Afghan Daily News Snippets (Mar 25, 2015)

Ghani Visit to Pentagon - Video. President Ghani visited the Pentagon and addressed service members and veterans to thank them for their contributions to Afghanistan's security. In attendance was John Kerry (DoS), Ash Carter (DoD), John Brennan (CIA), and others. You can watch his address in a video posted on the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS). (35 minutes).

www.dvidshub.net/video/395650/remarks-sec-def-ash-carter-president-afghanistan-ashraf-ghani

More on Ghani Visit. The New York Times (Mar 23, 2015) provides us with a news story on how Ashraf Ghani thanked the U.S. LTG (Ret.) David Barno (former cdr in Afghanistan) and Nora Bensahel wrote a column about resetting U.S. and Afghan relations in War on the Rocks (Mar 24, 2105). A bipartisan group of Senators send a letter to President Ghani asking him to prioritize women's protection and participation in political, peace, and security processes (Sen Barbara Boxer website, Mar 23, 2015). Kate Brannen writes in The Cable Blog on Foreign Policy (Mar 23, 2015) about Ghani's pledge to curb corruption in Afghanistan.

NPR Interview with Ghani. National Public Radio (NPR) interviews President Ghani during his U.S. visit to D.C. NPR Morning Edition host Renee Montagne asks questions and gets answers about corruption in Afghanistan, U.S. troop levels, Bilateral Security Agreement, ISIS in Afghanistan, and more. (Mar 23, 2015, 10 minutes).

Background Briefing on High-Level Afghan Meetings. The U.S. Department of State has posted a background briefing about high-level discussions with Afghan officials (March 23, 2015). Some of the topics include the "Bilateral Commission", "Security Consultative Forum", "funding request to Congress for 353,000 level of ANSF", "attrition of the ANSF", "agreement with the Ministry of Finance", "Financial Action Task Force", and "New Development Partnership".
www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/03/239712.htm

Stay In or Get Out. Stephen Biddle writes in Defense One that "withdrawal timetables only delay failure; the U.S. should stay in or get out now". (March 24, 2015).

Rising Violence. There is concern about the rising violence in Afghanistan from an Indian perspective. Read "Afghanistan: Rising Violence, Uncertain Peace", Eurasia Review,  March 24, 2015.

13 Passengers Killed on Bus. Gunmen killed at least 13 bus passengers traveling through Wardak province on their way to the southern part of the country. Read more in a news report. (Voice of America, Mar 24, 2015). 

The Taliban - Infographic and Video. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has published a very informative article (complete with graphs and tables) about the Taliban. View the CFR InfoGuide presentation at this link. (March 2015). This is an in-depth article along with a 10 minute long video.

CTC Sentinel - Latest Issue. The March issue of the CTC Sentinel published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is now on line. This issue covers the emergence and growth of jihad movements in the Middle East, North Africa, and AfPak region.

https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/march-2015-baya-special-issue

Parameters - Latest Issue. The U.S. Army War College quarterly Parameters is now posted online (Winter 2014-2015, Vol. 44, No. 4). One article "Considering Why We Lost" challenges assertions made in the book by LTG (Retired) Daniel Bolger's book Why We Lost. In addition, there are four articles about China on the topics of strategy, power projection, and military mercantilism. Two articles discuss the Islamic State, two articles discuss Hamas, and a few more.

http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/

Kabul Police Chief's Spokesman Sacked. It appears that spokesman Stanikzai has been sacked by MoI over his endorsement post on Facebook about the Farkhunda killing. The Afghan woman, killed by a mob for a crime she apparently did not commit has become an object for women activists in Afghanistan. (The Washington Post, Mar 23, 2015). The Guardian (Mar 23, 2015) reports that the family of the woman murdered has taken comfort from the "tide of outrage" about the incident.

Aid Groups Want Inclusion into Development Decisions. A group of international civil aid groups want to be included in government decisions about aid provided to Afghanistan for development. Read more in "10 civil society networks call for action ahead of major Afghan meeting", British & Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG), March 23, 2015.

Tracking IED Data. The Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) organization posted an article (Mar 3, 2015) by Jane Hunter entitled "Tracking IED Harm: IED data collection, and why it is crucial". Around 50% of the casualties of the Afghan National Security Forces are from IEDs.

Army Officer Likes the Sound of A-10 Above. A career Army officer and strategist with multiple combat tours writes in an article entitled Smoke and Mirrors of the folly of the Air Force in retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II without having a adequate replacement to provide close air support. (John Q. Public Blog, Mar 23, 2015).

Road Maintenance Study. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding several programs to assist the Afghan Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) to develop a sustainable approach to road maintenance in Afghanistan. Two delegations of Afghan transportation officials recently completed visits to India, Kenya and Tanzania to gain a better understanding of how road maintenance institutions were developed in those countries. Read more in a USAID press release dated March 24, 2015.

Roads to Stability. Many observers believe good roads will lead to economic prosperity and security. Read more in "The Surprisingly Mundane Key to Afghan Stability: Roads", The Diplomat,, March 25, 2015.

16 New Nominees for Afghan Cabinet. Shortly before his departure for the United States President Ghani submitted 16 new names for cabinet positions. The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) gathered biographic information on the new nominees and provides us with their perspective on the selections. (AAN, Mar 24, 2015).

U.S. Ignores Afghan Human Rights Problems. The international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the United States to address the human rights situation in Afghanistan by sidelining strongmen, pay attention to women's rights, close Guantanamo, and get a handle on the CIA. Read more in "US: Rights Should Top Afghanistan Summit Agenda" (March 23, 2015).

Podcast on ANSF and Abuses. National Public Radio has posted a podcast entitled "U.S. Weighs Its Responsibility When Afghan Forces Commit Abuses", March 24, 2015. RS commander John Campbell, Afghan expert Carter Malkasian, and SecDef Carter soundbites are included. (4 minutes).

Afghanistan Week in Norway. One of the long-term troop contributing nations (TCN) in the Afghan conflict has been NATO member Norway. The Norwegian Red Cross, Norwegian Afghanistan Committee, and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), and other NGOs are hosting and sponsoring this week-long event to inform the public about Afghanistan during Afghanistan-uka 2015 (Mar 24-29, 2015).

DCGS-A Increment 2 Draws Near. The very expensive and (at one time) very ineffective computerized intelligence system known as DCGS-A is getting an upgrade that will be released soon. When first deployed to intelligence units and organizations in Afghanistan is was spurned by Intel analysts as 'broke'. Hopefully it has gotten better since then. (C4ISR & Networks, Mar 23, 2015). 

Video - Kabul Security. Kabul's security advisor to the MoI Col John Graham is highlighted in this video about Kabul security. (NATO Channel, March 24, 2015, 4 minutes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpvhs_FyQ_0

Video - Dr. Barnett Rubin. Dr. Rubin presents talk about understanding the political economy on state-strengthening in Afghanistan 2001-2014; and how to improve state-building interventions in general. (USIP, March 20, 2015, 38 minutes). 

https://youtu.be/htbuEvPi5GY

Video - Ministerial Advisor to MoI. A Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior, USAF Capt. Brandon L. Sanders, is interviewed about his career, being an Afghan Hand, and his job as an advisor. This video is entitled "Resolute Support Advisor Profile Series #1". (DVIDS, March 24, 2015, 14 minutes).

U.S. Silk Road Needs Attention. The U.S. Department of State rolled out its New Silk Road Strategy (NSRS) a few years back to develop the Central Asian states economic situation in hopes that improvement in the economic sector would transfer into economic improvement in Afghanistan. However, some feel that the NSRS is hurting. Read more in US New Silk Road Initiative Needs Urgent Renewal, by Richard Weitz, International Relations and Security Network (ISN), March 24, 2015.

Post Your Unpublished Paper on Afghanistan

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. If you wrote a paper on a relevant topic and would like to share it send it to us for posting on the blog and website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Shave, Shower, Coffee & Afghan War Newsletter

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

High Peace Council Sidelined

Under the Karzai administration the High Peace Council (HPC) was responsible for peace talks with high-level insurgents and the reintegration of mid- and low-level insurgents. The HPC failed miserably on both counts. While ISAF claimed over 6,000 insurgents were reintegrated  - a close examination would show that much of the money provided to Afghanistan for peace and reintegration efforts were wasted on HPC staff at national, provincial and district levels who never showed for work and on development projects tied to reintegration efforts that usually were provided by corrupt officials to their families and friends. Many of the reintegrated insurgents were really farmers or cronies of corrupt officials provided with an old AK-47 who were looking for the three-month stipend and vocational training offered by the HPC for being reintegrated. Read more in "Afghan president pursues peace with Taliban - his way", Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets (Mar 24, 2015)

Afghan President Visit to U.S. This week most of the headlines regarding Afghanistan will be about the visit to the United States (D.C., Camp David, and NYC) by Afghan President Ghani and his Chief Executive Officer Abdullah. They will be meeting with President Obama, SecDef Carter, and State's John Kerry. In addition, they will be interviewed by various media personalities and policy wonks. There are a number of goals that Ghani will want to accomplish. Re-establish good relations with the U.S., delay troop withdrawals (or at least slow down) during 2015 and 2016, and ensure continued funding of his government and security forces.

Ghani Schedule. The Afghan leaders have a busy schedule this week. A DoD news release published on March 21, 2015 outlines the meetings and agenda.

Why U.S. Troops Should Stay. Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst, writes that the U.S. needs to keep its troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016. (CNN News, March 22, 2015). President Ghani is interviewed in a two-minute clip that is embedded within the news article.

Delicate Task for Ghani. Sudarsan Raghavan writes about President Ghani's "delicate task" when he arrives in Washington. He must convince Congress and the President ". . . that Afghanistan is on the right track but still requires monetary aid and military support . . ." (The Washington Post, Mar 21, 2015).

Successful Visit Predicted. Michael Kugelman, writing at Foreign Policy (Mar 19, 2015) says that Ghani should have a good visit but it probably won't do much to solve his problems home in Afghanistan.

Webcast w/ Abdullah Abdullah. On Thursday, March 26th (2:00 pm to 3:30 pm) the Brookings Institute will host Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah for  a conversation to discuss the challenges that lie ahead for Afghanistan. Micheal O'Hanlon will provide introductory remarks and Bruce Riedel will moderate the discussion. The event will be webcast so you can view it over the Internet.

What Does ISIS Really Want. One of the concerns that President Ghani brings to Washington, D.C. is the arrival of ISIS in Afghanistan. According to some news reports, ISIS has established a foothold in six of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Although ISIS is not yet a real threat there is a lot of teeth grinding and lots of talk about this development. Of course, it strengthens Ghani's argument for continued U.S. support (militarily and economically). But what exactly is ISIS? One author, Graeme Wood, explains that to us in an article in The Atlantic (March 2015). He states that "The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse." In his article he explains ISIS's strategy - and how it can be stopped.

TAAC-North Commander Meets with Media. The new TAAC-North commander, BG Andreas Hannemann, met with members of the Afghan press at Camp Marmal (just outside of Mazer-e Sharif) where he praised their work and also wish Afghans a Happy New Year (Nowrouz) and good fortune in 1394. (RS News, Mar 21, 2015).

U.S. NSRS, China's Silk Road, and India's Cotton Road. Central Asia has been seeing renewed interest the last several years from the 'great powers'. There is interest among the world's bigger nations to develop influence (political and economic) in Central Asia. The United States is interested in a stable Central Asia - which will assist in Afghanistan's stability. In addition, the U.S. feels that a economically robust Central Asia will help out Afghanistan's economy - one principle reason for the New Silk Road Strategy (NSRS). China has rolled out its "New Silk Road" initiative with hopes of expanding its political influence and developing markets for its products and services as well as transit routes (rail and roads) to European markets. Not to be left out, India is working on its "Cotton Route" (I guess they don't have silk). Read more in a news article by Sushma Swaraj in The Economic Times, March 23, 2015.

TAAC-South Provides Update on ANDSF. The Train, Advise, and Assist Command - South located at Kandahar Air Field provided a news release (DVIDS, Mar 22, 2015) detailing advances made in human resources management for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Of importance was the assistance provided to an identification card team from the Afghan Ministry of Interior tied to the human resources database that will increase the Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight (TAO) of the Afghan police.

JIEDDO. LTG John Johnson, the head of JIEDDO, is interviewed about the future of the organization in a news report by Defense News, March 20, 2015.

Words - Biographer, Mistress, One-Time Lover, or Resilient? General (retired) Petraeus recently received a guilty sentence for passing classified information to his biographer (Paula Broadwell). This puts Paula back into the news as well. Paula spent quite a bit of time at ISAF HQs in Kabul meeting with high-level officers while she was doing the biography of Petraeus (at the time he was COMISAF). Her status as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserves with a high-level security clearance surely helped with writing the book and getting access to information. So . . . when describing Paula's role in this affair how should she be portrayed? Read more in "Paula Broadwell, in one word", The Charlotte Obeserver, March 20, 2015.

BOLO Toyota Corolla. Intelligence officials at Resolute Support HQs in Kabul have determined that many of the vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIED) are conducted using a unique automobile not commonly found in Afghanistan. This should make the identification of possible VBIEDs much easier. The updated "Be On the Lookout Out" listing includes Toyota Corollas of all years from 1980 to present and of all colors. Previously the colors were only "White Toyota Corolla". (A little humor from The Duffel Blog, Mar 23, 2015).

Guest Author Articles Welcomed

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

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Subscribe to the AWN Daily Newsletter

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

Report - Structural Roots of Women's Problems

The Afghanistan Human Rights & Democracy Organization (AHRDO) has published a report entitled Women in the Eyes of Men: Tackling the structural roots of women's problems in Afghanistan. It was published in February 2015. This 31-page report presents the current situation of women in Afghanistan, discusses key findings in the report, and offers 19 recommendations to improve their situation. The report is posted on the website of the Peace Keeping & Stability Operations Institute of the U.S. Army at the link below:
"Women in the Eyes of Men"

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.

Blog Writers Welcomed

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

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan News at 5:00 am in your Inbox

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

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). 

Develop Your Writing Skills

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

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Receive Daily Newsletter

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

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.

Invitation to Guest Blog

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

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan News at 5:00 am

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

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.

Bloggers on Afghanistan Wanted

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

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan War News by Email

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

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.

Showcase Your Writing Talent

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

Signup for AWN Blog Newsletter

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

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.