Afghan War Blog

Monday, March 23, 2015

Afghan News Snippets (Mar 23, 2015)

Afghan Reset. The relationship between Afghanistan and the United States has certainly improved with the departure of President Karzai. President Ghani, the new president, immediately had the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) approved upon taking office, opening the door for the U.S. to keep troops in Afghanistan past December 2014. Now, with Ghani in Washington this week to meet with Obama and others, we should see a relaxation of the withdrawal timeline of U.S. troops departing. Read more in "Obama's Afghanistan Reset", by George E. Condon, Jr. in National Journal, March 22, 2015.

Clean Slate? Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution writes about the new relationship of the U.S. and Afghanistan in "Viewpoint: A clean slate for US and Afghanistan", BBC News US, March 21, 2015.

Post-2016 Troop Levels? In is highly anticipated that Obama will decide to keep up to 10,000 troops in Afghanistan for most of 2015 and perhaps into 2016. What isn't known is will Obama keep troops there past 2016. A major factor in that decision is how well the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) perform against the Taliban during the 2015 and 2016 fighting seasons. Read more in "US exit from Afghanistan hinged to performance of Afghan security forces", Fox News, March 22, 2015.

Afghan Cabinet Nominees. President Ghani would have liked to visit Washington this week with a full cabinet in place. However, that didn't happen. He has announced new nominees for the remaining 16 ministries. The nominees are listed in a news report by Khaama Press, March 21, 2015.

Ghani and Ash Carter Meeting. On March 23rd at 4:30 pm EST (that's 1630 for you military types . . . and Europeans) President Ghani and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter (the new guy) will meet. The event will be televised live. You can watch it online at www.defense.gov/live/.

Operation Slipper. More than 33,000 members of the Australian Defence Force took part in the conflict in Afghanistan. Operation Slipper was the name of the Australian operation that deployed service members to Afghanistan and the Middle East. A celebration was held across Australia marking the end of military operations in Afghanistan. Of course, Australia will still be involved in the Train, Advise, and Assist mission in Afghanistan with almost 500 military members serving as trainers, advisors or staff members of the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "Operation Slipper: Parades marking end of military operation in Afghanistan held across Australia", ABC News, March 21, 2015.

Paula Broadwell. General Petraeus's biographer is back in the news. (Stars & Stripes, March 22, 2015).

Kidnapped Hazaras Still Held. The 31 Afghans kidnapped in Zabul province are still being held. There are rumors that a group possibly allied with the Islamic State is responsible. Members of the Hazara community are reaching out to the Taliban - a historical enemy - for assistance. Read more in "Fearing Islamic State, some Afghan Shi'ites seek help from old enemies", Reuters, March 22, 2015.

Matiullah Khan. The assassination of the Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP) of Uruzgan will leave a big leadership vacuum in the province. Many will watch this province to see if the Taliban start making advances. Read more in "The unofficial king of Uruzgan", The Interpreter, March 20, 2015.

U.S. Drone Strike Kills Pakistani Taliban. A militant leader of the Pakistani Taliban was killed by a drone strike on the Afghan-Pakistan border. (Reuters, March 19, 2015).

'Scranton Restaurant' in Herat. An Afghan woman who runs women shelters in Afghanistan (courtesy of money provided by USAID) has recently opened a 'women's only' cafe in Herat. She was able to do this through funding from women's groups in Scranton, PA. Next is the 'Philidelphia Restaurant' - also for Herat. Read more in a news report. (Philly.com, Mar 22, 2015).

Women, Water, and Community Involvement in Badghis. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is helping women in Badghis province get easier access to water through their involvement in local government. Women, usually locked out of politics and decision-making at the community and district level, are starting to find a voice within the Community Development Councils and the District Development Assemblies. (UNDP News, Mar 2015).

RFE 'Person of the Year'. A villager in a remote village in Khost province is the recipient of the Radio Free Europe "Person of the Year Award". The father of nine children concealed the death of his daughter on the eve of Afghanistan's June 14, 2014 presidential runoff election so as not to disrupt the election day events in his community. Had the funeral been held on June 14th many villagers would not have voted. (Radio Free Europe, Mar 21, 2015).

Afghan Woman Beaten & Burned is Buried. An Afghan woman beaten to death and burned by an angry mob of Afghan men in Kabul was buried. Allegedly she burned a copy of the Koran which caused the attack. The incident has received worldwide attention. President Ghani has ordered an investigation, suspects have been arrested, and police are being questioned (and suspended?). (U.S. News & World Report, Mar 22, 2015).

South Korea Envoy. Korea's Foreign Ministry is sending diplomat Yoo Myung-jin to become the envoy posted to Afghanistan. While there she will look after Korea's interests, have oversight on Korean residents and visitors, and maintain contact with the Korean hospital on Bagram Air Field. (Korea Joongang Daily, Mar 21, 2015).

Info on Dostum Attempted Assassination. The Afghan intelligence service says it foiled an attempt on Dostum's life on Saturday that was to take place in northern Jawzjan province. The attempt was to be carried out by a suicide bomber who had a bomb hidden on the back of his horse during attendance at game of buzkashi (picture horseman fighting over the carcass of a goat). (Reuters, Mar 21, 2015).

Madrasas in Pakistan. The Taliban get many of their recruits from the Madrasas in Pakistan. There are attempts by the Pakistan government to regulate the Madrasas. Read more in a news report (Eurasia Review, Mar 21, 2015).

Salafism. "In recent years, particularly after the incident of 9/11, the term Salafism has attracted much attention. Salafism has been blamed for being the ideology that underpins terrorist violence." One writer believes that Salafism " . . is highly misunderstood due to its amorphous nature". Read more in an article in Eurasia Review, March 21, 2015.

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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Trouble South of Border - Balochistan

Central and South Asia is a troubled region riddled with conflict. Not only does Afghanistan have its own internal insurgency but it's neighbors also have problems. Pakistan has a number of groups that oppose its government. One of these groups is the Balochs. The Balochs live in a large area of Pakistan just to the south of Afghanistan - called Balochistan. Baloch refugees are moving across the border into Afghanistan - many into Nimroz and Helmand provinces. The Balochs of this region are not numerous and the area is very poor (even though it is supposed to be rich in natural resources). There is a desire among many Balochs for independence but this is not going to happen as the Pakistani security forces have a good handle on the situation (thus far). Many reports indicate that the Pakistani forces are engaged in human rights violations. The situation is compounded with massive smuggling enterprises (including drug trafficking). Read more in "Pakistan: Baloch's Silent War - Analysis", Eurasia Review, March 19, 2015.

Afghan News Snippets (Mar 22, 2015)

Ghani and Abdullah Write to Us. President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah have penned an opinion article for The Washington Post (March 20, 2015) entitled "The importance of the U.S.-Afghanistan alliance." This is posted just days before they begin a series of meetings with high-level U.S. officials (including President Obama) in Washington, D.C. The intent of this letter to the U.S. public is to set the stage for the deepening of cooperation between the U.S. and Afghanistan and to garner continued U.S. support for Afghanistan. An interesting sentence is in the letter goes like this - " . . . and now Afghanistan has become the eastern wall standing against the butchery of ISIL, also known as the Islamic State". Of course, this is a concern of the U.S. public (see "Poll: Americans increasingly concerned about ISIS", CNN News, March 19, 2015). From the Afghan perspective, it is a good letter to justify continued U.S. support - stating that democracy is taking hold, women's rights are being advanced, and corruption is being dealt with. Now if only it were true.

Ghani Press Conference. President Ghani conducted a press conference (in English) on March 21, 2015 about his upcoming visit to the United States. (46 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS9BFqV5alw

Outcome of Ghani's Visit? RAND Corporation has posted an analysis of the President Ghani visit to the U.S. See "Q&A: What to Expect from Ghani's U.S. Visit", The RAND Blog, March 20, 2015.

Slower Afghan Exit. Washington is rethinking plans to halve the U.S. troop presence by year's end as threats persist. Read "Obama Considers Slower Afghan Exit", The Wall Street Journal, March 2015. (subscription or log in needed).

Urbanization Needed for Afghanistan? One writer, Ali Karimi, believes that the future of Afghanistan is tied to its cities becoming bigger. He says that worldwide urbanization is the wave of the future and that Afghanistan's dependence on the agricultural sector will hold the country back. Read more in "Can Cities Save Afghanistan?", Foreign Policy, March 20, 2015.

IMF & Afghanistan in Agreement. Afghanistan has agreed with officials from the International Monetary fund (IMF) on the country's plans to boost tax revenue, fight corruption and build a stronger financial system . . ." Read more in "Kabul, IMF agree on vision for overhauling Afghan economy", Reuters, March 20, 2015. You can read a press release on the topic by the IMF.

U.S. and Central Asia. The U.S. is taking a re-look at Central Asia. With everything else going on with the world it would be easy to forget this remote area (from a U.S. perspective) but actually Central Asia in important in terms of keeping the Islamic State at bay (stemming the advancement of Russian and Chinese influence, and the further development the economic future of Afghanistan. The State Department's New Silk Road Strategy (NSRS) has been plodding along while the Chinese "New Silk Road" has gathered steam. Read more in "U.S. Reassesses Central Asia Strategy", Radio Free Europe, March 21, 2015.

Uzbekistan and ISIL. "With Afghan-based radical Islamists siding with ISIL, Central Asian countries are stepping up border security and educating citizens about potential threats". (Central Asia Online, March 20, 2015).

Never Ending War. William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF) has penned an article citing seven reasons why the U.S. is stuck in the never ending wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Read "Groundhog Day in the War on Terror", TomDispatch.com, February 1, 2015.

Attempted Assassination of Dostum? Khaama Press is reporting that Afghan intelligence operatives thwarted another plot to assassinate first Vice President Rashid Dostum (March 21, 2015).

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

TAPI Pipeline: Construction to Start in 2015

Pakistani and Indian press reports about the results of the March 15th TAPI pipeline meeting suggest a breakthrough has been achieved that would allow construction to begin as soon as 2015. It appears that progress was made on financial terms with Turkmenistan that allows the huge energy project to move forward. The export of gas products from Turkmenistan to the user nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India will benefit Afghanistan. One sticky problem is that the pipeline will flow through southern Afghanistan - and the security situation is far from good in that region. Read "A Breakthrough on the TAPI Pipeline?", by Micha'el Tanchum in The Diplomat, March 20, 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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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).

Guest Bloggers Wanted

Afghan Daily News at 5:00 am

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.