of support to its "proxie" guerrillas attacking the ANSF. Read "Seize the day", The Economist, March 7, 2015.

Report - Electoral Reform in Afghanistan

The Afghan parliamentary elections are just around the corner. A recent survey shows that 92% of Afghans feel there is a need for electoral reform measures that should be implemented prior to the elections. Democracy International (DI) ". . . conducted a nationwide public opinion survey in Afghanistan on the heels of the formation of the National Unity Government (NUG) in 2014 in order to understand the Afghan public's attitudes about democracy and the elections, the impact and reach of civic education efforts, and confidence in political institutions . . . " You can read the report at the link below:

http://democracyinternational.com/publications/afghanistan-elections-and-civic-education-lessons-learned-survey

UN Report on Afghanistan

The United Nations has published a report (dated 27 Feb 2015) entitled "The Situation in Afghanistan". This report is published every three months and presented to the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly. The report provides an update on the activities of the United Nations in Afghanistan, including significant humanitarian, development and human rights efforts. It also provides a summary of key political and security developments and regional and international events related to Afghanistan.

www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2015/151

Preserving Afghan History

Jack Detsch worries about the treasures of antiquity in Afghanistan. He believes more needs to be done to stop the looting of Afghan's historical sites. Read more in "Preserving History: Lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq", The Diplomat, March 10, 2015.

Avalanches in Afghanistan

Afghanistan had a winter with little snowfall - which is a concern for the farmers that rely on the snow melts of the mountains to feed the streams and rivers that irrigate the crops in spring. However, a lot of snow has recently showed up - causing floods, avalanches, deaths, road blockages, and energy shortages. One geologist, Ikramuddin Bahram, feels that the Afghan government and international community could do much more to minimize the damage these natural disasters cause. He provides and explanation of avalanches in Afghanistan and he recommends a series of measures that should be taken before next winter's snowfalls. Read "A Perfect (Snow) Storm: What can be done against avalanche damage in Afghanistan", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), March 10, 2015.

USSOCOM Cdr: Get Counseling

USSOCOM Cdr Tells Troops to get Counseling. Suicides by special operators have fallen for two straight years but rates are still too high. The commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has received counseling and wants his men to do so as well. "The high rate of special operations suicides as compared to the other services reflects the strain of more than a decade of deployments since the attacks . . . " of 9/11. This trend continues for special operators (who continue to deploy at a steady pace) as the deployments of conventional forces wind down. Read more in "Top U.S. Commando Tells Troops: Get Counseling, I Did", by Kimberly Dozier, The Daily Beast, March 10, 2015.

Afghan Drawdown Needs Modification

A commentator, Thomas F. Lynch III, has called for a modified drawdown plan for Afghanistan. Lynch, a research fellow at the National Defense University (NDU) and someone with significant Afghan experience, states that the need for ". . . a comprehensive policy and strategy review for post-2014 military-intelligence support to Afghanistan needs to be conducted in early 2015". Read his analysis and recommendations in "There is Still Time to Keep Afghanistan from Going the Way of Iraq - If Drawdown Plans are Significantly Modified", Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), March 2015.

Book Review - Code Black

George Vlachonikolis reviews a newly published book entitled "Code Black" by Mark Evans. It is the story of a British Army Officer, Captain Mark Evans, and his deployment to Afghanistan in 2008. The book is about a two month long period where Evans, a small British unit, and an Afghan National Army (ANA) kandak were in intensive fighting in Nad Ali. The book reviewer - Vlachnonikolis - finds that the relationship between Evans and the ANA kandak commander reveals much about how the Afghan War was fought in general. Read the book review below published on March 10, 2105 - "The Trouble With Our Afghan "Led" Campaign".

http://warontherocks.com/2015/03/the-trouble-with-our-afghan-led-campaign/

Daily News Snippets (Mar 11, 2015)

Pajihwok Afghan News reports that 27 people were killed or wounded in a car bomb suicide attack in Lashkergah.

Afghanistan for many years was at the forefront of the "Global War on Terror" (GWOT). However, once President Obama took office, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq turned into "Overseas Contingency Operations" (OCO). This was an attempt by the administration to 'rebrand' the conflicts, move away from the 'terrorism' narrative, and pave the way for a withdrawal from both Iraq and Afghanistan. Well, the global war on terror is still with us, if under a different name. We are still in Afghanistan and are about to pass the AUMF that authorizes combat operations in Iraq (once again). In recent testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, James Clapper - the director of national intelligence - says that the terrorism threat is as bad as it ever has been. Read more in "In campaign against terrorism, U.S. enters period of pessimism and gloom", The Washington Post, March 7, 2015.

Cricket. In a sport that most Americans know little about, Afghanistan seems to be doing well. One commentator feels that the bowlers and batsmen from Kabul have become the world's favorite underdogs. Read more in "Afghanistan's Little Cricket Team That Could", Foreign Policy, March 9, 2015.

The ICRC has been active in Afghanistan for many years. One of the services the ICRC provides is ". . .artificial limbs and physical rehabilitation for people disabled by the war in Afghanistan . . . ".There are seven ICRC centers and the largest is located in Kabul. Take a guided, interactive tour of the Kabul center at the link below:

www.icrcproject.org/interactive/2013-07-orthocenter-kabul.html

Matthew Dearing, an assistant professor at the National Defense University, questions the U.S. implementation of the Leahy Law in regards to Afghanistan. The law prohibits U.S. funds being sent to foreign security forces implicated in human rights violations. A recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) suggests the Leahy Law is applicable. But wouldn't that set back all the advances recently made over the past decade? Read more in "Nation Building is Dirty Business", Foreign Policy, March 10, 2015.

Some security analysts are predicting the defeat of the Haqqani Network - saying that the latest offensive by the Pakistani military in North Waziristan dislodged them from their support base and the groups terrorist activities has caused diminished popular support. Hmmm, we shall see. Read more in "Haqqani Network on verge of collapse, analysts say", Central Asia Online, March 9, 2015.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Afghan Refugee Dilemma

In the last ten weeks almost 52,000 Afghans living in Pakistan have packed up their belongings and crossed the border into Afghanistan. There are two possible reasons for the exodus - 1) the Pakistan military is running operations against militants in the vicinity of refugee camps, 2) the Pakistan government has decided to conduct a repatriation campaign for Afghan refugees, and 3) time is running out for the validity of ID cards for registered refugees in Pakistan. A big problem for the refugees arriving in Afghanistan is the lack of an Afghan government program to receive and resettle refugees and diminished international humanitarian aid for arriving refugees. Christine Roehrs of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has been looking into the current politics around the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the fate that awaits the returnees in their home country of Afghanistan.

Read Christine's article in "The Refugee Dilemma: Afghans in Pakistan between expulsion and failing aid schemes", AAN, March 9, 2015.

USIP Report - Rule of Law (RoL)

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has published a report entitled Islamic Law, Customary Law and Afghan Informal Justice - dated March 6, 2015. The author of the report is Hamid Khan, deputy director of the Rule of Law Collaborative at the University of South Carolina. He previously served as a senior rule of law program officer with the Center for Governance, Law and Society at USIP.

"As Afghanistan's nascent democracy works to establish the rule of law across the country, it finds itself contending with the ways that Islamic law converges and diverges from the tribal norms that shape the settling of disputes outside Kabul. Based on surveys conducted in Afghanistan, this report examines the points of tension and agreement between Islamic and customary laws, looking into both of their pasts to suggest a way forward for the Afghan state, particularly in granting greater rights and protections to women".

This could be a helpful reference for current or future Rule of Law advisors working in Essential Function 3 (RoL) at Resolute Support Headquarters in Afghanistan.

www.usip.org/publications/2015/03/06/islamic-law-customary-law-and-afghan-informal-justice

President Ghani to Visit U.S. - His 5 Tasks

President Ghani will soon visit the United States. He will meet with lots of folks to include President Obama. He is taking his Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah in an effort to show his partnership in the National Unity Government (NUG) is strong. The relationship between Afghanistan and the United States became strained because of the antics of the former President Karzai and his refusal to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement. Most observers expect Ghani to ask for a delay in the departure of U.S. troops, advisors and enablers (air support, Intel assets, ISR, etc.). Tamim Asey outlines five tasks that should be accomplished by Ghani in his recent news article.

1. Rebuild Afghanistan's image & U.S. relations
2. Secure long-term security and economic assistance
3. Seek a stronger U.S. role in peace process
4. More U.S. involvement with Afghan regional neighbors
5. Secure U.S. assistance to help Afghanistan become trade, transit, energy hub

Tamin Asey is a Fulbright alumni and a Columbia University graduate. He is currently a Kabul-based researcher and writer. You can read his article in "Afghanistan" Five Tasks for Ghani's Crucial U.S. Visit", The Diplomat, March 9, 2015.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/afghanistan-five-tasks-for-ghanis-crucial-u-s-visit/

Peace Efforts with Pakistan Raise Questions

Many Afghans are welcoming the attempt by President Ghani to start peace talks with the Taliban. Some say he is taking the right approach by working with Pakistan to get the Taliban to the peace table. After all, it is the Pakistanis that support the Afghan Taliban with sanctuaries, intelligence, financing, and specialized equipment. However, many Afghans are leery of trusting the Pakistanis. They view the recent shift in Pakistan's position regarding the Afghan Taliban as merely a public relations ploy. Some think that President Ghani is giving way too much in return for very little from Pakistan. Read more in "Afghan Peace Efforts Reopen Wounds Over Pakistan", The New York Times, March 8, 2015.

HRW to be Sued by Afghan Warlord

The international organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) has been threatened by a strongman from northern Afghanistan. The Governor of Balkh province, Atta Mohammad Noor, has threatened to sue HRW over its latest report which accused him of controlling and funding local militias implicated in serious rights abuses. The HRW report profiles eight Afghan warlords suspected of human rights violations. Read more in "Afghan Warlord Threatens to Sue Human Rights Watch", Gandhara Blog, March 9, 2015.

Abandonment of COIN . . . But Wait . . .

We have seen the swift rise and fall of Western counterinsurgency (COIN) between 2004 and 2014 as practiced in Afghanistan, Iraq, and a few other places. While, at the same time, Islamic extremist groups and other insurgents, continue to wage hybrid and other forms of insurgent warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, and many other places. So if COIN is discredited what type of warfare will replace it? Learn more in an article by Michael Evans entitled "The Shirt of Nessus: The Rise and Fall of Western Counterinsurgency", Quadrant Magazine, January 21, 2015.

PSOTEW Workshop (Apr 14-16, 2015)

The US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) will hold the 2015 Peace and Stability Operations Training and Education Workshop (PSOTEW) on April 14-16, 2015 at Fort McNair, National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, DC.

"This workshop brings together trainers, practitioners, planners, and educators from U.S. and international governmental and military organizations, non-governmental organizations, peace and stability training centers, and academic institutions to review training and education efforts in the milieu of stability and peace operations . . .".

http://pksoi.army.mil/conferences/psotew/

NYT's Opinion - No Cause to Delay Pullout

So is our withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan to be time-based or conditions-based? Military leaders now say that it is conditions-based but realists know that President Obama has a timeline. After all, he has his legacy to think of - getting America out of two wars during his presidency. General Campbell, the commander of the Resolute Support mission, says that he is not going to be hesitant in asking for more time if he needs it. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter says the same. President Ghani will soon visit the White House and most all observers think he will ask for a delay in the troop withdrawal timeline. However, not everyone agrees that Afghanistan needs more time. Read "No Cause to Delay the Afghan Pullout", The New York Times, March 9, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets (Mar 10, 2015)

Kabul Governor. According to recent postings on Twitter the Kabul governor - Abdul Jabbar Taqwa - has resigned for personal reasons.

Marshal Fahim. The one year anniversary of the death of Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim has arrived.

Afghan Turkmen. A story about Afghan Turkmen living on the Afghan-Turkmenistan border describes a desperate situation. It seems they are squeezed by the Taliban for taxes and the Afghan government can't do anything to stop it. In addition, attempts to leave their villages to seek medical care are denied by the Taliban. The Turkmenistan government is not quite helping the situation. Read more in "Turkmenistan Keeping Aloof From Afghan Turkmen", Gandhara Blog, March 9, 2015.

Peace Talks in March? There's lots of talk about peace talks with the Taliban. Supposedly China and Pakistan are assisting. Some reports deny there are any peace talks. Some reports say any dialogue is "unofficial". Read more in "Afghan Peace Talks Are Fraught with Stumbling Blocks", Gandhara Blog, March 9, 2015.

ISIS Spreading to Afghanistan. The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned that ISIS is spreading to Libya, Afghanistan, and Pakistan while testifying before the Senate defence committee. Read a news article in CBC News dated March 9, 2015.

The War is Boring blog has an article about a the contract helicopter firms that worked in Afghanistan and how the rules were sometimes not followed. Read "A Columbian Merc Firm Was the Pentagon's Shadiest Afghanistan Contractor" March 9, 2015.

An article by Keith Nightingale provides us with information on the "secret file cabinets of the mind" that combat veterans take home with them. Read "Thoughts on coming home from combat: Some things you never leave behind", The Best Defense Blog, March 9, 2015.

It appears that the desertion case of Bowe Bergdahl may be coming to a conclusion. Read "Bowe Bergdahl's Legal Limbo", Foreign Policy, March 9, 2015.

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Monday, March 9, 2015

First Flights for Afghan A-29 Pilots (March 5th, 2015)

(Photo of A-29 Moody AFB, GA Mar 5, 2015)

The flight training for Afghan pilots who will be flying the A-29 Super Tocano in Afghanistan in late December 2015 or early 2016 has just started. Eight students had their first flight in the A-29 on March 5, 2015 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The A-29 will be used by the AAF to provide critical air support to ground forces.

International Women's Day (Mar 8, 2015)

Sunday, March 8th, 2015 was celebrated around the world as International Women's Day (IWD). Afghanistan had its share of speeches and events as well. Various commentators provided us insight on these speeches, events, and the general situation of women in Afghanistan. Below are some of the dispatches that recently hit the Internet world.

The 2015 International Women of Courage Award Ceremony took place on March 6, 2015. Every year women from across the globe are recognized by the Department of State. The ceremony was hosted by the Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom and Ambassador Catherine Russell at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. An Afghan female Air Force pilot, Captain Nilofar Rahmani, was one of eight international women recognized. She is awarded the presentation at the 11:00 minute mark of the video. (posted on YouTube.com by Department of State, videos is 30 minutes long).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpqqUhuLaYA

AAN - Less Speeches and More Action on IWD. "One Day in a Year: Afghan views on International Women's Day", by Naheed Esar Malikzay of Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), March 8, 2015. The writer would like to see less speeches and more action. Also provides a history of the origins of International Women's Day and comments on the current situation of women in Afghanistan.

Lela Gilbert writing for Fox News provides us with a short history of IWD and sums up the status of women in the Islamic world. Read "International Women's Day: Celebrating and remembering", Fox News, March 8, 2015.

National Action Plan. Elizabeth Weingarten and Lella Hilal write in The Weekly Wonk about women in Afghanistan and the United Nation's National Action Plan (NAP). See "Women and Men in Afghanistan Are Taking Action for Peace".

USAID News Report. Joanne Lewa worked on a six-month temporary assignment in Afghanistan for USAID. She writes women's leadership, women in the economy and politics, and education and health for women in Afghanistan. See "From Kenya to Kabul: Women as Decision-Makers, Entrepeneurs, and Leaders", USAID, March 6, 2015.

NATO Channel posted a short video on YouTube.com celebrating women International Women's Day by highlighting the essential role of women in defence and security from high level decision making to serving in the armed forces. Nice pictures and music compressed into 42 seconds published on March 7, 2015. Some text put on screen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-BymkxM-qo

EU Factsheet on Promoting Afghan Women Leaders. The European Union lists accomplishments made thus far for Afghan women but notes that more work needs to be done and Afghan women will need continued support and advocacy. The EU has announced new initiatives to specifically focus on offering training opportunities to Afghan women.

IFEX has published a news article entitled "How Afghanistan's female journalists are covering the stories no one else can" (March 6, 2015).

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) has posted comments by Shahla Farid, a law lecturer at Kabul University about IWD. (March 2015).

Margh Militia - Driven by Fear of IS

A new militia group formed in Mazar-e-Sharif has Afghan government officials worried. The members say they have formed up their group to fight off any possible attempt by the Islamic State (IS) to establish a foothold in the Mazar-e-Sharif area in northern Afghanistan. It appears that the group is non-sectarian as it has members who at Tajiks, Uzbeks, Pashtuns, and Hazaras. There are Sunni and Shiite Muslims among their fighters. Not much is known about who is funding or organizing the group (I am sure someone knows but just isn't saying). Read more in "Fear of the Islamic State spawns a renegade Afghan militia", The Washington Post, February 25, 2015.

Security Incidents Increase in Feb 2015

Tolo News has reported that there were 848 security incidents in Afghanistan in February 2015. This was a 22 percent increase over January 2015. Southern Helmand province suffered most of the incidents followed by Nangarhar and Kunar in the east, Herat in the west, Kandahar in the south. Read more in "22 Percent Increase in Security Incidents", Tolo News, March 8, 2015.

Paper - MODA Program

The United States Government Accountability Officer (GAO) has published a report for Congress entitled Building Partner Capacity: DoD Should Improve its Reporting to Congress on Challenges to Expanding Ministry of Defense Advisors Program, February 2015. The GAO report has found that the Department of Defense has expanded the Global Ministry of Defense Advisors (MODA) program more slowly than planned. The Ministry of Defense Advisors (MODA) program partners DoD civilian experts with foreign defense and security officials to build core competencies in key areas such as strategy and policy, human resources management, acquisition and logistics, and financial management. The program began in Afghanistan in July 2010, and Congress authorized the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to carry out a program to assign DoD civilian employees as advisors to the ministries of defense of foreign countries. You can read the GAO report here - "Building Partner Capacity" at the PKSOI website. Read a DoD MODA program overview.

Daily News Snippets (Mar 9, 2015)

The Fire and Disaster Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) received 54 new fire trucks. The trucks were financed by the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A). They will be deployed to fire stations in Kabul and the provinces.
www.eupol-afg.eu/node/548

Hazara Hostages. A few days back the Ministry of Defense issued press reports that a major operation was underway to rescue 30 Hazara hostages taken off two buses in Zabul province. Not a peep since on how the operation is going. Hmmmm.

Afghanistan's National Water Polo Team. So you have no doubt heard that Afghanistan's football, cricket and Taekwondo teams have done very well in the international sports arena. Perhaps you have also heard of the Afghan Women's Cycling Team as well? But did you know about the Afghan National Water Polo Team? Probably not. A U.S. Marine reservist is the coach. Read more in "Marines help coach Afghanistan's first water polo team", Marine Corps Times, March 8, 2015.

Afghan Prison Riot. A number of casualties has occurred during a prison riot and hostage situation in northern Afghanistan in the provincial capital of Shebirghan in Jawzjan province. Two police officers were killed after taken hostage. Read more in a news report by Stars & Stripes, March 8, 2015.

Some Army officers with Fort Bragg ties are heading to or departing Afghanistan. One of them is MG Jeffrey S. Buchanan - he will become the deputy chief of staff for operations of the Resolute Support mission. (Fayetteville Observer, March 8, 2015).

New Zealand awarded military medals to two former Afghan interpreters who worked with NZ forces in Afghanistan. The men and their families were among dozens of Afghan interpreters who were allowed to resettle in NZ in recognition of their service. (TVNZ.co News, March 8, 2015).

Sufi Order Attacked. Unknown gunmen attacked a Sufi Muslim center in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday night killing at least five and possibly 11 people. This is the first time that a Sufi spiritual center has been attacked in Afghanistan. Read more in "Afghanistan's ancient Sufi order shocked by deadly attack", LA Times, March 8, 2015.

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Sunday, March 8, 2015

March 8th - International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women's Day. Things have improved dramatically for women in Afghanistan. Women are members of parliament, they now have access to education, there are many more medical clinics, and there are possibilities that a few women may be appointed to cabinet positions. The country's First Lady, Rula Ghani, is taking a very visible role promoting the cause of Afghan women. While great progress has been made for women in Afghanistan much more work needs to be done. In recognition of this special day Afghan War News presents some informational resources and stories about women in Afghanistan.

Informational Resources about Women in Afghanistan

Afghan War News Resource Page on Women in Afghanistan
www.afghanwarnews.info/women/women.htm

NATO Article - "Women's Struggle"
www.returntohope.com/inDepth/WomensStruggle

Recent News Stories about Women in Afghanistan

"Nilofar Rahmani receives International Women of Courage award 2015". 2nd Lieutenant Rahmani, a female pilot in the Afghan Air Force, has received an award from First Lady Michelle Obama. Read more in a Khaama Press news article on March 7, 2015.

"Female ALP Commander Helps ANA in Helmand Operation", Tolo News, March 6, 2015. The Sistani village in Marja district in southern Helmand has been cleared of militants with the help of a female Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander as part of the "Zulfiqar" operation. Read news article here.

A report by the GSMA organization advances the argument that providing more access to mobile communications to women of developing nations will improve their lot in society. They have published a report that says as much - entitled "Bridging the gender gap: Mobile access and usage in low- and middle-income nations". See the report at the link below.

www.gsma.com/connectedwomen/gender-gap/

An Australian news article profiles Australian Army Colonel Amanda Fielding who attended the graduation of close to 200 Afghan female policewomen from the International Police Training Academy in Sivas, Turkey. The class is only the second group of Afghan females to graduate from the academy and this brings the total number of females in the Afghan Woman's Police Corps of the Afghan National Police to over 3,000.