Afghan War News Snippets (Mar 27, 2015)

The Ghani and Abdullah Tour. Secretary of State John Kerry hosted Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and President Ashraf Ghani for a state dinner this week. Being Secretary of State, John took the opportunity to make some remarks. (U.S. Department of State, March 24, 2015).
www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/03/239752.htm

Video - President Ghani and the Council on Foreign Relations. The CFR has a 'conversation' with President Ghani on March 26, 2015. Richard Haas of CFR hosts the presentation with Robert Rubin of CFR presiding.

https://youtu.be/xDZ6yllB560

Video - Dr. Abdullah Addresses Brookings Institute. On Thursday, March 26th, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the CEO for Afghanistan addressed the Brookings Institute. During his presentation and the follow-on question and answer period he touches on a number of issues to include peace talks, Pakistan, corruption, women's rights, who the Taliban are now, the reclusive Mullah Omar, relationship with China, drug trafficking, the National Unity Government, the Haqqani Network, ISIS, al Qaeda, and more. You can watch the video of his presentation (in English) at the link below posted on YouTube.com.
https://youtu.be/1zTki7_bK9g

Ghani to Visit India in April. President Ghani certainly knows how to travel. He spent last several days in the States and prior to that has hit several other countries (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.). In April he heads to India. Top of the agenda will likely be the 'tilt' of Afghanistan to Pakistan leaving India out in the cold. Looks like it is time to patch up the Afghan-India relationship.

Afghanistan's Economic Plans - U.S. Not Included. An article published on March 26th reflects on the comments of President Ghani during his D.C. tour. Ghani believes that Afghanistan is at the center of an economic revival based on regional cooperation. The article points out that as we (the U.S. and international partners) fund the Afghan government and its security - the neighbors of Afghanistan will benefit economically - the U.S.? Not so much. Read more in "Afghanistan's fantastic plan for economic success leaves the US on the outside", Quartz, March 26, 2015.

Lose the Timeline. Jason Campbell writing in War on the Rocks (March 26, 2015) says we need a better Afghan strategy and we should lose the timeline for withdrawal. He discusses the Ghani visit to D.C., the new U.S.-Afghan relationship, and more.

What is the Endgame? While most observers applaud President Obama's decision to put a 'pause' on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan some are looking past 2016 and wondering what the U.S. commitment will be at that time. Read more in "What's the Afghanistan endgame?", LA Times, March 26, 2015.

Khost Attack. News reports indicate that five people were killed and 10 injured in a missile attack in Khost (eastern Afghanistan).

English for Afghan Air Force Pilots. The lack of English proficiency among Afghan pilots of the Afghan Air Force was creating hazardous conditions for flight operations in Jalalabad. U.S. Air Force Advisors of TAAC-Air responded to the problem with establishing an English course for Afghan aviators focused on aviation terminology. Read more in "Air advisors create English course for Afghan aviators", Air Force Times, March 25, 2015.

"Streetwise Agent vs. Brainy Analyst". The fusing of operations with intelligence is very important in a counterinsurgency environment as well as in the fight against terrorism; and sometimes the U.S. is found wanting in that regard. Yesterday, I wrote about the integration of intelligence processes at company level in Afghanistan (see blog post on the CoIST). Today the NY Times has an article about intelligence fusion at a higher level. The U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies (CIA, FBI, etc.) have a history of not properly coordinating the activities of the "analysts" and the "field operatives". Senior officials have recognized this deficiency and are trying to change the organization and culture. Which means if your are an "Intel Weanie" your status is going up a notch. Read more in "C.I.A. Officers and F.B.I. Agents, Meet Your New Partner: The Analyst", The New York Times, March 27, 2015. 

CIA Reorganization. In a move to shake things up at the CIA the head of the CIA's Counterterrorism Center is being removed from his post. The center has evolved over the past decade into a paramilitary force that employed armed drones to kill thousands of suspected terrorists and militants. Read more in "CIA official who directed hunt for bin Laden is being removed from post", The Washington Post, March 26, 2015. Matteo Fainl writing in The Weekly Wonk of the New America Foundation thinks that CIA Director Brennan's reforms will hurt the CIA.

Drones Suffer High Accident Rate. Drones are less dependable than regular military aircraft and have a higher accident rate. Read more in "How crashing drones are exposing secrets about U.S. war operations", The Washington Post, March 26, 2015.

Beau Bergdahl. The State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, says that the Bergdahl swap for five high-level Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo was 'worth it'. (The Hill, March 25, 2015). Jack Goldsmith writes about the legal implications of the prisoner swap in "Was the Bergdahl Swap Lawful?", Lawfare Blog, March 25, 2015. In other news, Beau provides details of his captivity. (The Washington Post, March 25, 2015) and in article by PBS.  

General Officer Moves. MG Townsend of 10th Mtn Div (and formerly commander of Regional Command East) will move to Fort Bragg to replace LTG Joe Anderson who is commander of 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg (and formerly commander of ISAF Joint Command). The 18th Airborne Corps commands four divisions - 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division (but they don't jump anymore), and the 10th Mountain Division (despite their name they are not located near training areas with any real mountains). (Fayetteville Observer, Mar 26, 2015).

Leadership Changes in Garmser district, Helmand province. According to Tolo News (Mar 26, 2015) the District Governor, District Chief of Police (DCoP), and a former head of security for the district have been fired amid charges of corruption and negligence.

UK and Resettled Interpreters. The UK has resettled less than 100 local interpreters who worked with British forces during the 13-year-long Afghanistan War. (Express, Mar 25, 2015).

Norway and Afghan Refugees. If you are an Afghan refugee in Norway your future is somewhat is up in the air as the current Tripartite Agreement between Norway, Afghanistan, and the UNHCR is subject to re-negotiation. Read "An Uncertain Future in Afghanistan", Prio Blog, March 26, 2015.

Mercenaries in Warfare. The growth of Private Military Corporations (PMCs) over the past 14 years has been significant. In both Iraq and Afghanistan private contractors working for the DoD and DoS outnumbered military personnel. Many of the functions formerly done by the military have been assumed by PMCs - to include providing security for facilities and convoys. Read more in the transcript of an interview of Sean McFate, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and associate professor at National Defense University, who provides us with his perspective on contractors on the battlefield. Read "How Mercenaries Are Changing Warfare" by Kathy Gilsinan, The Atlantic, March 25, 2015.

Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Read about this academy that will train up aid workers. School to be set up by the Save the Children organization. (Devex, Mar 26, 2015).

Video - Afghans Seek Medical Care in Pakistan. This 3 minute-long video is about Afghans who cross over into Pakistan to seek medical care because they can't get the treatment they need in Afghanistan. (Gandhara Blog, Mar 26, 2015).

Behind-the-Scene Story on Women Pilots in the AAF. Resolute Support Headquarters and the U.S. Air Force made much of 'the first female Afghan pilot' who recently received a high-level award from the U.S. Department of State. She has appeared in press conferences, had numerous news reports released by DoD entities, and visited various Air Force units in the states. Behind the scenes and not readily known by the public are a number of previous failed attempts to integrate women into pilot training and getting them assigned to actual flying positions within the Afghan Air Force. Read more in "Why The US Wants to Forget About Female Afghan Pilots", Sunny in Kabul, March 24, 2015.

SOF Likes Palantir; Big Army Says Use DCGS. The ongoing saga of Big Army forcing the SOF community to use the very expensive but broke intelligence system known as Distributed Common Ground System or DCGS instead of the comparatively inexpensive but very able Palantir software application for intelligence processes and targeting continues. Read more in "Bureaucrats Block Special Ops Intel Requests", ABC News, March 26, 2015.

Unity Government Report Card. It has been six months since the National Unity Government (NUG) has taken over the leadership of the Afghan government. Some folks are taking this milestone as an opportunity to evaluate the NUG. Read "The Unity Government's First Six Months: Where is the governance?", Afghanistan Analysts Network,  March 26, 2015.

Taliban Leaders Enjoying Qatar. Taliban leaders (and their families) are living the good live in the Gulf region. Read more in "Taliban Leaders Are Living in Luxary in Qatar", Newsweek, March 24, 2015.

133rd Engineer Battalion, Afghanistan, and TAG Dismissed. Last year while the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard was deployed to Afghanistan news leaked out that The Adjutant General (TAG) of Maine was going to disband the 133rd. This was a shocked to the then-deployed Soldiers of the 133rd. The 133rd is a storied unit with a rich heritage of previous deployments in Iraq and news of its future demise was not received well. The TAG was caught in a series of lies about the incident and has just been fired by the Governor of Maine. Read more in "Maine ex-Guard chief lied about battalion plan", Army Times, March 26, 2015.

Guam Air National Guard to Deploy on RSM. About 100 Guardsmen from Guam will go to Afghanistan this coming fall. The members of the 254th Red Horse Squadron received their alert recently. (Air Force Times, March 26, 2015).

Sham Air Force Summit on CAS and Dumping the A-10. The Center for Defense Information at POGO has provided us with their perspective on the U.S. Air Force attempt to rid itself of the close air support mission with its proposed retirement of the A-10 Warthog. Read all about it in "Running for Cover: A Sham Air Force Summit Can't Fix the Close Air Support Gap Created by Dumping the A-10", CDI at POGO, March 25, 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. 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

Follow the Afghan War from 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.

Paper - "Why COIST Matters"

The U.S. Army was not ideally trained at the company level for the conduct of a counterinsurgency in the beginning years of the Afghan conflict. One of the biggest deficiencies was the lack of an intelligence capability within the company headquarters. Later in the conflict the Army adapted and a temporary intelligence element was formed to fix this shortcoming - the Company Intelligence Support Team or CoIST. Some CoISTs worked very well while others were not very effective. Many times the differences in performance could be attributed to the degree of command emphasis and support, selection of CoIST personnel, equipment provided to the CoIST, and the pre-deployment training. The U.S. Army is currently moving on with its doctrine (leaving counterinsurgency in the dust); so the art and science of intelligence operations in support of a counterinsurgency may well be lost. This will be a problem if the U.S. Army becomes engaged in a counterinsurgency effort once again; we will have to re-learn costly lessons. In addition, in the new age of developing partner capacity many of our partner nations are currently engaged in a counterinsurgency effort. For instance, the Afghan National Army (ANA) is going to be involved in COIN for a few more years and U.S. intelligence advisors should be helping the ANA to develop a capability similar to the U.S. Army's CoIST. One writer believes that the CoIST should be institutionalized at company level within the U.S. Army. Victor R. Morris has penned a paper entitled "Why COIST Matters", Small Wars Journal, March 25, 2015. You can read his paper at the first link below. You can learn more about CoISTs at the second link below.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/"why-coist-matters"

www.afghanwarnews.info/intelligence/COIST.htm

Afghan News Snippets (Mar 26, 2015)

Bergdahl Charged with Desertion. U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg has said the former POW, SGT Bowe Bergdahl, has been charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with desertion. This complicates things for the Obama administration on two fronts: one is that Bergdahl was exchanged for five high-level Taliban commanders and the other is that the family members of the Americans beheaded by ISIS will want to know why the U.S. wouldn't negotiate for their release. An Article 32 hearing will determine if there is sufficient evidence for a court martial. If convicted he faces confinement, reduction to private, and forfeiture of pay. I am not sure how Susan Rice feels after saying Bergdahl served  'honor and distinction." (YouTube.com). Read why the Army is charging Bowe Bergdahl with desertion (The Atlantic, March 25, 2015).

Ghani Addresses U.S. Congress. President Ghani addressed the United States Congress on Wednesday morning (March 25th). It is reported that many democrats showed up for this head-of-state address and took part in the standing ovation. Sometimes they don't show. The speech was a little more than one hour. You view the address on YouTube.com.
https://youtu.be/cgqc7MO9zl0

Video about Ghani's Visit & Situation in Afghanistan. Two experts chat on a panel discussion about President Ghani's visit to D.C. and the slowing down of the U.S. troop withdrawal. Tony Shaffer  (senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research) and Michael Kugelman (senior program associate for South and Southeast Asia from the Wilson Center) are featured. Both made some good points towards understanding the situation in Afghanistan. Shaffer says that we need to stick with the counterterrorism mission to ensure we don't end up with a failed state with ungoverned territories where terrorists can operate. Kugelman pointed out that we need to manage our expectations on what 9,800 U.S. troops can achieve given what 100,000 troops couldn't get done a few years back. Other topics include Ghani, Karzai, economy, comparison and contrast with Iraq, cabinet not formed, and more. (CCTV America, March 24, 2015, 7 minutes). 

https://youtu.be/WgiFaizqc8w

Ghani Speaking at USIP. President Ghani spoke on Wednesday, March 25th at the United States Institute of Peace (ISIP). One interesting comment by Ghani was the problem with peace is not with the Taliban in Afghanistan, but between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said that Afghanistan has been in a state of undeclared hostilities with Pakistan for 13 years. It was webcast and you can view it at the link below.
https://youtu.be/yLq6_S-Sk00

Troop Withdrawal Slowdown Helps CT Effort. The pause in withdrawing U.S. troops will ensure that the U.S. can maintain a counterterrorist capability. The slowdown will allow Resolute Support HQs to keep the corps level advisory teams at Gamberi and Kandahar. In addition, CT forces of the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan (SOJTF-A) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will be able to remain at Kandahar and Jalalabad.

Obama Critics Pounce. While some are applauding President Obama's decision to delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan others are saying "I told you so". Read "Obama Halts Afghanistan Withdrawal and His Critics Still Pounce", The D Brief, March 24, 2015.

Sen. Cotton on Obama and Afghanistan. A junior U.S. Senator, Tom Cotton, has penned an op ed piece posted on Politico.com (March 25, 2015) saying that "President Obama Must Stand With Afghanistan".

Corruption in the ANA. A writer, Matthew Gault, provides us his perspective of corruption within the Afghan National Army (ANA). Read "The Pentagon Will Fund an Army That Steals Food, Hates Women and Can't Pay Its Soldiers", War is Boring, March 24, 2014.

Suicide Bombing in Kabul. A suicide bombing attack killed at least seven people in Kabul on Wednesday, March 25th. There are also reports of in excess of 30 wounded. It appears to have been conducted near the Ministry of Finance.

U.S. Drone Strike. Reuters reports that a drone strike killed nine Pakistani militants in Nangarhar province early Tuesday. (March 24, 2015).

Man Beheaded in Helmand. Unknown gunmen decapitated a man and sliced his two daughters' necks in southern Helmand province on late Tuesday night. (Tolo News, Mar 25, 2015).

UN Info Campaign on Women's Rights. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is conducting a number of information campaigns to raise awareness about women's rights in Afghanistan. News report by UNAMA (March 25, 2015).

U.S. Presence Important for Afg. James West, a guest blogger for the Defense in Depth Blog on the Council of Foreign Relations website has penned a post entitled "Afghanistan's Riddle: For Lasting Stability, U.S. Presence Is One Important Step Among Many" (March 25, 2015).

ATVs for USSOCOM. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is buying 2,000 All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) from Polaris Industries. The contract is for 1,750 of the four-seat MRZR-4 and 300 of the two-seta MRZR-2. The ATVs are easily transported in the V-22 Osprey, MH-47, and MH-53 - and can also be dropped by parachute as well. Special Forces teams used ATVs extensively to patrol remote areas and conduct infiltration during missions. The ATVs are also used to get around FOBs and COPs as a utility vehicle. (Defense News, Mar 24, 2015).

F-35: All Our Eggs in One Basket. On a more expensive defense acquisition note, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is causing lots of angst in the defense community. The Air Force's most recent folly would seem to be the very expensive and underachieving F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. One observer believes the U.S. Air Force may be putting 'all our eggs in one basket'. The F-35 will replace the F-16, A-10, F-18, and AV-8. It may well replace the F-15 and F-22. Dan Ward asks what happens when the F-35 has a fleet wide grounding because of a safety issue? What do we do for an Air Force during that time? Read "The F-35 Nightmare Could Get Even Worse". (Read Clear Defense, March 24, 2015).

Video - Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR). The Afghan Ministry for Rehabilitation and Rural Development (MRRD) has posted a video about the JFPR on YouTube.com (March 25, 2015). The video presents information about irrigation canal projects in Afghanistan that assists the agricultural sector of Afghanistan.

https://youtu.be/YqoJRMmR18U

Battle for the Soul of Jihad. Daniel L. Byman and Jennifer R. Williams wrote an article posted on Brookings.edu (March 24, 2015) about how al Qaeda and the Islamic State are battling for the leadership of the worldwide jihad.

Guest Bloggers Wanted

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

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.

Resolute Support Mission EF 5 - Force Sustainment

NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan is to advise Afghan personnel in the Ministries of Interior and Defense as well as the Afghan Army corps and regional police headquarters. In an effort to organize the Security Force Assistance work Resolute Support HQs in Kabul and the corps-level advisory teams have adopted a "Functionally-Based SFA" model where the advising effort is divided into 8 essential functions. One of these functions is Essential Function 5 - Force Sustainment. EF 5 advisors "train, advise, and assist" the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the areas of logistics, maintenance, medical, information, communication, and technology. A recent posting on the U.S. Army's "Stand-To!" website describes EF 5 in greater detail. Read "Resolute Support Essential Function 5", Stand-To!, March 23, 2015.

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.