Afghan War Blog

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Operation Zulfiqar - Not so Much

Operation Zulfiqar is now complete. The Afghan government claims that the Taliban have suffered huge losses and much of Helmand province is more secure to include Sangin district. Resolute Headquarters will crank up their Information Operations (IO) machine and issue the usual cheerleader proclamations - posted to Twitter, Facebook, the RS website, and DVIDS. The Afghan military launched Operation Zulfiqar in February in an attempt to secure the northern part of Helmand province and demonstrate the government's resolve to fight in the Taliban heartland. The 'clearing operation' is over. However, as is true in most 'clearing operations' - the 'clearing troops' are now departing the area of operations and the Taliban are moving back into the security vacuum. This is how clearing operations went with U.S. troops for a number of years and the same happens with the Afghan National Army (the ANA have learned well from the U.S.). Large unit formations move into an area for a week to a couple of months, look for insurgents, weapons caches, IEDs, get shot at, suffer casualties, accomplish almost nothing, and then . . . they leave. So they accomplish the "Clear" part of "Clear, Hold, and Build" - but . . . then they leave. And the Taliban filter back in to control the village, the valley, or the district. The corrupt Afghan police who are left guarding the district center(s) are ill-led and ill-equipped to fight the Taliban. So the police 'secure the district center'; which is usually a walled compound where the district governor may show up to work (usually not) and the district chief of police (DCoP) comes to a quiet understanding with the real power in the district - the insurgents. Read more in "Afghan Effort to Secure South Falters", The Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2015.

Report - "Afghanistan at Transition"

Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has penned a report entitled "Afghanistan at Transition: Lessons of the Longest War", March 2015. This 240 plus page document provides a much needed assessment of what has been accomplished, the cost of those accomplishments, and what remains to be done in Afghanistan. Cordesman is highly critical of the Obama administration and the military propensity for 'spin'. He lays out the facts in a cogent and understandable manner and follows through with very informative recommendations of the steps that should be taken to ensure 'victory'. He concludes with an examination of US strategy; looking at the case for and against a 'conditions-based involvement' and choosing between the options.

http://csis.org/files/publication/150319_Afghan_Transition.pdf

Afghan War News Snippets

Insider Attack Casualty Identified. The Soldier killed in the most recent insider attack in Afghanistan came from Whitinsville, Massachusetts. It is a small village within the town of Northbridge, MA. SPC John Dawson was killed in the IT attack on Wednesday. He was a combat medic with the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell. (CBS Boston, Apr 9, 2015).

VBIED Attack Kabul City. On Friday afternoon (10 Apr) there was an attack on a logistics convoy with casualties reported. There are reports of three U.S. wounded and three Afghan civilians killed.

Ghazni - Roadside Bomb Kills Civilians. As many as twelve civilians were killed when a roadside bomb blew up a car full of people traveling to a wedding in Ghazni province on Friday. (Townhall.com, April 10, 2015).

Jalalabad Convoy Attack. Four civilians were killed and 12 wounded in a suicide attack near a convoy of Resolute Support troops on Friday. (Washington Post, Apr 10, 2015).

NGO Workers Killed. Five "Save the Children" workers were killed in Uruzgan province after they were kidnapped last month. (Pajhwok Afghan News, April 10).

MeS Courthouse Attack. Reports say that 18 were killed and over 100 wounded in the attack on the Mazar-e-Sharif courthouse in Balkh province on Thursday.

Attacks in Badakhshan. Several Afghan National Army posts were attacked in Badakhshan province. Some of the posts are no longer occupied by the ANA. (Tolo News, Apr 10, 2015).

Haqqani Network's 'Caravan of Heroes'. The Haqqani Network has released a 61 minute long video explaining its bombing attacks against the Coalition and ANSF. (The Long War Journal, Apr 10, 2015).

31 Hazara Hostages. "Inside the two seized buses, terrified passengers prayed to remain in their seats. The masked gunmen had collected their identification cards and snatched their cell phones, survivors would later recall. Next, they separated the males from females and Sunni Muslims from Shiite Muslims. Finally, they ordered the Shiite males - all ethnic Hazaras - off the buses". Read more in "After suffering under the Taliban, an Afghan minority faces new threats", The Washington Post, April 10, 2015).

Rule of Law - The Military's Role. Some good reading for the Resolute Support Essential Function 3 advisors working in the MoI and MoD. An article by Patrick Reinert and John F. Hussey entitled "The Military's Role in Rule of Law Development" (Joint Force Quarterly, April 1, 2015 - National Defense University Press) provides some background into the RoL efforts of ISAF and the future responsibilities of the U.S. military in regards to RoL in conflicts to come.

MoD Fuel Scandel - $100 Million. The fuel corruption within the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan appears to be quite massive. Reports indicate that more than $100 million was overcharged by Afghan fuel companies with the approval of senior officials from the MoD. One official was paid over $5 million as a bribe for his part in the corruption. Read the news report (Tolo News, April 9, 2015).

U.S. - Pakistan - Ground Hog Day. Read commentary about the U.S. and Pakistan relationship in an article by C. Christine Fair (a noted observer of AfPak affairs) published in War on the Rocks, April 9, 2015.

Afghanistan to Buy Mi-35 Helicopters. According to Shakir Kargar, a special envoy to President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan will soon buy Mi-35 Attack Helicopters from Russia for its Afghan Air Force. Read more in a news report (Khaama Press, Apr 10, 2015).

Canada's 'Project Heroes' Exhibit. An exhibit has opened in Canada's Government House that celebrates the lives of the Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. See a news story by Global News, April 10, 2015.

Report - "Afghan Civil Society: Tradition facing the future". Amy Strand, Deputy Director for the CMI Instutue of the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies has wrote a report (dated March 2015) on the development of robust civil society organizations.

Retrograde Slows. The op tempo of closing bases in Afghanistan has slowed due to the recent decision to take a knee in the withdrawal of advisors from the corps advisor platforms (TAACs). Read more in a news report in Army Times (Apr 10, 2015).

MG James Post (USAF) Fired Over A-10 'Treason' Comments. The Air Force general has been fired from his position and issued a letter of reprimand. He got himself in hot water after some inappropriate remarks about the A-10 Warthog. Air Force Times, April 10, 2015.

10th SFGA earns FBI's Highest Award. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) awarded members of the 10th Special Forces Group the agency's highest recognition for their work in countering IED networks in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2009. (DVIDS, Apr 9, 2015).

BAF Emergency Response Tests. Bagram Airfield recently tested its base defense and emergency response procedures. Learn more in a news report by army.mil, April 10, 2015.
www.army.mil/article/146226/

Russian IO Machine Now Available in Pashto. Sputnik Multimedia Group launched its Pashto-language website on Friday. If you want the Russian government's perspective on Afghanistan then you know what to read! Of course, you will need to know Pashto. http://pashto.sputniknews.com/

Mumbai Attack Suspect Released. Pakistan, the country that is renouncing terrorism and helping Afghanistan defeat the Taliban, has just released a prime suspect in the Mumbai, India attack from jail. He is one of seven men facing trial over the attacks which left 166 people dead. Mr. Lakhvi is accused of heading the Lashkar-e-Taiba group (LeT). (BBC News, April 10, 2015).
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32250763

Guest Writers 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.inf

Afghan War News w/ Morning Coffee

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Friday, April 10, 2015

Cultural and Situational Understanding

The United States Army has published ATP 3-24.3, Cultural and Situational Understanding, April 2015 - a manual that "establishes the techniques and procedures used by individuals, teams, and units of the United States army at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war." This manual is valuable for all members of the military (as well as contractors) who are engaged in security assistance. This publication elaborates on doctrine contained in FM 3-24, Insurgency and Countering Insurgencies. This manual should be suggested pre-deployment reading for those contractor or military personnel who will be engaged in the Security Force Assistance mission in Afghanistan. Many advisors deploy to Afghanistan without a basic knowledge of how to advise, how to engage in cross-cultural communications, and how to adapt to a different and strange environment. The reading of this pub will help the future advisor in knowing how to establish rapport and build a relationship - which is key to the ability to train, advise, and assist - and influence - a counterpart from another country.

Chapter 1 - Intro to Cultural and Situational Understanding
Chapter 2 - Cultural Perception and Mindset
Chapter 3 - Cross-Cultural Communications and Engagement
Chapter 4 - Cultural Understanding: a Three Level Approach
Chapter 5 - Cultural Counterparts
Appendix A - Working with Translators and Interpreters

Cultural and Situational Understanding, ATP 3-24.3, April 2015.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_24x3.pdf

Afghan War News Snippets (Apr 10, 2015)

Mes-e-Sharif Courthouse Attacked. The Taliban attacked the MeS courthouse in Balhk province with rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons on Thursday killing at least eight people and wounding many more. Several security officials were killed including a district police chief. Read more in a news report by Voice of America, April 9, 2015.

Kunar PCoP Survives Road Blast. The Provincial Chief of Police for Kunar survived a roadside blast in the Surubi area - about 50 kilometers east of Kabul along the Kabul-Jalalabad highway. The incident took place on Wednesday.

TAAC-South Aviation. Full-spectrum aviation support is provided to the Afghan forces by Task Force Corsair. This multi-functional aviation task force is comprised of Soldiers from the 82nd Aviation Regiment deployed from Fort Bragg, NC. The Task Force operates under the leadership of the NATO Train, Advise, Assist Command - South which is responsible for operations and the advisory effort in the southern regions of Afghanistan. Learn more in "Task Force Corsair assists from above", Fort Hood Sentinel, April 9, 2015.

Retired Col Speaks About Insider Attacks. Retired Army Col Derek Harvey tells us about the difficulty of stopping insider attacks in Afghanistan and the most recent Green-on-Blue incident in Jalalabad in an online video by Newsmax, April 8, 2015, 12 minutes.

What is Ahead for Afghanistan? The Asia Foundation interviews two experts on Afghanistan. Karl Eikenberry (former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan) and Erik Jensen (director of Stanford's Rule of Law Program) gives us their thoughts on "The Road Ahead for Afghanistan". (April 8, 2015).

Ghani After Washington Tour. The warm glow of President Ghani's goodwill tour in the United States has subsided and the realities of trying to govern Afghanistan are back in the forefront. Sixteen cabinet ministry positions are unfilled, some parliament members are asking for $500,000 bribes for their vote to approve cabinet ministers, the CEO Abdullah Abdullah and President Ghani have a strained and complicated relationship, the Taliban are about to kick off their 2015 fighting season, and the Independent Directorate for Local Government (IDLG) (responsible for sub-national governance) is paralyzed without a leader. Read more in "Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Returns to Kabul", by Adbullah Sharif, The Huffington Post, April 9, 2015.

MoD Cabinet Nominee Withdraws. According to Tolo News (April 8, 2015) the nominee for defense ministry withdrew his nomination due to serious disagreements between President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

Trading Money for Votes. Accusations of corruption were tossed between members of the Afghan parliament in regard to the approval of the cabinet officers chosen by Ghani. Tolo News, April 8, 2015.

Tension Within NUG. The National Unity Government (NUG) is having some growing pains. It has been more than a 1/2 year since its formation but the camps of Ghani and Abdullah are having trouble getting along - and that affects the governance of Afghanistan. Khaama Press, April 8, 2015.

Paper on Afghan Constitutions. Afghanistan has had six constitutions - the latest one established in 2004. Aruni Jayakody has wrote a paper entitled "Evolution of Fundamental Rights in Afghanistan: 1924-2004, April 2015. Posted on the website of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU).

Bergdahl. Michael Ames writes an extensive article on the disappearance of Bowe Bergdahl and the Soldiers that spent months searching for him. Read "Untangling the Mysteries Behind Bowe Bergdahl's Rescue Mission", Newsweek, April 9, 2015.

University of Michigan Cancels Film Showing. The film 'American Sniper' was supposed to show at the university but it got cancelled due to protest by Muslim student groups. Then the university faced some backlash on that decision. Read more in a news report by Fox News, April 9, 2015.

Military Offers Fast Track to U.S. Citizenship. The Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, known as MAVNI, will double to 3,000 enlistments in 2015 and then go up to 5,000 in 2016. Currently the program is capped at 1,500 recruits. The program helps the Army recruit personnel for its medical programs as well as recruits with foreign language skills and cultural knowledge and understanding. Certainly this is valuable program - especially in light of the long-term counterinsurgency wars we have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and the future nature of warfare (hybrid warfare) that this country is likely to face in the future. Many MAVNI recruits have a college education, already speak English, and are in their mid-20s. Recruits must have lived in the United States for two years and they undergo an extensive background check. Learn more in a news report by the Wall Street Journal (April 8, 2015).

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Thursday, April 9, 2015

How to Avoid or Mitigate the Insider Threat

News reports indicate that an exchange of gunfire took place between U.S. troops and Afghan National Security Forces in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 8th. Early reports say one U.S. Soldier has died and at least and perhaps almost seven U.S. Soldiers have been wounded. In addition one ANSF is has died. The incident took place after a high level meeting between Afghan governors, senior Coalition and Afghan officers, and U.S. diplomatic officers. (Read more in a news report, The Washington Post, April 8, 2015).

The incidents of insider attacks peaked in the late summer of 2012. This was a major concern and as General Allen (then COMISAF) put it at the time - insider attacks were a strategic threat to the coalition. Much was done by ISAF to mitigate the insider threat to include distribution of an Insider Threat guide, slowdown of partnered operations, a temporary pullback of advisory duties, and implementation of counterintelligence practices. Many observers thought the majority of the attacks were because of arguments between the ANSF and the Coalition troops or cultural missteps by Coalition troops. The real causes of the insider threat are difficult to determine - Taliban infiltration of the ANSF, pressure by the Taliban on ANSF measures, cultural misunderstandings, arguments, and other factors certainly play a role. Most insider attacks see the assailant killed or escape; so there is usually little opportunity to interrogate the assailant. Attacks subsided during 2013 and 2014. This was due to a number of factors: 1) improved vetting of the ANSF, 2) a decreased level of partnered operations, 3) improved force protection measures utilized by SFAATs, 4) adoption of the Guardian Angel program, 5) improved cultural awareness training of advisors, and more.

Learn more about the insider threat.

Insider Threat in Afghanistan
www.afghanwarnews.info/insiderthreat.htm

Insider Threat References
www.afghanwarnews.info/insiderthreat/Insider-Threat-References.htm

Insider Threat News
http://www.afghanwarnews.info/insiderthreatnews.htm

Insider Threat Handguide 2.0
www.afghanwarnews.info/insiderthreat/Insider-Threat-Handguide.htm

Afghan War News Snippets

News Report - U.S. Failing at Training Foreign Forces. According to one news report the U.S. military record on training other countries military forces is dismal. The U.S. is trying to stabilize Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan using a tactic that has rarely worked - by training and equipping foreign forces. The U.S. remains too focused on developing its own war-fighting capabilities rather than developing the capabilities of other nations. One problem is that while we might succeed in training another country's military that country's civilian government may be corrupt and not worth defending (Vietnam, Iraq, and possibly Afghanistan). Many of these conflicts require a political solution (get rid of corruption in Afghanistan's government, include Sunnis in political affairs in Iraq, etc.). Read more in "U.S. Counts on Training Foreign Forces Despite Years of Failure", Bloomberg News, April 8, 2015.

Taliban Ambush in Kunar. The Taliban attempted an ambush on Afghan police but kill two civilians by mistake. (Fox News, April 8, 2015).

Afghan Interpreter Settles (Uneasily) Into Seattle. An Afghan translator who helped U.S. forces is having difficulty adjusting to life in the United States. While in Afghanistan he worked for the U.S. Corps of Engineers. He was the subject of many death threats from militants because of his work for the U.S. government. While the State Department says that the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a Visa and a support structure once entering the United States; the support is rather meager because of a lack of funding. Read the story in Seattle Weekly Times, April 7, 2015.

Reintegration of Military Nurses After Combat Deployments. The Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services has published an article entitled "After the Parade: Military Nurses' Reintegration Experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars", (April 8, 2015).

Video - "Mentoring the Afghan Forces". International forces in Afghanistan having moved from a combat role to one focusing on advising, training and assisting. In this video we get a look at the realities of the new Resolute Support mission on the ground and how advisors working with the 201st Corps are doing their job. (NATO TV, April 8, 2015, posted on YouTube.com, 4 minutes long).

https://youtu.be/0orotJushQM

U.S. Army Drones. Drones (or UAVs) have been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they are not going away. The U.S. Army is drafting doctrine for the first time that will govern its robotic and unmanned systems. Learn more in "US Army Readying Unmanned Systems Doctrine", Defense News, April 8, 2015.

Bde Cdr Sheds Light on Dealing with Afghan Warlord. James L. Creighton, a former U.S. brigade commander, recounts his experience dealing with a recently assassinated Afghan warlord. In 2010 Creighton was in command of Team Uruzgan, a diverse force of coalition soldiers from ten countries (U.S., Australia, Singapore, France, New Zealand, Netherlands, and more). His "team" mission was to push back Taliban influence in the province and encourage the 'transition' process. Read about his situation of having to work with a very effective Taliban fighter who was also a subject of human rights allegations. Read "Shades of Gray in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, April 8, 2015.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/shades-of-gray-in-afghanistan/

Retrograde Opns in Kandahar. A recent news story by the U.S. Air Force describes the heavy workload of retrograde operations and working with the U.S. Army. Read "Ready, set, retrograde", af.mil, April 8, 2015.

Afghan MoD Nominee Drops Out. The Afghan government's latest choice for the Minister position for the Ministry of Defence has dropped out. General Mohammad Afzal Ludin explained that his appointment had caused some turmoil and he feared it would be divisive. Ludin is a Pashtun which may have angered the countries CEO Abdullah Abdullah and his northern alliance supporters. Read more in a news report by the Daily Mail, April 8, 2015.

Zulfiqar Operation in Helmand Province Concludes. The Afghan national Army (along with some help from the Afghan National Police) has concluded its extensive operation in Helmand province. The Zulfiqar military operation was launched two months ago in an attempt to rid local villages of insurgents. Much of the fight took place in or around Sangin district - an area where the British and U.S. Marines have spent much time in.

46 Million Rounds Expended. The British Army fired over 46 million rounds at the Taliban costing the UK taxpayers 200 million pounds. The Mirror, April 7, 2015.

"The State of Afghan Libraries". The Afghanistan Analyst Network has published a story about the increasing need for a functioning public library system. With Afghanistan's educated class growing rapidly the need for libraries is expanding tremendously. This article highlights the need for a national and international plan to further develop the libraries of Afghanistan. Read "Reading in Kabul: The state of Afghan Libraries", (April 9, 2015).

Tsarnaev Guilty. In the spring of 2013 I was sitting in the DFAC at FOB Lightning in Gardez having breakfast when I first learned the news on the DFAC TV showing scenes from the bombing of the Boston Marathon. Having attended college in Boston I was immediately drawn to the developing story. It now appears that the surviving bomber (one of two brothers) has been found guilty in the bombing that killed three people and wounded many more people. The next step is the jury deciding on life in prison or sentence of death.

Book Review - "Warrior Diplomat". Daniel R. Green has penned a book review of Michael Waltz's new book. Waltz is a Special Forces officer with deep experience at the policy level as well as on the ground in combat. Read the book review in - "Our Own Worst Enemy: How America Defeated Itself in Afghanistan", The South Asia Channel Blog, Foreign Policy, April 7, 2015.

Afghan Helicopter Project Officer Guilty. A former project manager at Redstone Arsenal has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from inflated contract payments for work on Russian-made helicopters bound for the Afghan Air Force. AL.com News, April 8, 2015.

One Year - No Government. It has been one year since the Afghan presidential election and there still is no government (cabinet still has to be formed). Read more in a news report in BBC News Asia, April 7, 2015.

Book Review - "The Illuminations". Andrew O'Hagan has wrote a book about the British in Afghanistan. Read a book review on this fiction book posted in The Washington Post, April 7, 2015.

Police Sergeant Course Graduates. Over 800 police candidates of the Police Sergeant Training command graduated from their training course held at Mazar-e Sharif. The course included subjects such as weapons training and legal science classes. Members of the Afghan Border Police, Afghan Uniform Police, and Afghan National Civil Order Police attended the training. The Afghan Police Sergeant Command is assisted by the German Police Project Team (GPPT). Read more in the news report by Resolute Support News, April 8, 2015.

Send Link to Your Paper on Afghanistan

If you have published a paper on the Afghan War or Afghanistan in general send us a link. We will put a blurb about in the Afghan War News Blog and post a link to your paper on our Afghan War News website.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Pre-Deployment Reading - the AWN Newsletter!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Report - VSO and ALP

From 2010 to 2013 the special operations forces in Afghanistan dedicated a significant part of their manpower and resources to the Village Stability Operations (VSO) and Afghan Local Police (ALP) programs. ODAs, SEAL teams, and MARSOC teams were aligned against key districts with the dual-role of implementing the VSO program and establishing, training, and advising ALP units at the community or district level. In this 95-page long paper Dr. Mark Moyar outlines the history of the VSO and ALP programs. He covers the history of the two programs from their inception to the end of the VSO program and the transition of the ALP program to the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI). He notes the complementary role that VSO/ALP played to the counterterrorism effort - using the 'indirect approach' to employ population mobilization and other counterinsurgency techniques to secure the Afghan populace. He describes how the two programs, VSO and ALP, provided not only security for some key districts in Afghanistan but also governance and development. Read his paper "Village Stability Operations and the Afghan Local Police", JSOU Report 14-7, October 2014.

http://jsou.socom.mil/JSOU%20Publications/JSOU14-7_Moyar_VSO_FINAL.pdf

Afghan War News Snippets (Apr 8, 2015)

Hostage Beheaded by IMU. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a group allied with the Taliban and which operates in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, released a video depicting a beheading of one of its Afghan hostages. A news report from BBC (link provided) says militants had kidnapped 31 Haraza's off buses in Afghanistan in February as they traveled from Iran to Kabul through Zabul province. There has been much speculation as to who controls the hostages with some saying the Islamic State has a hand in the situation. Other news reports see (NDS statement) say the beheaded hostage was NOT one of the 31 Hazara hostages.
(BBC News, April 5, 2015, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32200835).

NDS Vows to Pursue Beheaders. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) vowed to identify and arrest the militants who beheaded an ex-member of the Afghan National Army (ANA). In the video the IMU pledges allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). (Khaama Press, Apr 7, 2015).

Six Insurgents Killed in Paktika. According to a recent news report a well-known Haqqani commander and five other insurgents were killed in an Afghan National Army operation in southern Paktika province on Monday afternoon. (Tolo News, Apr 7, 2015).

Kabul - Everyday Game of Life and Death. A news correspondent recounts his experience filming in Kabul. He says that Afghanistan remains a dangerous place for locals and visitors. (Channel Asia News, Apr 7, 2015).

EU in Afghanistan. The European Mission (EU) is playing a big role in assisting Afghanistan during its 'transformation decade'. Read more in "EU-Nato coordination key to advancing Afghan transition", The Parliament Magazine, April 7, 2015.

U.S. Fusion Cell for Hostages? The U.S. is thinking about establishing a fusion cell involving subject-matter experts from agencies including the FBI, DoD, DoS, and intelligence community. The cell will review hostage policies and recovery strategies. (The Washington Post, Apr 6, 2015).

Taliban to Outlast Coalition. The international Coalition, along with Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), have been fighting the Taliban for 13 years. Last fighting season (2014) the Taliban inflicted great casualties on the ANSF and the prospect is the same for this year. The 2016 deadline for the withdrawal of the 12,000 international troops is not far off and there is very little prospect for the defeat of the Taliban before the deadline. There is little hope for a diminishing of the insurgency unless Pakistan takes concrete steps to reduce its support of the Afghan Taliban. Read more in "Afghanistan, the US, and the Taliban", by Aryaman Bhatnagar, Observer Research Foundation, (India), April 7, 2015.

Afghan Interpreter Refused Asylum by UK. An Afghan interpreter who worked for the British army claims he has been targeted by the Taliban but the UK Home Office says it does not believe he would be in danger if he returns to Afghanistan. (The Guardian, Apr 7, 2015).

Tom Ricks on Afghanistan. Tom Ricks, writing in Foreign Policy, tells us "Why I remain more optimistic about Afghanistan's future than about Iraq's" in his April 6, 2015 column. He sees a way forward for Afghanistan. He thinks that Kabul needs to find ways of living with regional overlords, keep the ring road safe for transit of goods, keep the Taliban out of Kabul (but let them have Oruzgan), don't worry too much about the hinterland, and encourage the Iranians to build some railroads in Afghanistan.

Military Review. The March-April 2015 edition of Military Review is now posted online. Articles include topics of "The Army Operating Concept", "SHARP Realities", "Women in Combat", "Women in the Infantry", "Female Engagement Teams", "Art of Command and the Science of Control", "The Ignorant Counterinsurgent", "Anbar Awakening", "Retaking a District Center - A Case Study in the Application of Village Stability Operations", and more.

IO Weaknesses Identified in DoDIG Report. In a recently released (March 27, 2015) report the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Defense identified some Information Operations (IO) challenges and weaknesses in operations conducted in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. The report covers IO activities from 2006 through 2013. Some of its findings include "communication activities that were not optimal at the operational level in Afghanistan", a lack of a fully integrated IO capability in Afghanistan", and "the need for strengthened controls over IO assessments in Afghanistan". The report is Information Operations in a Contingency Environment: Summary of Weaknesses Identified in Reports Issued from October 6, 2006, Through November 7, 2013, DoDIG-2015-100.
www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=6304

Sleeping Badly and the Military. "Given the unprecedented demands placed on U.S. military forces since 2001, there has been growing concerns about the prevalence and consequences of sleep problems for servicemembers. Sleep problems often follow a chronic course, persisting long after servicemembers return home from combat deployments . . ." Read more about a military deprived of sleep and recommendations for better sleep in "Sleep in the Military: Promoting Healthy Sleep Among U.S. Servicemembers", The RAND Corporation, April 2015.
www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR739.html

Soldiers Sleep Tips. The Defense Health Agency offers Soldiers some sleeping tips for the sleep-deprived military culture. (Army.mil, Mar 16, 2015).
www.army.mil/article/145285

The Afghan Diaspora. An extremely informative article about the impact that out-migration of Afghans has had on education in Afghanistan and more. Read "Diaspora and Knowledge Societies in Making: individual challenges and communal opportunities", by Dr. Yahia Baiza, posted on Afghan Professional Network (APN), April 7, 2015.

Pashtun Diaspora Women and Marriage. A writer examines the situation of Pashtun women living abroad and the prospects for marriage. Read "The Changing Face of Marriage for Pashtun Diaspora Women", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, April 7, 2015.

Report - Afghan Women Abandoned. Amnesty International has released a report (Yahoo! news report, Apr 6, 2015) saying that the government of Afghanistan and the international community have abandoned Afghan women. Afghanistan has regularly been named as one of the worst places to be born female. Afghanistan: Their lives on the line: Women human rights defenders under attack in Afghanistan, Amnesty International, April 6, 2015.
www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/1279/2015/en/

Afghan Women's Poetry. A recently released collection of poetry, Load Poems Like Guns: Women's Poetry from Herat, Afghanistan, brings together a selection of works from eight Afghan women. Read more in "Darkness and Hope in Load Poems Like Guns", By Catherine Putz, The Diplomat, April 7, 2015.

Photo Essay on Afghan School. National Geographic has published a photo essay on an Afghan school - a yearbook of the school's students. (April 6, 2015).

Practice Your Writing Skills!

Afghan News w/ Morning Coffee

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Taliban Make Gains in Kapisa Province

A recent online post by the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) highlights two districts of Kapisa province that are experiencing greater instability. The map to the left shows the outline of Kapisa province in relation to the rest of Afghanistan (map courtesy of Wikipedia). The province, located 80 kilometers northeast of Kabul, has always been an area of conflict. The security situation has gotten worse with the departure of Task Force Lafayette (France) and its supporting aviation unit - Task Force Musketeer. The author, Obaid Ali, reports that the Afghan government is losing its grip on Kapisa. Kapisa, due to its geographical location, serves as a crossroads for the Taliban and as a support zone for insurgent attacks into Kabul. A variety of insurgent and local armed militia groups exist in Kapisa as well as a mix of ethnic groups consisting of Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pashai, and Kuchi.

Two of the districts, Alasai (pink in the map to the left) and Kohband (yellow in the map to the left) are presented as examples of how the Afghan government is failing in Kapisa. (map courtesy of Wikipedia). In the Alasai district, for the past two years, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) - this includes the police and the army - are only allowed out of their bases, camps and offices for one hour per day - and only to go to the district center's bazaar. The remainder of the district is controlled by the Taliban. The Taliban's district government, in effect, runs the district with a legal system, security council, finance department, and district prison. A second district - Kohband - is plagued by a variety of illegally armed groups that fight among each other. Both of these districts are in mountainous areas of the province with little agricultural activity and a shortage of education and medical resources.

Read the article by Obaid Ali, Fire in the Pashai hills: A two-district case study from Kapisa, Afghanistan Analysts Notebook (AAN), April 6, 2015.
www.afghanistan-analysts.org/fire-in-the-pashai-hills-a-two-district-case-study-from-kapisa/

Afghan War News Snippets (Apr 7, 2015)

Qarabagh Blast Kills Afghan Police. An explosion killed four police and two civilians in a blast on Monday, 6 April. They were killed in the Qarabagh district on Kabul after a police vehicle struck a roadside mine. (Tolo News, Apr 6, 2015).

MoD Minister Nominated - Finally. General Afzal Ludin has been nominated at the new Minister for the Ministry of Defense (MoD). He will soon be introduced to Parliament for a vote of confidence. (Tolo News, Apr 6, 2015).

New Taxes Protested by Kabul Businessmen. Afghan traders have shut their shops and are marching in Kabul to protest tax hikes. They say the taxes are unfair hikes in what they must pay the government. (Yahoo! News, Apr 6, 2015).

Two of 31 Harzara Hostages Dead. According to Khaama Press (Apr 6, 2015) two of the 31 abducted Hararas were found dead in Zabul province. Their bodies were found in Khak-e-Afghan district. One was murdered and the other (an older man) died of weakness. The hostages were abducted on February 24, 2015 by militants suspected to be part of the ISIS group in Afghanistan.

ISIS Recruiting in Taliban Territory. In what some observers see as a changing of the guard the Islamic State is recruiting in Afghanistan. (CNN News, Apr 6, 2015).

Bergdahl - "Attempted to Go Over to the Other Side". Computer forensics may derailed Bergdahl's defense. (The Weekly Standard, Apr 6, 2015).

"The Real Afghan War". An essay taken from chapter five of Anand Gopal's "No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes", - or "How an American Fantasy Conflict Created Disaster in Afghanistan". (The Huffington Post, April 6, 2015).

Info about Korean Hospital at Bagram. Korea has been operating a hospital at Bagram Air Field (BAF) in Parwan province since 2010. The hospital provides quality medical care for Afghan citizens. Read more in "Koreans sow seeds of hope in Afghanistan", The Korea Times, April 5, 2015.

Biometrics and the Changing World of Spies. The use of biometrics is hampering the ability of spy agencies to conduct their business. Iris scans and facial recognition software coupled with more and more public cameras in airports, train stations, stores, and public areas are making life difficult for the spy world. The routine collection and analysis of fingerprints, iris scans, and facial images are helping to ferret out terrorists and immigration fraudsters all over the world - but it is also making it difficult for undercover agents to remain anonymous. Read more in "To Catch a Spy", Foreign Policy, April 6, 2015.

Senators Visit to TAAC-E. A number of U.S. Senators recently visited Train, Advise, Assist Command East at Tactical Base Gamberi in early April 2015. The TAAC-East commander, BG Bentley, says that one example of how TAAC-E is assisting the 201st Corps is in helping to establish the Regional Military Training Center (RMTC) for the 201st Corps which will give the corps the capability to train new soldiers assigned to the corps. This is probably a bad example - as advisors assigned to the 201st Corps have been "assisting" with the establishment of the RMTC at least since 2010 (see press release by CJTF-101, August 2010). I would have to say that is very slow progress. In 2012 FedBizOpps.Gov issued a solicitation for the construction of the RMTC. (DVIDS, Apr 5, 2015).

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Monday, April 6, 2015

Paper - "Building Partner Capacity"

Harry R. Yarger of the Joint Special Operations University has wrote a paper entitled "Building Partner Capacity", JSOU Report 15-1, February 2015. This 125-page long paper explores the sources of instability that pose security concerns to the United States and the various ways of mitigating those security concerns. It says that, in addition to humanitarian assistance and security assistance, building partner capacity is one of the best ways to diminish instability and should be a major part of the nation's grand strategy. The author provides us with the multiple ways of viewing the role of building partner capacity as part of a U.S. grand or defense strategy and the place of special operations forces in these strategies.

Building Partner Capacity (posted on JSOU website).

Afghan War News Snippets (Mar 6, 2015)

Explosion in Kunduz City. The north of Afghanistan continues to experience growing unrest. Reports came in about an explosion in Kunduz on Sunday, April 5th.

Khost Suicide Attack by Haqqani Network. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) says that the Haqqani Network was involved in the deadly suicide attack that took place in Khost province. The bomber detonated his explosives among anti-corruption demonstrators. At least 20 people were killed and over 60 others injured in the attack. (Khaama Press, April 4, 2015).

High Peace Council Review Urged. A member of the executive board of the High Peace Council wants to see the government conduct a review of the organization's structure before serious peace talks with the Taliban commence. (Khaama Press, Apr 5, 2015).

Opinion - Speed Up Afghan Withdrawal. Doug Bandow, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, says that the "Administration Should Speed, Not Slow, Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan", The World Post, April 5, 2015. Doug says that the United States quickly accomplished its two main goals in Afghanistan early on - destroy al Qaeda and oust its Taliban hosts. The quagmire began in a half-hearted effort (the nation's leadership shifted its attention to Iraq) to nation-build in a country not quite ready for nation-building. He says it is time to leave and to let the Afghans sort things out by themselves.

Opinion - "Slow Motion Retreat" Bad for Afghanistan. Sean Parnell, an Army veteran of the Afghan conflict and book author, writes that our slow retreat from Afghanistan is placing that country's future in jeopardy and will erase hard-fought gains by the U.S. (The Washington Times, April 4, 2015).

Is Mullah Omar Dead or Alive? Speculation still abounds as to whether the 'leader' of the Taliban is dead or alive. The Taliban leadership recently released a biography of the leader. Read more in a news article by BBC News, August 5, 2015. See also a news report by Radio Free Europe, April 5, 2015.

Operation Freedom's Sentinel Award Criteria. The Army has spelled out the eligibility criteria for the award of the Global War on Terrorism Medals to Soldiers serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. See news report by Army Times (April 5, 2015).

A-29 Super Tucano Next Best Thing to an A-10. Rick Smith writing for The Motley Fool (an investment newsletter) cites the value of the A-29 soon to be given to Afghanistan as a close support aircraft. His article (April 5, 2015) provides us with the operational details of the A-29 as well as the likelihood of additional purchases of the aircraft for the Afghan Air Force beyond the initial 20 aircraft fielding to take place in 2016-2018.

Video - Profile of a RSM Police Advisor. Major Russell Waight, an AFPAK hand and advisor to the Ministry of Interior, talks about his career, being an Advisor, and working with the Afghan people. (4 minutes long).
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153204572713454

Female War Journalists and Adrenaline. Read the story of a female photojournalist who keeps going back to the war. (The Guardian, April 5, 2015).

Women in the CIA. A recent rash of television shows have depicted women in the Central Intelligence Agency in a manner not totally consistent with real life. At least according to an Op-Ed by Maureen Dowd who recently interviewed several career CIA female employees about 'real life' in the CIA. According to some TV shows alcoholism and bed-hopping is a way of life for female CIA employees. Read "Good Riddance, Carrie Mathison", The New York Times, April 4, 2015.

Women in Special Forces - American Odyssey. This new show premiered on Sunday night (April 5th). It is interesting to note that it features a women Soldier of a Special Forces unit who is the sole survivor of her team that went in to enemy territory on a counterterrorism mission in Africa. She, according to one online review, is a member of a Female Engagement Team or FET. Hmmmm. I thought that the FETs were assigned to the Army and the Cultural Support Teams or CSTs were assigned to Special Forces teams. Looks like Hollywood knows something I don't. Evidently we are to suspend reality and push that "I Believe" button to swallow the story line presented by American Odyssey. Its great that the TV series attempts to portray women in the military in a positive light but sad that they can't shake Hollywood's concept of reality. The premiere showcased many of the left-wing causes - big, bad corporations, high-ranking military officers not caring of their Soldiers, drones are bad, hacking government computers is good (Snowden?), private military corporations are bad, and counterculture movements (Occupy?) are good. I am sure for the uninformed masses it is great entertainment - especially if you are a big-government conspiracy theory believer. It is too bad - as there was a lot of potential to highlight women of the FETs, CSTs, HTTs, and other like units in a positive light. Read a preview of the show by The Daily Beast, (April 5, 2015).

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Sunday, April 5, 2015

Article - COIN as False Narrative

In the aftermath of the counterinsurgency campaigns of Afghanistan and Iraq some observers are evaluating counterinsurgency as a strategy, doctrine, or concept. Many believe that the concept of counterinsurgency is sound while others discount its importance. Two members of the Kings' College in London have penned an article discounting the importance of COIN saying that "COIN is therefore a false narrative and should not be regarded as a formula for prescibing the principles of action to be used in future wars. COIN-centric readings of history, like all grand social science theorising, should be treated with scepticism". Read their thoughts in "The Strange Death of the Counter-insurgency Era", International Relations and Security Network (ISN), April 2, 2015.

Afghan News Snippets (Apr 5, 2015)

Combat Aviation Advisors. The 6th Special Operations Squadron is home to combat aviation advisors of the U.S. Air Force. Its' mission is Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and Combat Foreign Internal Defense (CFID). The combat advisors conduct assessments, provide training and advice and support to foreign aviation combat units across the world. These advisors are familiar with various types of foreign aircraft to include Russian Mi-17s, French A-332 Super Pumas, and others. The 6th SOS stood up in 1994 and is still a very small part of the Air Force despite the overwhelming demand for air advisors in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and other parts of the world. Read more in "A day in the life of Combat aviation advisors", Special-Ops.org, July 22, 2014.

MD-530 Helicopters. This coming Thursday the MoD will officially enter the new MD-530 helicopters into the Afghan Air Force (AAF). Six armed MD-530s arrived last month from the United States. Read more in a news article in Khaama Press (Apr 4, 2015).

Video - "Afghan Police and Army Spending". The NATO Channel presents a 4 minute long video detailing how the Resolute Support hqs is helping the ANSF and the Afghan Security Institutions (ASIs) with fiscal discipline. This includes advising them on facilities divestiture and fuel auditing.

https://youtu.be/I8vwmDwyqdw

Factsheet on U.S. Leadership in Landmine Clearance. On April 3, 2015 the U.S. Department of State published a Fact Sheet on "U.S. Global Leadership in Landmine Clearance and Conventional Weapons Destruction".

www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/04/240274.htm

Motorbike Mine Blast in Kunduz. 10 people (perhaps more) were injured early Saturday in a mine blast in northern Kunduz province. The explosion took place near the police headquarters. (Tolo News, Apr 4, 2015).

Blast in Baghlan Province. According to Pajhwok News five civilians were killed and 7 others wounded in a mine blast in Baghlan province.

Peace Talks - Who are the Players? NBC News provides us with background material for the peace talks that may (or may not) occur between the Afghan government, the Taliban and other parties. Read "Afghan Peace Talks with Taliban: Issues, Players and Challenges", April 4, 2015.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/afghan-peace-talks-n333801

Women in as "Operators" in Special Operations. Surveys conducted by special operations units indicate that there are big concerns about integrating women into some SOF positions. While there are a number of positions currently open to women in SOF units (support and staff) the "operator" positions are the ones that are currently closed. These positions require attendance at grueling and physically demanding qualification courses such as Special Forces training and then assignment to units that sometimes deploy as a small element in geographically remote and austere locations. Read more in "Special ops troops doubt women can do the job", AP Big Story, April 4, 2015.

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Saturday, April 4, 2015

SIGAR Sidelined?

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was replaced by Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The Department of Defense (DoD) has named a new Inspector General for the re-named operation in Afghanistan. The DoD maintains that this is a new contingency operation and therefore they need an IG. However, some in Congress are crying foul - saying this is an attempt to sideline the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). SIGAR has made enemies within the Pentagon with its very factual and hard-hitting reports about the waste involved in the billions of dollars spent on Afghan reconstruction and the corruption within the Afghan government, Afghan National Security Forces, and ministries. The Pentagon would love to get rid of SIGAR as they continue to receive a beating from that organization.

Defense Budget Leaves U.S. Vulnerable

A defense budget that concentrates the money on big-ticket, conventional warfare equipment and programs is taking resources away from the U.S. militarys ability to fight the most likely current and future threats. Expensive programs such as the F-35 fighter jet are a big part of the defense budget. However, today's and tomorrows conflicts will most likely be of a "hybrid nature". Our potential enemies in the world can't successfully take on the U.S. conventional forces (other than China or Russia). So the more likely course of action for these state and non-state actors is an unconventional approach (insurgency, terrorism, hybrid warfare, proxy warfare, political warfare, etc.). These non-conventional threats are represented by insurgents (Islamic State in Afghanistan and Iraq), terrorists (Somalis carrying out attacks in Kenya), and state-actors (Russia conducting "political warfare" or "proxy warfare" in the Ukraine). The United States has military organizations that are trained for the unconventional fight - and we need to resource these organizations at the appropriate level. Stuart Bradin, president and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation and a retired Army Special Forces colonel with over 30 years military service, provides us his thoughts on this topic in "Defense budget leaves US vulnerable to current, future threats", The Hill Congress Blog, April 1, 2015.