Afghan War Blog

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Daily Afghan News Snippets (Mar 21, 2015)

Troops Staying? Matthew Rosenberg and Mark Mazzetti provide us with a news article entitled "More U.S. Troops Seen Staying in Afghanistan", The New York Times, March 19, 2015. This article lays out the background for delaying the troop withdrawal, explores the political aspects of Obama's decision, and discusses President Ghani's upcoming trip to the U.S. which should provide us with more news.

Report - A Resurgent Taliban. Lauren McNally and Paul Bucala have penned a report entitled The Taliban Resurgent: Threats to Afghanistan's Security, Institute for the Study of War, March 2015. This 39-page report examines in detail the Taliban movement, its strengths, its weaknesses, tactics, and operations.

Ghani's Power Increases? With his government handicapped by lack of a full cabinet many see President Ghani winning out in a different way. Seems he and his staff are making ministerial level decisions which ultimately increases his power. Read more in "Afghan Leader Said to be Centralizing Power as Unity Government Plan Stalls", The New York Times, March 20, 2015.

Islamic State in Khorasan (ISK). The security situation in Afghanistan recently grew a little more complicated with the Islamic State's formal declaration of its "Khorasan" chapter in January 2015. There are indications that this is a ". . . fairly loosely configured, but noteworthy, network of groups and individuals who are trying to alter the direction of South and Central Asia's multiple jihads.". Read more in "Situating the Emergence of the Islamic State of Khorasan", by Dan Rassler, Combating Terrorism Center, West Point, March 19, 2015.

America's Warlords in Afghanistan. "To fight the Taliban, the United States created a new generation of abusive strongmen that are now running rampant." In this article Kelley Vlahos discusses the abuses of warlords, the Afghan Local Police, and Gen (ret) Petraeus, (The American Conservative, March 20, 2015)

LRAAC. the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, LA has introduced a new one-week long training curriculum to help commanders prepare their leaders for Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) missions around the world. The Leader's Regional Advise and Assist Course (LRAAC) is an immersive training event designed to provide leaders at company and battalion level the cognitive foundation necessary for the successful execution of security cooperation missions. Read more about the LRAAC in an article in Military Review, March 2015.

Nowruz. It appears that Nowruz, the Persian New Year, will be the occasion of some celebrations on Saturday, March 21. Some celebrations and public gatherings will be taking place. Kabul Security lists some of the locations in a Facebook posting. UNAMA is extending "Warm Regards" to Afghans on Norruz.

Mongolians in Afghanistan. The Mongolians have been in Afghanistan for a few years now. Is this their third time here in the course of history? They had quite a force protection contingent at Mazar-e Sharif and now it appears that they are also manning the gates of the New Kabul Compound (NKC) in Kabul. (US Forces Afghanistan Facebook, Mar 20, 2015).

Air Power in Afghanistan. This 32-page paper, dated December 2014, by Robert Perkins is published by the Action on Armed Violence (UK). It discusses how NATO changed the rules for air power during 2008-2014. It examines several civilian casualty incidents (NATO bombings gone wrong) and the resulting policy changes by the respective ISAF commanders and President Karzai's proclamations.

Book Review. The book "No Good men Among the Living" - a book about Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban - is reviewed in Counterpunch.org by Louis Proyect.

Photo Essay of ANA. Deni Bechard provides us with a photo essay (there is text as well) on the Afghan National Army (ANA). The essay (text part) discusses the challenges of ethnicity in the ANA and in particular, at the Officer Training Course in Qargha district (west of Kabul). Read (view) "Portrait of the Nation as a Young Army", Foreign Policy, March 19, 2015.

TAAC West Change of Command. Italian BG Maurizio Scardino and his Garibaldi Brigade have been in western Afghanistan the past seven months. Their mission is complete and a new sheriff is in town. The new TAAC West commander, Italian BG Michele Risa and his Julia Brigade will pick up the TAAC West mission. BG Risa and members of his staff recently completed training at the Joint Force Training Center (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland in January and February of this year to prepare for their Train, Advise, and Assist mission.

Podcast on Life & Art in Afghanistan. John Little of Covert Contact interviews Francesca Recchia in a podcast (21 mins) about life in Kabul. Francesca is working hard to develop cultural programs and she explains how local artists view and approach their work.

Michael Vickers Leaving DoD. Vickers, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, is leaving his job. He spent four years in this position; a long tenure. SecDef Ashton Carter is making some personnel changes and Vickers is out. Vickers started his career as an enlisted man in Special Forces, then got a commission, and later became a CIA operations officer. He was a chief strategist behind the covert program to arm the Mujahadeen fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. His role was depicted in the movie "Charlie Wilson's War". Read more of this story in "Pentagon Intel Chief Steps Aside, Game of Musical Chairs Begins", The Cable Blog on Foreign Policy, by Kate Brannen, March 19, 2015. See also "The Pentagon's Top Intelligence Chief is Out", by Ben Watson in Defense One, March 19, 2015.

"American Idol" in Afghanistan. A popular television show - "Afghan Star" - is a rare instance where men and women appear on stage. A writer provides us with some info about the arts and culture of Afghanistan. (CNN News, Mar 19, 2015).

Turkmenistan and the Taliban. Turkmen authorities are increasingly worried about the growth of the Taliban in an northern district of Afghanistan that borders on Turkmenistan. Read more in a news report by Silk Road Reporters (March 19, 2015).

AAF Still needs U.S. and NATO. The U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh recently briefed Congress that the Afghan Air Force will continue to need assistance from the U.S. and NATO. (Air Force Times, March 19, 2015).

U.S. Air Power in Afg Diminished. The U.S. use of air power in Afghanistan in the first two months of 2015 was its lowest in five years. This is not unexpected news - the 2015 fighting season is not yet underway and the U.S. has redeployed much of its close air support aircraft. (Reuters, Mar 20, 2015).

CAS and A-10. The Air Force, wanting to get rid of the A-10 aircraft, says the F-35 can do the mission. Maybe not. Read "Throwing off the CAS Yoke, Part I: Shifting Rhetoric", John Q. Public, March 20, 2015.

Guide to Anti-Corruption Programming. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has produced a publication entitled Practitioner's Guide for Anticorruption Programming, January 2015. "This Guide offers practical programming and implementation advice for USAID field missions to support their development of effective anticorruption programs. The advice is based on lessons learned from past anticorruption programming by USAID, other donors and host governments." Could be useful for the Resolute Support advisors working in the Essential Function 2 - Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight office who are trying to decrease the corruption in the Afghan ministries.

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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 20, 2015

Book Review - "The Arabs at War in Afghanistan"

A new book about Afghanistan has been published. The Arabs at War in Afghanistan is about the history of the jihadist movement in Afghanistan. The book is co-authored by Mustafa Hamid, one of the first Arabs to join the anti-Soviet jihad and Leah Farral, an academic and former counter-terrorism analyst with the Australian police. With Hamid, the book explains the history of the jihad from the perspective of an early, active participant. Read a review of the book by Myra MacDonald entitled "From Freedom Fighters to the Islamic State: The Mutation of Jihad", War on the Rocks, March 9, 2015. The book is available at Amazon.com.

Video - "Afghan Faces: The Photographer"

Take a look into the life of a Kabul-based photographer. Ahmad Sohrab Taki likes to gather scenic shots form all provinces of Afghanistan, though this is sometimes not possible because of the security situation. Video posted on YouTube.com by NATO TV Channel, published March 19, 2015 (3 mins long).
https://youtu.be/6bUN-3sLZH0

Afghan War News Snippets (Mar 20, 2015)

Afghan PCoP Killed. Mattiullah Khan, the Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP) for Uruzgan province in central Afghanistan was killed while visiting Kabul on late Wednesday by a bomber dressed in women's clothes and a burqa according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI). The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Mattiullah, considered by many to be a warlord despite his official title, was a favorite of U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan. The general, a member of the Popalzai tribe, served as PCoP since 2011. He was the cousin of former Uruzgan Governor Mohammad Khan - a good acquaintance of Hamid Karzai. Prior to that he was involved in providing route security and was the beneficiary of lucrative convoy security contracts. He also was the head of a fairly competent armed force (call it a militia) that was far more reliable than the Afghan National Army or Afghan National Police. Read more in a news report (ABC News, Mar 19, 2015).

Police-e Mardume. One of the major goals of the Police-e Mardum (Community Policing) Department within the Ministry of Interior (MoI0 is how to ensure that all provinces have community policing teams. Read more in "Police-e Mardume needs to cover all the provinces", European Union External Action, March 2015. www.eupol-afg.eu/node/555

Pakistan & Afghanistan: Can they be Friends? President Ghani of Afghanistan is trying hard to improve relations with a nation that has a long-term policy of supporting insurgents who attack the Afghan government and its security forces. Ghani hopes the Pakistanis will abandon their support to the Afghan Taliban and pressure them to sit at the negotiating table. The resulting peace talks would diminish the conflict and open the door to economic prosperity. Not likely. Read more in "Ghani's Gambit: Can Afghanistan and Pakistan Ever Get Along?", The New York Times, March 18, 2015.

Ghani to visit U.S. President Ghani of Afghanistan will soon be on U.S. soil. This will be his first official U.S. visit - issues to be discussed include troop levels (U.S.), peace talks, and economic assistance. Not the first trip to the U.S. for Ghani - he taught at a U.S. university for years. Read "Afghan President Ghani set to embark on key US visit", Deutshe Welle, March 19, 2015.

TAAC East Encouraged by Police Training. The Train Advise Assist Command - East folks seem to be encouraged with the progress that the police Regional Training Center (RTC) located in Nangarhar province is making in training the Afghan National Police (ANP). Read more in "US Advisors see progress in Afghan police training", DVIDS, March 19, 2015.

Predicting Violence in Afghan Villages. A common refrain of "Population Centric COIN" is protecting the population in order to sway the community away from the insurgents and get them to support the government (and the counterinsurgents). Researchers at Yale University have developed a data project that forms a relationship between villages that supported the counterinsurgents and the levels of violence those villages experienced. The news is not good. Read more in "Violence Is More Likely To Occur in Pro-US Villages in Afghanistan", Defense One, March 18, 2015.

UK Policy on Interpreters Questioned. A former leader of the Liberal Democrats (I guess these folks can be found in other places besides the U.S.) has questioned the government's policy on allowing Afghan interpreters to resettle in the United Kingdom. Read more in a news report on Forces.TV, March 19, 2015.

Canada - "Relentless Boosterism". A correspondent provides us his view of Canada's role in Afghanistan in "From Afghanistan to Iraq, the perils of overconfidence", CBC News World, March 19, 2015.

Afghan Women Worry about NATO Withdrawal. A report in Newsweek by Christina Lamb entitled "Afghan Women Dread Departure of U.S. Forces" (March 18, 2015) says that while things have improved dramatically for women - progress may well be reversed.

Taliban - Fragmenting or Re-consolidating? It must be tough being an Intel Analyst and trying to track which insurgent group is associated with others, what their ties are, and how much they coordinate and cooperate with each other. Some open source press accounts say the Taliban are fragmenting while others say they are consolidating. Put into the mix that you have the "Afghan Taliban" and the "Pakistan Taliban" - not to mention ISIS associated groups - and you have quite a task connecting the dots in your link analysis database. Read more in "Splinter Militant Groups Reunite with Taliban for 2015", The Diplomat, March 16, 2015.

Japan Pledges Aid for Refugees. A recent news report says that Japan has pledged $16 million in aid for Afghan and Pakistan refugees. (Japan Times, Mar 19, 2015).

M4A1 Carbine May get Upgrades. The U.S. Army is considering several upgrades to the M4A1 Carbine that will improve its performance and accuracy. Read more in a news report (Military.com, Mar 18, 2015).

Laser Guns and Microwaves. The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is considering how to integrate emerging technologies such as laser guns and high-powered microwaves onto its AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. It is still a concept for the distant future. Read more in "Laser Weapons Could be Outfitted on Special Ops Aircraft", National Defense Magazine, March 18, 2015.

Retrograde in Afghanistan. The movement of personnel and equipment out of Afghanistan - known as retrograde - over the past few years has been a tremendous accomplishment for the logistics organizations of the Army and the U.S. Air Force. Beginning in 2012 thousands of pieces of equipment had to be moved or disposed of. Read more in "Afghanistan Retrograde: Materiel Command's Logistics Feat Like No Other", Army Magazine, March 12, 2015.

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Armed MD-530 Helicopters Delivered

Six MD-530 Armed Helicopters Arrive (Photo 438th AEW)

The Afghan Air Force (AAF) has received delivery on March 18, 2015 the first six armed MD-530 helicopters. These small helicopters will be used for close air attack and other missions by the AAF. View photos of the arrival posted to Facebook by the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing. There are currently unarmed MD-530 helicopters being used primarily for pilot training at Shindand Air Base in western Afghanistan. A few factors have prodded the U.S. military to put weapons systems on the MD-530. The shelf life of the five Mi-35 Attack Helicopters is ending in 2016 (unless future plans change that). Of these five the AAF is lucky to have 2 or 3 flying at any given time. In addition, the fielding of the A-29 Super Tucano - a close air support aircraft - has been significantly delayed by U.S. Air Force mismanagement and Congressional meddling. The fact that the U.S. has withdrawn much of its close air support platforms and very rarely provides close air support to the Afghan security forces is an additional factor as well. Read more about the MD-530F Helicopter at the link below:

www.afghanwarnews.info/air/md-530f.htm

Afghan War News Snippets (Mar, 19, 2015)

U.S. Defense Budget. The military brass seemed somewhat pleased with the proceedings thus far in the House. Read more in "Military brass endorse boost in war funding", The Hill Blog, March 17, 2015.

UN e-Guide. The United Nations Departments of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and Department of Field Support (DFS) has published (January 2015) an e-Guide. It is a resource for new staff joining DPKO. The e-Guide was developed in recognition of the steep learning curve new personnel experience. It provides basic information on peacekeeping and links to online UN courses on peacekeeping. The document is posted on the PKSOI.org website.

Paper - "Political Parties in Afghanistan." The United States Institute of Pace (USIP) has published a report entitled Political Parties in Afghanistan (Mar 11, 2015). This report assesses their history, role and activities over the last decade and how their future might unfold under and contribute to the country's new unity government (NUG).
www.usip.org/publications/2015/03/11/political-parties-in-afghanistan

Future Issues of UK's Combat Vets. Air Vice Marshal David Murray, the Chief Executive of forces charity SSAFA, has penned a piece entitled "The Full Impact of Afghanistan Is Yet to Be Seen", The Huffington Post Blog (UK), March 13, 2015.

Drones and Bad News. Andrew Cockburn recounts the story of a drone attack in support of a Special Forces detachment in Afghanistan that turns out bad. It is the story of how twenty-three innocent Afghan civilians were killed by mistake; but also sheds light on how drone operations are conducted. Read "Drones and the rise of the high-tech assassins", Boing Boing, March 11, 2015.

Drone Payloads. The drones are here to stay. One big development in drone technology is the ability to vary the payloads - whether it is sensor equipment or ordnance. Read more in "Are High-Tech Sensors the Answer to the Pentagon's Drone Demand?", Defense One, March 2015.

Drugs Flying Out of Afghan Airports. The United Nations reports a sharp spike in drugs being smuggled out of Afghanistan on commercial airline flights by passengers. (Reuters, March 17, 2015).

Talks with the Taliban? Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) writes a dispatch on the buzz and rumors of peace negotiations. (AAN, Mar 17, 2015).

Truck Bomb in Helmand. A Taliban attack targeting senior provincial officials in Helmand province killed at least seven civilians and wounded around 40. It exploded near the compound that houses the governor, the head of the provincial council, and the deputy provincial police chief. (Gandhara Blog, Mar 18, 2015). See also a news report by Military Times (Mar 18, 2015).

PowerPoint Rangers. There are many good uses for PowerPoint but sometimes it can become a problem. As in when a 45 page CONOP is needed for a routine troop movement from point A to point B. Or when a PowerPoint presentation replaces a concept paper. Read more in "Why the Pentagon Needs a War on PowerPoint", Cicero Magazine, March 18, 2015.

ACCI Training Program for Women. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ACCI) reports that 24 business women graduated from a unique ten-week business course that took place in Kabul in partnership with other organizations. (ACCI, Mar 18, 2015).

Dostum Sidelined? According to a report in The New York Times (Mar 18, 2015) First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum is being benched on the sidelines by President Ghani and the National Unity Government (NUG).

Political Leadership in Afghanistan Needed. A recent commentary by Jack Detsch in The Diplomat (Mar 18, 2015) says that the Coalition is making good strides in the training of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) but that the weak link now appears to be the inability of the government to take charge. Although President Ghani is a robust politician he still (after six months) does not have a fully-formed cabinet in place. In another news report, Tolo News (Mar 17, 2015) says that the remaining nominees for the cabinet may be introduced before, during, or just after the meeting with U.S. officials in the states and President Ghani.

TAPI Pipeline Meeting. There will be another summit meeting on the TAPI gas pipeline project in Kabul this week. Read more in a news report (Khaama Press, Mar 18, 2015).

2015 U.S. Army Posture Statement. The posture statement " . . . is the written expression of the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army to Congress for the annual posture hearings. The Army Posture Statement informs Congress on the state of the Army and outlines the Army's accomplishments, initiatives, and priorities for Congress to consider when reviewing the President's budget for the upcoming fiscal year". Read a news report in Stand-To@, March 18, 2015.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Stop Illicit Drugs - Follow the Money

Despite the investment of over $8 billion by the United States to try and combat the drug trade in Afghanistan - drug trafficking is at an all-time high. Afghan farmers are producing more opium than ever before. The sale of the drugs produces money that must be laundered so it can appear legitimate. Read about anti-laundering efforts and recommendations on how to improve those efforts in "To Stem the Flow of Illicit Drugs from Afghanistan, Follow the Money", American Progress, March 17, 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).

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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.

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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.

www.army.mil/article/144532/

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

Early Morning Afghan War News

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