Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Afghan Daily News Snippets (Mar 18, 2015)




Peace Talks. The Afghan government had hoped that peace talks would have gained momentum before the U.S. visit of President Ghani and CEO Abdullah. Some see this as a setback for the Afghan government. (The Wall Street Journal, Mar 16, 2015).

Afghan Economy. This article advances the argument that, "While security in Afghanistan is essential, the backbone of Afghanistan's future - its economic growth and stability - has been neglected". Read Ariella Viehe's thoughts on this topic in "Turning the Tide on Afghanistan" Building a New U.S.-Afghanistan Economic Compact", Center for American Progress, March 17, 2015.

Women in Combat - and Physical Capability. As much as the progressive left of the U.S. society would like to see women fully integrated into all combat units there is a slight sticking point that just doesn't go away. The gender integration issue is hampered by the physical capability of women. Read Katey van Dam's thoughts on this topic in "Women in Combat Arms: Brass Tacks on Physicality", War on the Rocks, March 17, 2015.

Guantanamo Bay. "Obama Says the War Is Over. So Why Can't I Leave Gitmo?". Lawyers for a longtime detainee are trying out a new defense. If it works, he and a bunch of his fellow Gitmo prisoners could go free. (The Daily Beast, March 14, 2015).

RAF Choppers in Afghanistan. The UK Forces.TV has announced the arrival of the first RAF Puma HC Mk2 helicopters to arrive in Afghanistan to begin their maiden operational deployment. (Mar 17, 2015). http://forces.tv/52636405

UN Renews UNAMA Mandate. On Monday the United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The resolution was approved only one day before the current mandate was due to expire. (Eurasia Review, March 17, 2015).

Support to 33rd Mountain Bn (Romania). The U.S. is assisting partner nations in the fielding of vehicles and weapons. Read more in how AFSBn-Afghanistan assisted the Romanians in TAAC South. (DVIDS, Mar 17, 2015).

Corruption. The curse of Afghanistan is corruption. Corruption fuels the insurgency, lessens the impact of humanitarian aid, diminishes the ability of the Afghan security forces, and hinders the advance of governance and development. Read more in "Tackling Corruption in Afghanistan: It's Now or Never", Center for American Progress, March 17, 2015.

GOP Lawmaker Opposes Afghan War Funding. Representative Walter Jones (R-N.C.) has come out against funding for Afghanistan and wants to reallocate funding to domestic spending. He says that "Afghanistan is an absolute waste of taxpayers money. It is a true graveyard of empires". (The Hill Blog, Mar 17, 2015).

GOP Hawks. Some members of the GOP think it is a good idea that the withdrawal from Afghanistan slows down. Read more in a recent news post. (The Hill Blog, Mar 16, 2015).

Gen Mattis on Afghanistan. Retired Marine General Mattis discusses peace prospects and the reality on the ground in Afghanistan in this video ( 90 seconds). (Wall Street Journal, Mar 17, 2015).

Kabul School Closes. Aid to Afghanistan is steadily decreasing across the board. This is true in the education sector. Read a story on how reduced aid closes once thriving schools in "Afghan students in limbo after closure of school once funded by U.S.", Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2015.

More Medals = More Women. I am not sure about the scientific basis for this article but it was interesting reading. "Why Women Like War Heroes More than Any Other Kind of Guy", Time.com, March 12, 2015.

JIEDDO. The Washington Post published a story about the demise of JIEDDO, its past successes, and questions about its effectiveness. (Mar 17, 2015).

Canada Aid Program - Not so Much. It seems that folks are taking shots at Canada's aid program in Afghanistan. (Huffington Post, March 16, 2015).

Afghan Militias. Some of the militias supported by the U.S. and / or the Afghan government are running afoul of the 'rule of law'. Read more in "Afghan Militia Leaders, Empowered by U.S. to Fight Taliban, Inspire Fear in Villages", The New York Times, March 17, 2015.

ISIS in Northern Afghanistan. There is a dearth of info on the Islamic States foothold in northern Afghanistan. Many claiming to be ISIS are actually Taliban groups that are adopting the label. There is concern that members of the IMU that have been chased out of Pakistan by the Pakistani army have relocated to northern Afghanistan and will turn to ISIS. Read more in "The Black Flag South of the Amu-Darya", Radio Free Europe, March 17, 2015.

DoD Fiscal Year 2016 Budget. The House Armed Services Committee received testimony from the service chiefs on the budget. The 3 hour long video is available to view on C-Span. (March 17, 2015).

DoD Counterintelligence. The Department of Defense has published DoD Directive No. 5240.02, Counterintelligence (CI), March 17, 2015. This directive updates established policies and assigns responsibilities for conducting CI activities and reporting CI info to Congress, SecDef, and others.
www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/524002p.pdf

Abn & AA Operations. The U.S. Army has published Field Manual (FM) 3-99, Airborne and Air Assault Operations, March 2015.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/fm3_99.pdf

TAAC-Air Introduces Web Conferencing Software. It is hard to train and advise the many different elements of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) across Afghanistan. The TAAC-Air advisors can only go to a few places due to force protection restrictions. So they have adapted by introducing software to the AAF so they can advise all 33 AAF locations in Afghanistan. Read more in "TAAC-Air trains web conferencing", U.S. Air Forces Central Command, March 17, 2015.

St. Patrick's Day. Members of the Irish Defence Forces assigned to Resolute Support celebrated their special day at Resolute Support HQs in Kabul. The venue was the infamous Destille Garden. A look at the pictures on ISAF Facebook reveals that the Germans found their way to the event as well. Hmmmm, I wonder what the alcohol policy allowed!

Rock the Afghan Vote. A commentator on the Foreign Policy website has recommendations on how to change the election system to make each Afghan vote count. (Mar 17, 2015).

Malkasian Speaks. The former political advisor to General Dunford in Afghanistan, Carter Malkasian, spoke to students in the Maneuver Captains Career Course (MCCC) at Fort Benning, GA about his experiences with local partners in Afghanistan and the importance of building trust with them. (Bayonet & Saber, March 10, 2015).

Guest Bloggers Wanted

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan Daily News at 5:00 am

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. You will receive a confirmation email asking you if you want to subscribe. Just confirm and you are done. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

AAF: Good News, Bad News, & IO

First A-29 to arrive in Afghanistan Dec 2015
Information Operations (IO) plays a big role in a counterinsurgency. On one hand, the insurgents (that would be the Taliban in Afghanistan) want to paint the government as illegal, corrupt, and unable to provide basic services and security to the population. The government side wants to be perceived as legitimate, not corrupt, and able to provide Rule of Law, development, governance and security.

Narrowing our focus, the Afghan government and its Resolute Support partners, would like to be able to show that the ANA and ANP can provide security to the Afghan population and that its security forces can successfully operate against insurgents. That, of course, is a hard sell. 2014 was a year that recorded the highest number of civilian casualties since the fall of the Taliban, the ANSF are suffering the highest combat casualties ever, and the personnel strength of the ANA is now at its lowest levels since 2011. Now comes the IO part. News releases by the Afghan government and the U.S. will paint a rosy picture. However, sometimes the facts get in the way and even with the same facts - the message can be different. For example:

U.S. Air Forces Central Command recently put a news release entitled "Afghan Air Force braces for Fighting Season '15", March 10, 2015. In the article an Afghan Air Force officer is quoted as saying "The Afghan Air Force is well prepared for Fighting Season 2015". Hmmm. Another quote by a USAF officer - "This year, they will have nearly six times the number of armed aircraft,  . . ." (by putting machine guns on transport helicopters). And, of course, this article does not fail to mention the long-over due A-29 Super Tucano (pictured above). The USAF has been talking about this CAS platform for many years as an example of how the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is constantly improving but the first one of 20 won't even arrive in Afghanistan until December 2015!

Compare the CENTCOM news release with one published on January 25, 2015 by Reuters entitled "Afghan air force ascent slow, imperiling battle with Taliban". Using the same numbers Reuters paints a different picture.

The Resolute Support advisors working strategic communications (EF8) have a lot of work to do.

AREU - A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan 2015

The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published "The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan 2015". This is a unique resource which aims to enhance the understanding of the actors, structures and government processes related to aid and reconstruction efforts in the country. The guide provides an extensive glossary of assistance terms, and overview of Afghanistan's system of government, key primary documents, political overview of all of the 34 provinces, and an extensive contacts directory that includes government agencies, NGOs, and international agencies.

www.areu.org.af/ . . . AtoZGuide2015.pdf

AWN Daily Snippets (Mar 17, 2015)




Saying Goodbye to Afghanistan. After four years in Afghanistan, Emma Graham-Harrison leaves behind friends who fear that a new government may not be able to deliver peace. She provides us with her sense of how things are in Kabul and what the future may look like. Read more in "Hope is mingled with guilt as I bid farewell to my Kabul home", The Guardian, March 15, 2015.

Max Boot Worries. Although President Obama has indicated that he will slow down the withdrawal rate of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, some say this is not enough. Learn more in "The Politics of Obama's Afghanistan Plan"Commentary Magazine, March 16, 2015.

Smart Move - Changing Timeline. President Obama is receiving praise from some quarters as a result of the slower withdrawal. Scott Mackey tells us why leaving later rather than sooner is a good idea. (Foreign Policy, March 16, 2015).

"Leave Afghanistan to the Afghans". Doug Bandow, a commentator on domestic and international policy and contributor to Forbes.com, has provided us his opinion on what to do about Afghanistan. He thinks that the Obama administration should speed the military withdrawal. Read his thoughts in the news article published on March 16, 2015.

Peace Process Marred. Divya Kumar Soti writes that the Afghan governments new peace process started by President Ghani is flawed by its lean towards Pakistan and exclusion of Iran and India. In addition, he fears that the negotiations will result in a "short-term arrangement" that will just strengthen the Taliban even more. (Eurasia Review, Marc 16, 2015).

Peace Talks Soon? In yet another report, we learn that peace talks with the Taliban may happen very soon. The deputy foreign minister, Hekmat Khali Karzai, says the government has made strides in the effort to talk to the violent opposition. (Voice of America, March 16, 2016).

The United Nations had a conference on Afghanistan on Monday. It was available on UN Web TV. I watched part of it. Lots of speeches, kind of boring. Samantha Power, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, had stuff to say. Here is a transcript of her speech - "Remarks at a UN Open Debate on UNAMA", United States Mission to the United Nations, March 16, 2015.
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/238895.htm

Ghani to Visit D.C. President Ghani will be meeting President Obama. Looks like he will also meet with Ash Carter and John Kerry at Camp David. (Washington Examiner, March 16, 2015).

Picture Afghanistan. Military members serving in Afghanistan see a different world than humanitarian workers, reporters, and others not serving in the military or living on a "FOB". Read an article explaining it  - "The Afghanistan You Think You Know"The Daily Beast, March 15, 2015.

Islamic State Affiliate Cdr Killed. The Afghan army has reported that a militant commander who had claimed allegiance to the IS has been killed in an operation in Helmand province. Read more in "Afghan army kills commander of Islamic State affiliate" Military Times, March 16, 2015.

Russia Worries about IS in Afghanistan. The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan says that the Islamic State has established a foothold in Afghanistan. Russia is also concerned and urged the UN Security Council to do something to stop the expansion of IS. Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador said Moscow is worried about the spreading of radical Islam - especially in northern Afghanistan. (Military Times, Mar 16, 2015).

Four Turkmen Killed. A news reports says that police killed four Turkmen in northern Afghanistan during a demonstration. (Radio Free Europe, March 16, 2015).

Former Warlords Get Noisy. The National Unity Government (NUG) formed by President Ghani and CEO Abdullah unified many of the diverse segments of Afghan society. There was a mixture of Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, etc. on both tickets. The cabinet (if it ever gets fully approved) should be inclusive of all ethnic groups and political groups (as well as women - maybe). However, some power-brokers are feeling left out. One is Ismail Khan, the long-time warlord from Herat province in western Afghanistan. Read more in "Afghan City Rises as Opposition Hub"The Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2015.

Herat Uprising of March 1979. In the spring of 1979, Afghanistan was almost in open rebellion against the government of Afghanistan. The city of Herat staged an uprising that was instrumental in the growing rebellion. Read more in "Failings of Inclusivity: The Herat uprising of March 1979", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), March 15, 2015.

Turkmenistan Arrests. Turkmenistan, on the northern border of Afghanistan, has arrested 80 individuals said to have ties with ISIS or other militants in Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe, March 16, 2015).

Afghan Women Need Help. The women's advocate group called Feminist Majority Foundation wants you to sign a petition to encourage President Obama to continue to provide security for Afghanistan's women. (Feminist Majority Blog, March 5, 2015).

Rare Earth Metals. Afghanistan may be sitting on minerals that could significantly improve its economic situation in the out years. Read more in a news report by Investor Intel for Investors, March 15, 2015.

2nd Bde 10th Mtn Prepares for Deployment. The mission in Afghanistan is now mostly Security Force Assistance. In order to prepare for this advisory mission U.S. Army units may deploy to Fort Polk to attend training at JRTC. Read more in "Fort Polk: JRTC provides realistic, rigorous, relevant reps for rotational units", Leesville Daily Leader, March 15, 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

Get Your AWN Newsletter Every Day

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. You will receive a confirmation email asking you if you want to subscribe. Just confirm and you are done. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Broadcast: UN Report on Afghanistan (Mar 16, 2015)

The UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss a recently published report by the United Nations on Afghanistan. "The Situation in Afghanistan" is published every three months detailing the activities of the United Nations in Afghanistan and related news on security, and development, human rights. It also discusses related regional events that affect Afghanistan. The discussion, to be held on March 16, 2015 at 10:00 am, will be broadcast of United Nations Web TV at the first link below. The report, published on February 27, 2015, is available to read on the UN Website at the second link below.


http://webtv.un.org/#

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

Interview - Sarah Chayes

Sarah Chayes, an former journalist and a person knowledgeable about Afghanistan, has wrote a book about corruption in Afghanistan and around the world entitled Thieves of State. Chayes started her Afghan adventure early in the war when she went as reported. She decided to stay, living in Kandahar for many years. She is interviewed by Tim Lewis and they discuss her new book, her experiences in Afghanistan, and why she left Afghanistan. Read more in "Sarah Chayes: on living in Afghanistan and sleeping with a Kalashnikov", The Guardian, March 15, 2015.

JIEDDO to Go Away

It appears that the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) is going away. The field agency of about 430 government civilians, 1,900 contractors, and numerous military personnel will have a name change, downsize its personnel significantly, and come under the authority of the undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition as a combat support agency. Read more in "Pentagon Dismantles JIEDDO Counter-IED Agency", by Richard Sisk in Military.com, March 14, 2015.

Learn more about JIEDDO at their website:
www.jieddo.mil

Afg War News Snippets (Mar 15, 2015)




Kidnapped Afghans from Ghazi. It has been reported that ten (numbers are different depending on news source) Afghans were kidnapped from Jaghori district in Ghazni province on March 15th but they were later released (or at least 9 of the hostages). (Khaama Press, March 15, 2015).

Mission Accomplished or Mission Over? For the United Kingdom the long and costly conflict in Afghanistan is over. 453 UK servicemen and women died in that conflict. Some are now looking back to consider any lessons learned. Read an editorial by The Guardian published on March 13, 2015 entitled "The Guardian view on war in Afghanistan: not mission accomplished, only mission over".

Education. The increase in schools and students attending in Afghanistan over the past decade or more has been remarkable. Although there is still much more work to be done there are some good news stories about education in Afghanistan. One of them is "From Afghanistan's Rubble, A Teacher Builds a School of Ideas", NPR ED, March 15, 2015.

The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) provided a summary of the work they are conducting in Afghanistan. Read "Summary of DFID's work in Afghanistan 2011-2016", DFID, February 2015.

IT Professionals. The World Bank is working with the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to expand the pool of skilled and qualified IT professionals and to incubate business start-ups. Technology and telecommunications programs are helping Afghanistan to keep in step with rapidly changing technological advances. Read more in a World Bank article published on March 12, 2015 entitled "Keeping Pace With Technology: Youths Seek to Turn Dreams into Reality".

Mariam Ghani. The daughter of Afghanistan's President Ghani has lots of pursuits to include being an artist. Read more about here in "Afghanistan's far-flung 'first daughter', artist Mariam Ghani", France24.com, March 15, 2015.

This news article about the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron is about the job of moving Air Force bombs in into, out of, and around the combat zone.  The article describes the process delivering a bomb into theater so it can ultimately be attached to a plane for use. (Standard Examiner, March 15, 2015).

Pakistan Drones. According to the Popular Science website, Pakistan has successfully test-fired a laser-guided missile from its very own Pakistani-made drone. (March  13, 2015).

The founder of International Relief and Development (IRD), an implementing partner for USAID, is retired but not out of the limelight. His firm, which spent about $2.4 billion of the governments money, is under investigation. Read more about the Rev. Arthur B. Keys in this news article - "Founder of nonprofit retires to Washington County amid scrutiny", Tribune Live March 14, 2015.

Guest Bloggers Welcomed

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 or articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan News with Your Morning Tea

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. A confirmation message will be sent to the email address you enter. Ensure you confirm your subscription. 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.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Troops Withdrawal to Slow Down

It appears that the Obama administration is considering a modification of the troop withdrawal process from Afghanistan. There is the possibility that over 9,800 American troops will stay in Afghanistan beyond 2015; originally the troop level was to be around 5,000 entering 2016. Keeping the level of troops constant to today's level will allow the counterterrorism forces to continue their hunt for 'the remnants of al Qaeda' and to continue to advise at the regional Train, Advise, and Assist Commands or TAACs. Read more in "U.S. to keep higher troop level in Afghanistan", Military Times, March 14, 2015.

Book Reviews by Military Times

Military Times has provided short book reviews of some novels and nonfiction about the war in Afghanistan as well as some books on life in the military in general. In addition, there are several more books by SEALS. It would appear that writing is part of the SEAL qualification course! I can only imagine aspiring SEALs on the beach doing flutter kicks at the same time that they are recording thoughts in their journal on a waterproof notebook as the spray of the surf clouds their vision and the pencil becomes difficult to use due to the salt and sand mixing with the lead. Some of the titles reviewed are listed below:


Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish
Green on Blue by Elliot Ackerman
The Valley by John Renehan
The Knife by Ross Ritchell
Fire on the Flight Deck by Darren Sapp
The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by David J. Morris
The Last and Greatest Battle:  . . . End Military Suicides by John Bateson
The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipersby Gary Brozek
Murder at Camp Delta by Joseph Hickman
Soldier of Change,  by Stephen Snyder-Hill
Be Safe, Love Mom By Elaine Lowry Brye  & Nan Gatewood Satter
They Were Heroes: . . . Tribute to Combat Marines by David K. Devaney
Resilence: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric Greitens

Read "Book Reviews: Novels, nonfiction & more SEAL titles", Military Times, March 14, 2015.



New Directive - Women in Army SOF

A new personnel directive, DA Directive 2015-08, signed by the U.S. Army directs more than 4,100 'enabler' positions to be open to women in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Some of the open positions include Special Forces battalions and tactical psychological teams. There are more than 1,000 women currently assigned to USASOC. The directive does not open up positions closed to women in the Army in general; rather, it opens up positions in USASOC that are otherwise open to women across the Army as a whole. This directive does not put women into the Special Forces units as operators; but as staff, support, and 'enablers' at battalion level. They are not going to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). If assigned to a Special Forces unit they will wear the SF patch with the Airborne tab; but not the SF tab. Women have been serving in Civil Affairs and MISO units for nearly 20 years. Read more in "Directive opens 4,100 special ops positions to women"Army.mil, March 13, 2015.

www.army.mil/article/144515

AWN Daily Snippets (Mar 15, 2015)



CIA Money for Hostage Release. It appears that Afghanistan - if news reports can be trusted - has given al Qaeda $1 million for the release of an Afghan diplomat. The ransom in total was $5 million of which $1 million came from the CIA. Abdul Khaliq Farahi was the Afghan consul general in Peshawar, Pakistan when his was kidnapped in 2008. He was released two years later after ransom was paid. Read more in "Afghanistan gave CIA money to al Qaeda for diplomat's ransom - NYT", Reuters, March 14, 2015.

Nancy Lindborg of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) writes from Kabul about the efforts of young people in Afghanistan to turn the country from one of war to one of peace. The USIP is helping in this effort. Read "Letter from Kabul: Afghans Show Hope and Grit", USIP, March 13, 2015.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) thwarted a suicide bombing plot in Kabul city recently. The members who would have conducted the attack were part of the Haqqani Network. (Khaam Press, Mar 14, 2015).

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Brennan, recently spoke at a panel discussion hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. A prepared transcript of his opening remarks and the 1 1/2 hour long video of the presentation and panel discussion are available on the CIA website. Brennan mentions Afghanistan only once but as part of a number of other nations that is seeing continued focus by the CIA. He has some interesting comments on the new cyber organization within the CIA, the use of social media by terrorists and insurgents, and the technological changes that affect the intelligence gathering mission.

President Ghani is visiting Saudi Arabia for a few days. Perhaps they will chat about the benefits of Saudi-financed madrassas in Pakistan that teach Taliban . . .  oh, never mind.

Children Killed in Nangarhar. A roadside explosion killed three children in eastern Nangarhar province on late Saturday afternoon. Six civilians were also injured. (Khaama Press, Mar 14, 2015).

Afghan Pictures. The Daily Beast posted some very nice pictures of Afghanistan on March 14, 2015.

ISIS along Afghan Border. Some news reports indicate that the Islamic State is expanding its reach beyond the Middle East and North Africa. Certainly Central Asian states to the north of Afghanistan are worried and seeing early signs of ISIS. Afghanistan is also observing the beginnings of ISIS affiliated groups in northern Afghanistan as well as Helmand province. To further add to the problem it appears that China is seeing Uyghurs joining the Islamic State. Many Uyghurs live in Xinjinag province - located to the east of Afghanistan where there is a short border with China. Read more in "Chinese Official: Uyghurs joining Islamic State", The Diplomat, March 12, 2015.

Educational Shura in Parwan Province. Afghan educators and Task Force Solid held an 'educational shura' to discuss ideas on how to improve education and security in Parwan. Read more in a news article by Army.mil on March 14, 2015.

Dakota Meyer and Bristol Palin. A Medal of Honor recipient, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, is engaged to the daughter of former governor Sarah Palin. (Military Times, March 14, 2015).

Guest Bloggers Invited

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

Early Morning Afghan War News

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

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

Subscribe to AWN Daily Newsletter

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.

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)




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.

Guest Bloggers Welcomed

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan News w/ Your Morning Coffee

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.

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.

Blog Contributors Wanted

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Subscribe to AWN Daily Newsletter

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.

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