CIA, Intel, and Afghanistan

Central Intelligence Agency Pubs. The CIA has declassified five important documents that are related to the 9/11 attacks. The documents provide important historical information about the DCI Counterterrorist Center Directorate of Operations, assessment of CIA's performance, and findings about the CIA's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The pubs are available on the CIA's website at the following link.

www.foia.cia.gov/collection/declassified-documents-related-911-attacks

Two Tunisians Held by CIA Released. Two long time detainees held first by the CIA and later the U.S. military were repatriated to Tunisia and subsequently released. Read more in a The Washington Post news story (June 26, 2015).

Studies in Intelligence, Volume 59, Number 2, June 2015. Unclassified extracts published on the Central Intelligence Agency library webpage.
www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-59-no-2/index.html

Khost Protection Force (KPF) Targeted by Bomber. A senior Afghan official in Kabul stated that a suicide bomber that killed 25 in mid-July outside the former FOB Chapman was targeting the paramilitary group once led and supported by the CIA. In earlier years Chapman was the location of Special Forces and CIA led Afghan paramilitary units that operated near (or past) the Pakistan border. The KPF is now controlled by the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS); which of course, was (is?) funded and advised by the CIA. (The New York Times, Jul 12, 2015).

Book Review. Kate Drew reviews a book by Thomas Fingar - Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis and National Security. (E-International Relations, Jul 11, 2015).

Failed Drone Strategy. A former ISAF Intel officer - LTG (Ret) Mike Flynn has some comments on President Obama's reliance on drones to combat terrorism. "When you drop a bomb from a drone . . . you are going to cause more damage than you are going to cause good". (Politico, Jul 16, 2015)

Commentary on Afghanistan

Stay in Afghanistan . . . David Petraeus and Michael O'Hanlon have penned an opinion piece urging President Obama to continue an American troop presence in Afghanistan (The Washington Post, July 7, 2015).

"Forgetting Afghanistan". Dominic Tierney writes on how the 'Good War' has been forgotten by America in The Atlantic (Jun 24, 2015).

"What I Saw in Afghanistan". Barnett Rubin provides us a glimpse of the high-level politics of aid to Afghanistan, corruption, and offers insight on the future (The New Yorker, Jul 1, 2015).

"Afghanistan After the Drawdown". Two RAND Corporation writers and former advisors to U.S. SOF in Afghanistan see the future of Afghanistan as 'half full". (Lawfare, Jul 5, 2015).

The Bureaucracy of ISAF. A writer provides insight into the immense and disparate organization that was ISAF in "Organizational Friction and the Team of Teams Approach in Afghanistan", War on the Rocks, July 3, 2015.

ISIS in Afghanistan

The Islamic State (IS) or ISIS has been making some inroads into Afghanistan. Some alarmists see IS as a huge threat while others discount the ability of IS to actually take have a significant impact. Obviously the Afghan government and security forces are paying attention as well as Resolute Support headquarters and the Taliban. Some news reports on ISIS in Afghanistan can be found below.

Brian Perkins writes that the expansion of IS in Afghanistan could threaten the fledgling mining industry in The Diplomat (June 28th).

The June 2015 issue of the CTC Sentinel (Combating Terrorism Center at West Point) has an article entitled "The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Opens a Door to the Islamic State".

The IMU has a big presence in northern Afghanistan and its alliance with IS is a big concern. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) says that it has established a special force to combat the emergence of IS in Afghanistan (Khaama Press, Jul 2, 2015). In early July the NDS reported that the number two leader of IS was killed during an airstrike in Nangarhar (Tolo News, Jul 7, 2015).

Hezb-e-Islami and ISIS. The leader of the Afghan insurgent group Hezb-e-Islami (Hekmatyar) has come out in favor of the Islamic State over the Taliban (Military.com, Jul 7, 2015).

ISIS Plans to Attack US Forces. A recent article in The Hill Blog (Jul 10, 2015) states that members of ISIS in Afghanistan are planning to attack coalition personnel.

Key IS Figures Killed in Drone Attacks. The U.S. is hitting the ISIS leadership in Afghanistan in a series of drone attacks. (The Washington Post, Jul 9, 2015)

Afghan Fighters in Syria. The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has published a story about Afghan citizens fighting for the Syrian army. (June 26, 2015).

Afghan War News Snippets

Report on U.S. Military Suicides. Researchers have analyzed data that identify risk factors of enlisted Soldiers and officers (Medical News Today, Jul 10, 2015).

U.S. Cultural Imprint on Afghanistan. The Washington Post has an news story (June 28th) about America's cultural influence in Afghanistan.

New USASOC Commander. LTG Kenneth Tovo is the new commander of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) located at Fort Bragg, NC. Tovo is a former commander of Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A). Many of the units and personnel that comprise the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan (SOJTF-A) come from USASOC. On another note, an article in the Small Wars Journal puts forth the argument that Special Forces lost much of its ability to conduct unconventional warfare due to constant deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq (SMJ, Jun 29, 2015).

New Deputy Commander of CSTC-A. MG Daniel Hughes has arrived at Resolute Support HQs to help lead the procurement effort of the MoD and MoI. (DVIDS, Jul 10, 2015).

3rd SFG Shifts from Afghanistan to Africa. The 3rd Special Forces Group, a unit with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, will shift its focus to Africa. (Fayetteville Observer, Jul 1, 2015).

COL Shoffner. The former commander of the ISAF Commander's Action Group (CAG) and the Security Force Assistance Fusion Cell has taken command of the the Fort Leavenworth garrison. COL Andy Shoffner served in Afghanistan in 2013-2014. Read more in "Fort Leavenworth Garrison welcomes new commander", Fort Leavenworth Lamp, June 11, 2015.

Fired Navy O-6 from Kandahar. A Navy medical officer was recently fired from his position as the XO of the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit at KAF. (Navy Times, Jul 15, 2015).

Saving Mes Aynak. An important archaeological site in Logar province, Afghanistan - Mes Aynak - is threatened by a Chinese copper mine. Learn how a film might save the mountain top historical site.

Operation Red Wings - Ten Year Anniversary. In June 2005 a Navy SEAL mission in Afghanistan went badly. The Naval Special Warfare community remembers the sacrifice of the 19 fallen heroes. (DVIDS June 28, 2015).

CSTs. The new book by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - Ashley's War -  has generated lots of buzz about the Cultural Support Teams or CSTs that were deployed with Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. Recently George Washington University held a conference with 22 women who deployed on CSTs as part of a research effort to document their experiences. (DVIDS, Jul 17, 2015).

RS Video. Resolute Support HQs has published a short video featuring Gen Campbell on the Afghan parliament, gender advisor issues, and the SME program (for MoI). (ISAF Facebook, Jul 14, 2015).

Sign Up for Afghan War Newsletter

You can receive the Afghan War News Newsletter by email. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 a.m. U.S. East coast time or just after lunch (1330) in Kabul every Sunday. It is easy to subscribe. To submit your subscription request go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and enter your email 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.

Taking a Knee

Unfortunately I will be taking a temporary break from writing on the Afghan War News Blog and in the publishing of the daily Afghan War Newsletter. I am beginning a couple of big work projects that will consume most of my free time in the immediate future. In addition, I have some significant domestic and international travel scheduled over the next few months. One lesson I learned long ago is that when attempting too many things at the same time - something inevitably gets done poorly. If you subscribe to the newsletter you will know when I am "back" as you will get the daily newsletter in your inbox upon my resuming the blog. If you haven't subscribed yet you can sign up for the daily newsletter email at the signup dialogue box to the right where it says "Follow by Email". I anticipate a return to blogging and publishing the daily newsletter just after Ramazan.

Best regards, Staff at Afghan War News Blog

Bibliography - Resolute Support & Afghanistan

The Annotated Bibliography for Resolute Support - has been updated and posted. The ISAF mission ended on 31 December 2014 and the NATO Resolute Support mission started on 1 January 2015. The Resolute Support mission is primarily Security Force Assistance along functional areas at the ministry, institutional, and ANA corps level. The bibliography will be very helpful for advisors at all levels in Afghanistan as well as staff members of the RS mission. It has links to hundreds of documents, papers, publications, and websites about advising, the Afghan National Security Forces, and Afghanistan. The bibliography is updated every month and posted the first day of the month. The publication is an Adobe Acrobat PDF, is almost 200 pages long, and is less than 3 MBs big. You can read online or download at the link below.

www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

Afghan War Glossary

In every military there is a huge amount of terms, acronyms, phrases, and words that are unrecognizable to the non-military members of society. To a newly deployed member of the military assigned to Afghanistan - the slang, abbreviations, and definitions used in theater can be perplexing as well. It takes a while to learn the lingo. For instance many newcomers confuse the terms Afghan and Afghani. To help out Afghan War News has compiled an online glossary.

www.afghanwarnews.info/glossary/afghanglossary.htm

Afghan War News Site Map

The Afghan War News Site Map lists all the web pages on the website - almost 300 pages. The pages are hyperlinked and are grouped by category and topic to help you find the information you need. The Site Map is an excellent resource for the researcher or Afghan hand that provides access to a variety of information. Major topics include the ANSF, maps, security, governance, development, IO, SFA, history, and more.

www.afghanwarnews.info/sitemap.htm

Kunduz Battle Update

The Afghan military's push in the country's north region comes after insurgents close in on a provincial capital. Read "Afghan Forces Press Counter-Offensive to Defend New Front Line Against Taliban", The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2015. (requires subscription login). Another report says that the Taliban has taken some significant losses - see "Kunduz Battle Leaves 154 Taliban Insurgents Dead", Tolo News, April 29, 2015.

The northern part of Afghanistan was for many years the bright spot on the horizon for the overall effort in Afghanistan. The areas reconstruction and development was progressing well. Many of the cities to include Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz were shining examples of economic growth and the establishment of sub-national governance. While there were many European countries committed to norther Afghanistan Germany took a special interest in Kunduz province. "The northern Afghan city of Kunduz is a symbol for Germany. It was meant to be a showcase project of German development policy. But the early signs of success weren't enough to prevent the West's failure in the region". Read more in "How the 'Kunduz spa resort' turned into a Taliban den", Deutsche Welle, April 29, 2015.

In a somewhat related news story we hear that a German court has upheld a decision not to pay any compensation to the families of 100 killed in a Kunduz airstrike by German aircraft. This incident caused major problems for the German government at the time.

DoD Report - Equip & Train Afghan Security Forces

The Office of Inspector General for the DoD has published a new report entitled Equipping and Training Afghan Security Forces, DoDIG-2015-108, April 30, 2015. It is an assessment of U.S. efforts to develop the sufficiency of ANSF Polices, Processes, and Procedures for the Management and Accountability of Class III (Fuel) and V (Ammunition). The report contains 7 observations, resulting in 17 recommendations.

www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=6431

SIGAR Quarterly Report on Afghanistan

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has issued its Quarterly Report to Congress (April 30, 2015). This 259 page report covers almost all aspects of the U.S. activities in Afghanistan and provides a summary of SIGAR's oversight work. The report identifies problems and provides assessments in the effort to build the Afghan security forces, improve governance, and facilitate economic and social development.

www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2015-04-30qr.pdf

Army Upgrades Body Armor

Rather than scrap hundreds of thousands of first-generation Improved Outer Tactical Vests, a team of Army officials and engineers capitalized on smart decisions and solid testing. They devised a way to use existing equipment to upgrade the vests and extend their life cycle for just half the cost of the replacement, potentially saving millions. The price difference is $791 versus $413. The potential savings could amount to $150 million. There have been several generations of body armor - each successive generation providing better protection and greater comfort. Read more in "Army upgrades body armor, saves money", Army.mil, April 27, 2015.

SIGAR Report - ANA Payroll

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has published a report entitled "Afghan National Army: Millions of Dollars at Risk Due to Minimal Oversight of Personnel and Payroll Data", SIGAR 15-54 Audit Report, April 2015. This report was sent to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, General Lloyd Austin (Cdr CENTCOM), and General John Campbell (Cdr Resolute Support). The report provides four recommendations to include a daily sign in roster for the ANA with identification numbers, that the MoD use electronic means to track attendance and payroll records above the Corps by 2017, that they develop an MoD verification methodology, and develop written procedures for verifying ANA personnel and payroll data. Presumably these steps will provide oversight on where our money is going, reduce the amount of "ghost soldiers" who are getting paid, and eliminate some of the rampart corruption taking place within the senior ANA ranks. Sounds like the Resolute Support advisors working in Essential Function 1 and Essential Function 4 have their work cut out for them. The report finds that:

"Despite 13 years and billions of dollars in salary assistance to the Afghan government for the ANA, there is still no assurance that personnel and payroll data are accurate. Although the U.S. and Afghan governments have been working to develop effective ANA personnel and payroll processes, those processes continue to exhibit extensive internal control deficiencies".
"SIGAR found that Essential Function 4 (and prior to January 2015, CSTC-A), relies on the MOD and ANA to collect and accurately report ANA personnel and payroll data. However, the ANA's process for collecting unit-level attendance data, upon which all ANA personnel and payroll data is based, has limited oversight and weak controls, and is not consistently applied across ANA locations"

www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-54-AR.pdf

Article - The Advisor and BCT

Lt. Col. Jeremy Gwinn, U.S. Army, writes in Military Review about his deployment as an advisor attached to 4th Brigade, 101st Airborne Division to Regional Command East (RC East). At the time, 2010 to 2011, the brigade was augmented with several dozen personnel (the concept called for a 48-man team) to be combat advisors conducting the beginnings of the Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission. These early augmentation teams came to be known as Security Force Assistance Teams (SFATs); not to be confused with the follow-on advisors who were members of Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams (SFAATs) or the Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs). The SFATs, usually consisting of senior NCOs and officers, augmented the brigades advisory capacity. Many of the individuals on the SFATs saw important and rewarding duty; however, some were relegated by the receiving brigade commanders to unimportant positions and marginalized. Lt. Col. Gwinn provides us with an overview of the SFAT augmentation, training, employment, and finishes with some recommendations for future advisory efforts. Read "The Advisor and the Brigade Combat Team: Toward and Enduring Solution for an Enduring Requirement", Military Review, May-June 2015.

Force Protection at TB Gamberi

Force Protection remains a top priority at Train, Advise, and Assist Command - East at Tactical Base Gamberi. Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3 BCT conducts a lot of training to ensure their FP skills are current. Although the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is no longer a combat mission the Soldiers must remain ready in an environment where combat still exists. Watch the 5-minute long video posted on the Facebook of B Company. Can't say I like the music but . . .

Afghan War News Snippets (May 1, 2015)

Two Kabul Police Officers Killed. A group of unknown gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint in Kabul city late Wednesday night killing two police officers and wounding another. (Tolo News, April 30, 2015).

Afghan Media Day Off. No Afghan newspapers were published on Tuesday, April 28th in observation of Mujahidin Victory Day - a national holiday.

Afghan Air Force is Busy. The start of the 2015 fighting season sees the AAF very busy supporting operations in four different provinces (Zabul, Ghazni, Kunduz, and Badakhshan) this week. Read more in "Afghan Air Force Provides Cover for Troops in Four Provinces", Tolo News, April 29, 2015. Of course, the U.S. Air Force isn't exactly cooling its jets on the ramp - read "US continues airstrikes in Afghanistan", The Boston Globe, April 30, 2015.

Taliban Atrocities. A blogger explores the Taliban's admission that they recently committed atrocities (beheading ANA soldiers). Read "Taliban admit they committed atrocities", afghanhindsite, April 28, 2015.

Four Romanian Soldiers Injured. The Romanian defense ministry says that four Romanian soldiers were injured when a booby-trapped car exploded in Afghanistan. They were deployed south of Kandahar. Romania has 625 troops currently serving in the NATO mission in Afghanistan and thus far 23 have been killed in the conflict. (ABC News, April 30, 2015).

NDS Officer Killed in Kandahar. An officer from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) was killed by unidentified gunmen in southern Kandahar province on Thursday. A few days before the public health director of Kandahar province was also attacked. (Khamma Press,  April 30, 2015).

Warlords and Provincial Politics and Power. Rebecca Zimmerman, an associate policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and a doctoral candidate at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Truman National Security Project fellow describes "MK" the warlord of Uruzgan - Matiullah Khan was recently assassinated in Kabul. (His successor was also assassinated). She describes the pros and cons of provincial warlords in her article "The Afghan Warlord With a Cheshire Grin", Newsweek, April 29, 2015.

Advisor Training for Resolute Support Mission in Poland. The next advisor training event for the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan will take place in the summer at Bydgoszcz, Poland at the NATO Joint Force Training Center (JFTC). The training program is excellent - in the past few years I have participated in two of the training events as a "trainer SME". The dates for the initial, main, and final planning conferences are listed at this link.

EU and Corruption. The European Union is calling for concrete steps against corruption in Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe, May 1, 2015).

ISIS vs. Taliban. The Taliban are apparently in a Catch-22 over the emergence and rise of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Some fighters of the Taliban are switching flags. Read more in "Afghan Taliban Scrambling with the Rise of the Islamic State", Gandhara Blog, April 30, 2015.

ICRC and Afghan CIVCAS. The Director of Operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Dominik Stillhart, has expressed concern at the growing number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. (ICRC, Apr 30, 2015).

Afghan Civilians at Risk. Read more on civilian casualties in "Afghanistan fighting season could kill record number of civilians: aid agencies", Thomson Reuters Foundation, April 30, 2015.

Farkhunda's Death & Self-Reflection. The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) weighs in on the killing of the Afghan woman by a male mob. (IWPR, Apr 30, 2015).

Military Aid Programs. The State Department has eight military aid programs and the Defense Department has 71. The State Department's programs receive intense Congressional scrutiny while DoD's seem to get a pass. Read more in a post on the Security Assistance Monitor, April 27, 2015.

RS HQs Gets Bad Report Card. SIGAR has issued its 27th quarterly report to Congress and the news isn't great. Read "Another Damning Afghanistan Reconstruction Report", The Diplomat, May 1, 2015.

Peace in Afghanistan. To bring peace to Afghanistan, President Ghani has to overcome domestic barriers and regional controversies. Read more in "Afghan Peace: Between a Rock and a Hard Place", Foreign Policy, April 30, 2015.

USA - Being Played by Pakistan. An observer makes note of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Pakistan for the AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters and AGM-114R Hellfire II Missiles as part of a $1-billion deal. This, despite the fact that the Taliban and Haqqani Network enjoy the support and sanctuary of Pakistan. Go figure. Read more in "The Afghanistan-Pakistan Map is About to Get a Make Over", By Vikram Sood, Eurasia Review, April 30, 2015.

How to Hack Military Drones. The information necessary to hack a military drone is freely available to the public, in academic publications and online documents. (Eurasia Review, Apr 30, 2015).

Freshman Congressman Moulton Slammed on anti-A-10 Proposal. Newly elected Representative Seth Moulton is from a liberal district in Massachusetts and is also a Marine Corps officer with one or two combat tours and six years experience in the military. He seems to think that he has the expertise, training, and experience to weigh in on the A-10 argument. Ummmm. Some folks think that an O-3 isn't that experienced. Go figure. Read more in "Moulton Moves to Gut A-10", Arizona Independent, April 29, 2015. See also "Moulton's 'Compromise'" Gut the A-10 for No Good Reason", John Q Public Blog, April 29, 2015.

The Killing of Warren Weinstein. Read David Rohde's article entitled "What the United States Owes Warren Weinstein", The Atlantic, April 28, 2015. Another article provides more info - read "U.S. Never Knew Where Warren Weinstein Was", Bloomberg View, April 23, 2015.

US Drones - Problems of Nebulous War. Daphne Eviatar writes that "US Drone Killings of Western Aid Workers Highlight Problems of Nebulous War", for Just Security, April 27, 2015.

Narratives Better than Drones. Two writers - Jim Sisco and Ajit Maan - feel that the 'kill or capture' approach isn't working and that a good narrative would accomplish much much. Read their article in Foreign Policy, April 23, 2015.

Two Great Afghan Values - Islam and Country. Learn more about Afghanistan in "For Us, Two Great Values", Khaama Press, April 30, 2015.

Kandahar Role 3. An article posted on Military.com (Feb 5, 2015) provides info on the Kandahar clinic that assists troops in fighting stress.

Who Is TAAC - South Cdr? BG Viet Luong of the 1st Cavalry Division and current commander of Train Advise and Assist Command South in Afghanistan came to the United States in the 1970s after his family fled Vietnam in the waning days of the war there. He is now leading the effort to train Afghan units to fight the insurgents in southern Afghanistan. Read more in a news story by National Public Radio, April 30, 2015.

CSTs Served with Distinction. Read a news release by the U.S. Department of Defense about three women who served in Afghanistan on Cultural Support Teams (CSTs) assigned to special operations units. (DoD News, Apr 29, 2015).

Vickers Stepping Down. Mike Vickers,the outgoing undersecretary of defense for intelligence, is stepping down. He became famous as a character in "Charlie Wilson's War" where he is depicted as an architect of the U.S. effort to arm and support the Afghan mujahideen in their fight against the Soviets. He got his start as an enlisted and then later officer in the U.S. Army Special Forces where he received extensive training in aiding insurgencies. Later as a CIA officer he worked with the mujahideen. Read a news story on Vickers (DoD News, April 30, 2015).

Military Review May-June 2015. The latest issue of Military Review is out. One article that is interesting is "Army Civilians and the Army Profession". Lt. Col. Robert Hynes, Ph.D., U.S. Army, Retired writes about the important contribution that civilians perform on the battlefield and in garrison.

40 Years ago - Vietnam. The war in Vietnam ended (for the United States) on April 30, 1975. Read about what the U.S. thinks about long wars in "Vietnam Showed the U.S. Has No Desire for Long Wars and Troubling Tactics", The New York Times, April 30, 2015. By Douglas Porch, professor at the Naval Postgraduate School. Read also a press release from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) entitled "The Last Days in Saigon", April 30, 2015 that describes the last days of South Vietnam and the evacuation from Saigon. I am sure our final departure from Kabul will be much smoother.

Interview w/ Dr. Rajiv Shah - Former USAID Head. Rajiv Shah is interviewed and chats about his five years as head of the United States Agency for International Develeopment in "A Conversation with Dr. Rajiv Shah", Asia Foundation, April 29, 2015. Both the foundation and agency played a leading role in Afghanistan reconstruction and development for many years. The interview focuses on Asia but very little on Afghanistan.

SF Cbt Dive Schools 50th. The Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West celebrates its 50th anniversary. (Fayetteville Observer, April 29, 2015).

Military Health System & Psychological Care. RAND Corporation has published a report entitled "Measuring the Quality of Care for Psychological Health Conditions in the Military Health System", April 2015. In the last few years the number of U.S. service members treated for psychological health conditions has increased substantially - in particular - post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The RAND report includes key findings and recommendations.

USMC Cyber Task Force. The Marine Corps Cyber Task Force stood up in April 2015 to create courses of action to address manpower, organizational, acquisition and other problems for cyberspace operations. Read more in a news report by USNI News, April 28, 2015.

New Hostage Policy? The administration is under fire for perceived problems with its hostage policy. This perception is even stronger with the recent deaths of two Western aid workers in a drone strike in Pakistan. Read more in "New Hostage Strategy to Follow Interagency Review", Arthur D. Simons Center for Interagency Cooperation, April 28, 2015.

Signup for Daily 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 a.m. U.S. East coast time or just after lunch (1330) in Kabul. It is easy to subscribe. To submit your subscription request go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and enter your email 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.

Zabul - Operation Badar Update

The ongoing military operation in Zabul province, Operation Badar, has killed forty militants according to a news report by Khaama Press on April 29, 2015. The operation started about five days ago. Some say this operation may be an attempt to find and release the 31 Hazara hostages taken in February 2015. This large-scale operation is a coordinated attack by government forces on anti-government forces' historical safe havens. Some of the units participating include Afghan National Army (ANA) units from the 203rd and 205th Corps, the Kandahar province 2nd Mobile Strike Force, the Afghan 3rd Special Operations Kandak, and other units. The 205th Corps has primary responsibility of Zabul province and is assisted by Train, Advise, Assist Command - South (TAAC-South) based at Kandahar. TAAC-South is composed of members of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division. The 205th is advised by the Australian 205th Coalition Advisory Team along with Soldiers from Bulgaria and Romania. TAAC-S has a forward operational center which is monitoring the operation. Read more in "Major Afghan military operation underway in country's southeast", DVIDS, April 29, 2015.

Gen Campbell Praises ANSF in Helmand Op

The ANSF recently completed a months-long operation in Helmand province. Much of the fighting took place in Sangin district. Observers had mixed reviews on the op. Many saw it as a "clearing operation" that is typical of the ANSF. Move into an area in great numbers, establish a presence, get shot at, mix it up with the Taliban, kill and capture some insurgents, take some casualties, clear some IEDs, talk to the local residents, and then go back to the big FOB many miles away. The end result is the insurgency is "disrupted" for the length of the operation and then the insurgents resume their activities once the ANSF departs. Listen to what General Campbell, commander of the Resolute Support mission, has to say about the Helmand operation in "DoD News: Resolute Support Commander Praises ANSF", DVIDS, April 28, 2015.

Kunduz Fight Update

The fighting in Kunduz province is continuing although the threat seems to have been diminished now that the ANA battalion under siege has been reinforced. The Afghan ground force commander and deputy interior minister were in Kunduz monitoring operations. The MoI says the United States conducted some air strikes to assist the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on Wednesday; some news reports say no munitions were dropped. An ANA operation to relieve Imam Sahib district has been ongoing. Helicopters of the Afghan Air Force flew numerous resupply missions in support of the beleaguered ANA kandak. The Afghan MoI and MoD held a joint press conference to reassure the Afghan public on the Kunduz situation - a high-ranking American officer was conspicuously present - not sure what the intent there was nor how productive it is in convincing us the Afghans can handle security on their own.

"Afghan Troops Rush to Kunduz Amid Taliban Assault", The New York Times, April 28, 2015.

Courting Central Asia

The U.S. Department of State's New Silk Road Strategy is long on talk but short on results. The United States is pushing for regional stability in Central Asia while Russia - coming in from the west tries to increase its influence; and China - coming in from the east is promoting its economic infrastructure development with its own "New Silk Road" initiative. The Central Asian states are hedging their bets - broadening their security efforts beyond the small assurance that the current Obama administration is providing. In the later part of April 2015 elite special forces units from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were conducting joint military exercises in northern Kyrgyzstan. The exercises were intended to practice fighting illegal armed groups and terrorists. In addition, the establishment by China (joined by many other nations) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an important factor. The AIIB is a direct competitor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is dominated by the United States. This new financial institution will provide an opportunity for China to increase its influence within Central Asia. The United States influence and standing in the Central Asian states is slowly slipping in comparison to the growing interest of Russia and China in the region. Read more in "How China is 'Winning' Central Asia", by John C. K. Daly, Silk Road Reporters, April 29, 2015.

SIGAR Testimony on Afghanistan Reconstruction

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) testified before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Afghan reconstruction programs. A prepared statement is posted on SIGAR's website - "Why ANSF Numbers Matter; Inaccurate and Unreliable Data, and Limited Oversight of On-Budget Assistance Put Millions of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars at Risk", Statement by John F. Sopko, April 29, 2015. www.sigar.mil/pdf/testimony/SIGAR-15-56-TY.pdf

Listen to a webcast of the hearing:
http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/following-trail-u-s-taxpayers-dollars-abroad-budget-assistance-afghanistan/

Springtime in a "Failed State"

It is springtime in Afghanistan - which means a lot of things - but to the U.S. military stationed in that country it means the start of another fighting season. This fighting season will be a big test for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as there is a reduced number of Coalition troops in country (12,000?) and many of those are "train and advise" troops, staff, or support - not combat units. In addition, the Coalition airpower in country is a lot less than previous years. To many Afghans springtime is also the start of another 'poppy season'. This, of course, is a constant reminder of the U.S. inability to stem the growth of opium and transit of the drug to the Russian, European, and Middle East markets. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has recently published a series of reports on the efforts in Afghanistan and the contents are rather troubling. Gary Owen provides us a glimpse of the reports in "Phantom Troops, Taliban Fighting, and Wasted Money - It's Springtime in Afghanistan", Vice News, April 29, 2015.

SOF and Air Support to the ANSF Questioned

The primary mission of the NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan is to "advise and assist" at the corps, institutional, and ministry level. This mission means that for the most part, the troops are not engaged in combat. The extent of U.S. military forces involvement in combat operations in Afghanistan is restricted to "Train, Advise, and Assist" by special operations forces and air support where needed to prevent a significant setback of the Afghan National Security Forces. It is up to General Campbell, the commander of the NATO Resolute Support Mission and overall commander of the U.S. forces to determine how much or little SOF or air support is necessary. To some observers the departure of the bulk of U.S. forces in 2014 meant the end of the war - not so much. The ability of the Afghan security forces to combat and defeat the insurgents is still not mature. In fact, the fighting season ahead may prove to be just as tough as the 2014 fighting season. The Taliban are far from defeated and the Afghan Army and Police are not quite as good as Resolute Support HQs would like us to believe. Two writers seem to think that the U.S. military role is out of line with the assertions of the Obama administration that the U.S. is on the sidelines in the combat arena. Read "U.S. Attacks in Afghanistan Go Beyond White House' Pledges", The New York Times, April 29, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

Copper and Iron - Afghanistan's Economic Future? President Ghani has said that Afghanistan will become the world's largest producer of iron and copper in the next 15 years. Afghanistan has rich deposits of minerals but a very bad security situation. Ghani is on a three-day visit to India and is hoping to encourage economic investment in Afghanistan's future. Read more in a news report by Khaama Press, April 29, 2015.

ISIS in Afghanistan. News reports continue to speculate on the strength of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Javid Ahmad writing in The Diplomat (April 29, 2015) provides his thoughts.

Influx of Insurgents from Pakistan. Afghan officials are warning about an influx of insurgents from neighboring Pakistan into northern Afghanistan in an attempt to destabilize what has mostly been a peaceful part of the country. (ABC News, April 29, 2015).

Corruption and a U.S. Supported Regime. Read Tracy Wood's account of how the United States spent money and lives supporting a corrupt regime 40 years ago and think about the present conflict in Afghanistan. See "A War Correspondent Turned Lifelong Corruption Fighter", Voice of OC, April 29, 2015.

Taliban Onslaught. Franz-Stefan Gady examines the start of the Afghan fighting season that has begun with a vengeance this year. Read "Taliban Onslaught: What is Happening in Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, April 29, 2015.

Tajikistan Watches Conflict in Northern Afghanistan. Tajikistan, a country on Afghanistan's northern border, is watching with great interest the current fighting in Kunduz and other locations in northern Afghanistan. Read more in "Tajikistan Watches as Fighting Flares in Northern Afghanistan", The Bug Pit - Eurasianet.org, April 27, 2015.

Afghan Television Debate - Child Marriage. A United Nations backed television show highlighted the negative consequences of child marriage. Read more in a UN news release (UNAMA News Update, April 29, 2015).

"When Casualties Come Home from War". An excellent article on what happens on the home front when a servicemember is wounded or killed. By Jill Sargent Russell posted on Kings of War, April 29, 2015.

The Killing of Farkhunda. The Afghan press is full of reports and accounts about the killing of the Afghan women that took place over a month ago on the streets of Kabul by a band of Afghan men. This event received national and international attention. The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has provided more information and background on this event here and here.

Female Afghan Top Gun. The most recent graduate of pilot training in the Afghan Air Force is getting a lot of press. She has been profiled almost every week in the press. Read more about the 23-year-old pilot. Daily Mail, April 29, 2015.

DoD Policy & Women in Combat. The DoD policy on women has changed in recent years. Current policy is explained in "DoD Seeks Right Standards, Policies for Women in Combat Roles", DoD News, April 27, 2015.

Video - NATO Role 3 at Kandahar. Watch a 8-minute long video about the Role 3 medical unit on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Meet the doctors and nurses! Watch the video here.

Orphans in Afghanistan. Read the story about Afghanistan's orphans and the limited help available to them in "For Afghanistan's abandoned children, help is scarce", TownHall.com, April 29, 2015.

UN Welcomes Drone Review. The United Nations welcomed the news that the United States is going to conduct a review of drone operations. (UN News Centre, April 29, 2015).

IO and "Narrative". An Australian IO SME tells us something about "narrative" in his article in The Bridge, April 2015. https://medium.com/the-bridge/narrative-31b3ecc1c631

Outspoken Army Officer Retires. LTC Daniel Davis is retiring. An Army officer with four combat tours, he has been an outspoken critic of the conduct of the Afghan War and has called for a sweeping overhaul of the top leadership. Read more in "Outspoken officer retires, trains sights on politics", Army Times, Apri 28, 2015.

# of Security Clearance Holders Drops. Federal agencies have trimmed the ranks of employees and contractors with access to classified information. The number of security clearance holders has dropped 12 percent since the year before. This is caused by a number of factors to include the drawdown of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, internal reviews of security clearance requirements, and declassification efforts. (Defense One, April 28, 2015).

Mental Health in Afghanistan. Living in an impoverished country like Afghanistan makes it difficult for those seeking medical assistance - especially in the mental health field. Read more "You're not alone: tackling mental health in Afghanistan", European Year for Development, April 23, 2015.

Gen Anderson Says Good Bye to FBNC. General Anderson, the commander of 18th Airborne Corps and the former (and last) commander of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC) is leaving his post. He will be relieved by MG Townsend, the former commander of 10th Mountain Division, a past commander of Regional Command East, and member of the "Boston Mafia". (Fayettville Observer, April 29, 2015).

ManTech wins $7 Billion Contract. ManTech International was awarded two contracts worth up to $7 billion by the Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) to provide global intelligence support services (GISS). (Defense Daily Network, April 28, 2015.

New Book - Warlords . . .  Jesse Driscoll has wrote a book scheduled for release in May 2015 entitled "Warlords and Coalition Politics in Post-Soviet States". I am sure much of the book will concern the Central Asian states; Afghanistan could get a mention. 

A Changed World Since 9/11. A lot has happened in the many years since September 2001. Some of us missed the changes because we spent - like years in Afghanistan. Read "This is How Much the World has Changed Since the War in Afghanistan Began", Vice.com, April 29, 2015.

Morse Code Training - End of an Era. The first Morse Code message went out on May 24, 1844. Morse Code played a huge role in the military for many years. It was one of the cheapest and most reliable means of communication. For years Morse Code training was conducted at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. When Fort Devens closed down the training went to Fort Huachuca. Now the training in Arizona is being shut down. For years Special Forces Communications Sergeants (O5Bs and then later 18Es) had to be proficient in Morse code. Read more in "Fort Huachuca bids farewell to Morse Code training", Army.mil, April 27, 2015. 

Military Retirement Changes? Not so Fast. Veteran members of the house are putting a damper on proposed changes to an Army retirement system that has served us well for many years. Some of the old timers think there is a rush to make changes. Read more in "Retirement reform faces challenge from veteran lawmakers", Military Times, April 29, 2015. (Got to love the old guys!).

Gen Dostum Emerges. It appears that Dostum is emerging as a major political figure - at least according to his media advisor. Read more in "Working with General Abdul Rashid Dostum", by Sultan Faizy, The Diplomat, April 24, 2015.

Gen Campbell Pushes for ROE like U.S. Police Departments. According to a news report by the Duffel Blog senior military leaders are pushing for Ruled of Engagement (ROE) that big city police departments enjoy in the United States. Read more in "Military Pushes for Same Broad Rules of Engagement as Civilian Police Forces", Duffel Blog, January 5, 2015. (Caution - satire).

Landslide in Badakhshan Kills Scores

A landslide killed scores of Afghans and buried many homes in the Khwahan district of Badakhshan province on Monday. Many residents are missing. This time of year northern Afghanistan sees lots of landslides. Last year the Afghan government was criticized for being too slow with relief response. Many local officials were accused of stealing humanitarian aid sent to the province; diverting food, blankets, and medical supplies to other villages not affected by the landslides. Regional Command North's response to the earthquake in 2014 was limited; hampered by a lack of coordination on the part of the Afghan provincial and national leadership. It will be interesting to see if the response by the Afghan government to the landslides is any better in 2015. The affected area is about 125 miles from the provincial capital (Faizabad) along near the border with Tajikistan. It is a remote and rugged area that is currently accessible only by helicopter - much of the area still has snow blocking passages.

Some news reports on the landslide:

"Massive Landslide Kills Dozens in Northeast Afghanistan", The World Post, April 28, 2015.

"Over 50 People Presumed Dead in Badakhshan Landslide: Official", Tolo News, April 28, 2015.

SIGAR: $488 Million at Risk - TFBSO

A recent report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says that the Department of State (DoS), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) have failed to coordinate and prioritize their extractives activities. This failure has resulted in divergent strategies and poor working relationships - with the end result of creating potential sustainability problems. The Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) still lacks the technical capacity to research, award, and manage new contracts without external support.

Read the SIGAR report here.
Afghanistan's Mineral, Oil, and Gas Industries: Unless U.S. Agencies Act Soon to Sustain Investments Made, $488 Million in Funding is at Risk, SIGAR 15-55 Audit Report, April 2015.
www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-55-AR.pdf

See Wikipedia's webpage for more information about the TFBSO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_Force_for_Business_and_Stability_Operations

Read a news report on this topic by Siobhan O'Grady in The Cable - Foreign Policy, April 28, 2015 - "Afghanistan Watchdog: Poor U.S. Planning Puts $488 Million at Risk".

Learn more about Afghanistan's mineral potential.
www.afghanwarnews.info/development/minerals.htm

New Century & LEGACY - A Success Story

One of the best success stories to come out of the many training endeavors in Afghanistan is the result of a United Kingdom firm - New Century. This firm has been providing intelligence training to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) for quite a few years. Their employees have served as trainers, mentors, and advisors to the ANA and ANP and were located in almost all provinces. One of their most successful programs was called LEGACY. The police training program involved working with the Afghan National Police intelligence officers at provincial level. The New Century firm deployed small teams of former UK Special Branch, special forces, and defense intelligence operatives to train up the ANP. LEGACY trainers were also attached to the Military Intelligence Kandaks and companies of the ANA Corps. Almost all of these trainers were retired from their respective careers in the UK defense or police organizations. Many served in the same province in Afghanistan for two to four years. As a result they became very knowledgeable of the terrain, personalities, insurgents, politics, and all other aspects of the province. They developed extremely good relationships with their Afghan counterparts because of this continuity. In my travels over the past four years in Afghanistan I visited many COPs and FOBs throughout the Kabul, 201st, 203rd, and 209th Corps areas - one of the first stops I would make was the LEGACY guys - because they had the in-depth knowledge and ground truth of what was going on in their area. The LEGACY program and New Century's work is "What Right Looks Like" and should be a lesson learned for intelligence support to a counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and future conflicts.

View the New Century website.
www.newcentcorp.com

Webcast - Int Dev in Conflict Environments (Apr 30, 2015)

The International NGO Safety and Security Association (INSSA) is hosting an event (in person and online) entitled "International Development in Conflict / post-Conflict Environments" on Thursday, April 30, 2015. It is taking place at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) and can be viewed on the INSSA Online YouTube channel or the INSSA Live page. The event is from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. INSSA is a non-profit global membership association of individuals committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of safety and security for humanitarian relief and development assistance workers operating in complex and dangerous environments.

SF Afghan Cooking Course

The United States Army Special Forces Command G-4 has completed the second of four Islamic Field Feeding Courses preparing Culinary Specialists (92Gs) for duty in Afghanistan. The objective of the course is to show the cooks how to prepare authentic Afghan dishes. Special Forces Soldiers typically will host their Afghan military and civilian counterparts to dinners in order to build relationships. Some of the important aspects of the Islamic cooking course includes detailed explanations of foods which are 'halal' and other foods which are 'haram'. Learn about Afghan cooking and impress your spouse in the kitchen! Read more in a press release on the Special Forces Field Feeding Course for Afghanistan by Oak Grove Technologies (April 14, 2015).

New Chairman for the JCS?

Barbara Starr is reporting that President Barack Obama could announce his pick for the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff this week. The front runner remains General Joseph Dunford, currently the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Looks like we will all become Red Sox fans in the very near future. Perhaps we will see the "Boston Mafia" that reigned in Afghanistan the last few years make more rank in the services! Warning: If you are briefing him and you got a New England accent he will query you on your knowledge of the BoSox! See the CNN story (April 27, 2015).

Kunduz Fighting Update

Heavy fighting has been taking place in Kunduz province the past few days. Thousands of families are reported to be displaced due to the fighting in different districts of Kunduz. The fierce fighting delayed President Ghani's trip to India by at least a few hours. Ghani had a quick meeting with General Campbell (Resolute Support Commander) to discuss the deteriorating situation in Kunduz. The Afghan army has sent over 2,000 troops into the troubled province. Some reports describe the fighting as a major militant offensive with about 3,000 militants engaged in five districts. The provincial governor says that militants control up to 40 percent of the province. Some attacks are occurring in the provincial capital. The Afghan Local Police (ALP) in the area have taken some heavy casualties. Some analysts say the accelerated pace of fighting is due to an influx of foreign militants. (Tolo News, Apr 28, 2015). Read more in "Violence in Afghanistan Delays Ghani on Trip to India", The Diplomat, by Catherine Putz, April 28, 2015. See also "Taliban, Afghan forces battle for control of northern city", Thomson Reuters Foundation, April 28, 2015. See a report by Radio Free Europe,  April 28, 2015.

ODNI 10 Years Old

Intelligence reformers pushed Congress for years to establish a centralized director for intelligence that would link all the various intelligence agencies together to provide better service and products for the end user. The U.S. intelligence community is a coalition of 17 agencies and organizations within the executive branch. These include the DoD services intelligence organizations, DEA, Treasury, CIA, DIA, NGA, NRO, NSA, DoS, DHS, DoE, FBI, and others. The debate is ongoing on whether the establishment of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has been effective. You can read a press release by the ODNI about how it is observing the 10 years of intelligence integration in this April 22, 2015 press release.

Read a news story about the 10-year anniversary of the ODNI by Joshua Rovner and Austin Long in "Did the New Spooks on the Block Really Fix U.S. Intelligence?", Foreign Policy, April 27, 2015.

Visit the ODNI website.
www.dni.gov/index.php