4th C-130 Arrives. The Afghan Air Force (AAF) received its fourth C-130 from the U.S. Air Force in late June. This completes a five-year plan to replace the troubled C-27A transport aircraft program (20 two-engine transport aircraft) with the larger four-engine C-130. The C-27A program was scrapped because the AAF couldn't maintain the smaller two-engine plane. Evidently the U.S. Air Force feels that the Afghans are capable of maintaining the larger and more complex C-130. Hmmmmm. Read more in "Fourth C-130 touches down in Kabul, expands Afghan Air Force capabilities", DVIDS, June 22, 2015.
AAF MD 530F's Get 2.75 Inch Rockets. The Afghan Air Force will be upgrading its MD 530's with rockets. (Defense World.net, Jul 14, 2015).
Afghan Airspace Management. The Afghans still are unable to manage their own airspace. The U.S. will continue to take care of Afghan airspace traffic for a few more months - through mid-September - giving Afghanistan time to transfer control to an international company with an 18-month to two-year contract.
MC-12W Project Liberty Team. Contractors providing maintenance support for MC-12 ISR aircraft in Afghanistan are highlighted in a DVIDS news release (June 27, 2015).
Special Mission Wing (SMW). Two U.S. Air Force advisors inform us about the Afghan Special Mission Wing in an article posted in Army Aviation Magazine.
TAAC-Air Provides Medic Training. Advisors provided training for Afghan flight medics who will perform duties on C-130 medevacs. (U.S. Air Force, Jul 15, 2015).
Air Advisor Academy Closes. As always happens when an era of counterinsurgency and stability operations comes to a close (it hasn't but the 4-stars think it has) cost cutting measures decimate the advisory and COIN training capacity of the military services. We saw this happen with the U.S. Army at Fort Polk (reduced staff at advisor school - 162nd Brigade) and closing of the Irregular Warfare Center (formerly the COIN Center). Now the Air Force has jumped on board. The U.S. Air Force is shutting the doors of the Air Advisor Academy located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. (Air Force Today, Jul 14, 2015). In a time of budget constraints something has to give so the Air Force can afford their new F-35 jet. The Joint Strike Fighter is only $200 billion over budget and three years behind schedule. The closing of the Air Advisor Academy is an unfortunate development - just when we appear to get one of the advisor training programs right we cancel out the training capacity. Some critics see the shift from advisor training and COIN missions as a good thing while others see a future where the U.S. cannot avoid "nation building" type conflicts. (National Review, Jul 14, 2015).
U.S. Airstrikes Continue. It appears that the U.S. is stepping up its airstrikes in Afghanistan in support of the ANDSF and the U.S. counterterrorism mission (The New York Times, Jul 15, 2015).
Sunday, July 19, 2015
DoD Law of War Manual (June 2015)
Rule of Law advisors and military lawyers working in Afghanistan may be interested in a recent publication released by the Office of General Counsel of the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense Law of War Manual dated June 2015 is available at the link below. It is 1206 pages of lawyerspeak!
www.dod.mil/dodgc/images/law_war_manual15.pdf
www.dod.mil/dodgc/images/law_war_manual15.pdf
Regional News and Issues
"Why Afghanistan Needs Pakistan". James Creighton, a former U.S. brigade commander (with two Afghan deployments) and currently the chief operating officer of the EastWest Institute, tells us why it is a good thing the Afghan president is reaching out to Pakistan. Read his June 22nd article in The Diplomat. Another "Afghan expert", Michael Kugelman - senior program associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center, sheds light in a 13-minute video on the 'false spring' between Pakistan and Afghanistan (The Diplomat, July 1, 2015). In addition, read "Ashraf Ghani's Pakistan Outreach: Fighting against the odds", United States Institute of Peace, June 29, 2015. A former U.S. envoy (Ryan Crocker) says that Pakistan needs to start cracking down on the Afghan Taliban (the "good Taliban) and to start a new cooperative relationship with Afghanistan. (Gandhara Blog, Jul 4, 2015).
Balochistan. Pakistan is not without its own insurgent problems - read about the Baloch insurgency south of Afghanistan's border (The Diplomat, Jun 24, 2015).
Christine Fair and Playing Make-Believe with Pakistani Military. Fair, a critic of the U.S. support of Pakistan, recounts her experiences with the Pakistani Army. (Defense One, Jul 2, 2015).
Charting Pakistan's Internal Security Policy. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has published a special report by Raza Rumi dated May 2015 worth reviewing.
Iran and the Taliban. There have been rumblings in the media that Iran has stepped up its ties with the Taliban. According to The Wall Street Journal the Shiite nation has quietly boosted ties with the Sunni militant group and is now recruiting and training its fighters. See a report by Margherita Stancati entitled "Iran Backs Taliban With Cash and Arms".
Role of China and India in Afghan Stability. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) offers up research on the role to two major nations in Afghan regional stability. See a 24 June 2015 report. China is attempting to set up a mining operation in Logar province at the Mes Aynak mine but a 5,000-year-old Afghan historic site is there as well - holding up the progress (Newsweek, Jul 1, 2015). Karl Eikenberry (former cdr and ambassador in Afg) writes on the importance of China and the future of Afghanistan (Asia Foundation, Jul 8, 2015). Tini Tran also weighs in on the China factor (Asia Foundation, Jul 8, 2015).
TAPI Pipeline. The Silk Road Reporters newsletter provides an update on the TAPI pipeline that will transit central and south Asia.
Balochistan. Pakistan is not without its own insurgent problems - read about the Baloch insurgency south of Afghanistan's border (The Diplomat, Jun 24, 2015).
Christine Fair and Playing Make-Believe with Pakistani Military. Fair, a critic of the U.S. support of Pakistan, recounts her experiences with the Pakistani Army. (Defense One, Jul 2, 2015).
Charting Pakistan's Internal Security Policy. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has published a special report by Raza Rumi dated May 2015 worth reviewing.
Iran and the Taliban. There have been rumblings in the media that Iran has stepped up its ties with the Taliban. According to The Wall Street Journal the Shiite nation has quietly boosted ties with the Sunni militant group and is now recruiting and training its fighters. See a report by Margherita Stancati entitled "Iran Backs Taliban With Cash and Arms".
Role of China and India in Afghan Stability. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) offers up research on the role to two major nations in Afghan regional stability. See a 24 June 2015 report. China is attempting to set up a mining operation in Logar province at the Mes Aynak mine but a 5,000-year-old Afghan historic site is there as well - holding up the progress (Newsweek, Jul 1, 2015). Karl Eikenberry (former cdr and ambassador in Afg) writes on the importance of China and the future of Afghanistan (Asia Foundation, Jul 8, 2015). Tini Tran also weighs in on the China factor (Asia Foundation, Jul 8, 2015).
TAPI Pipeline. The Silk Road Reporters newsletter provides an update on the TAPI pipeline that will transit central and south Asia.
Demise of the Human Terrain System (HTS)
A slew of news reports and articles explore the rise and fall of the Human Terrain System (HTS) - see news reports by Counterpunch and USA Today (June 29, 2015). Thomas Briggs provides us with recommendations for the aligning of SOF and Academia in the Human Domain field (Small Wars Journal, June 29, 2015). Steven Metz of the Strategic Studies Institute of the Army War College believes that the Pentagon's decision to cut the Human Terrain System is short-sighted (World Politics Review, Jul 10, 2015). Tobin Harshaw writes that the Army's anthropology experiment ended in defeat (Bloomberg View, Jul 15, 2015). David F. Eisler writes on the importance of embracing sociocultural intelligence in stability operations (Small Wars Journal, Jul 14, 2015). Ryan Evans, the editor of the War on the Rocks Blog and a former member of the HTT in Helmand province provides us with an insider's perspective of the seven deadly sins of the HTS but also points out that it was an invaluable program that provided great benefit in many situations (Geopoliticus: FPRI Blog, Jul 13, 2015). My experience with Human Terrain Systems (and teams) in Afghanistan was overwhelmingly positive and I found the Evan's article closest to the mark.
Afghan Security News
Afghanistan Drug Reporting System (ADRS). The Afghan ministry in charge of counter narcotics has launched an interactive online system for all counter-narcotics related data in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Drug Reporting System will be a key component for the leadership in the coordination role in countering drugs. The online tool compiles data by sector and location from the nine entities (Ministries of Justice, Interior, Public Health, Rural Rehabilitation and Development, and international organizations) involved in counter narcotic initiatives. Read more in "First-ever comprehensive online system to counter narcotics launches in Afghanistan", UN News Centre, June 23, 2015. For more on the Afghan drug problem you can read a recent RAND Corporation report entitled Reducing the Cultivation of Opium Poppies in Southern Afghanistan, 2015.
Fight for Kunduz. With the opening of the fighting season (April) the Taliban made a major effort to take districts in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. In May they seized one or two Kunduz districts for a few days before being pushed back. In June the Taliban came within four miles of the provincial capital. However, the Afghan government rushed reinforcements to the city to stem the attack. The Washington Post published a news article with a synopsis of the attacks on Kunduz. As of early July the city was still threatened but unlikely to fall to the Taliban. The fighting has put much development work into jeopardy (Deutshe Welle, Jul 2, 2015).
ANA General Caught Transporting Heroin. A senior Afghan general from northern Afghanistan was arrested after being caught transporting a large amount of heroin in his military truck. Perhaps he should have been paying attention to events in Kunduz? (NBC News, July 1, 2015).
Suffering Refugees. The onset of the 2015 fighting season has resulted in a large number of refugees in the north of Afghanistan. (Gandhara Blog, Jul 8, 2015).
Budgets and Bullets. The head of SIGAR, John Sopko, recently (May 2015) spoke before an audience at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) about the status of the Afghan security forces. You can read his very informative speech on the CSIS website in Budgets and Bullets: Taking Stock of Afghanistan's Security Forces.
DoD Casualty. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of a DoD civilian who was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan. Krissie K. Davis of Talladega, Alabama was killed on June 8, 2015 during an indirect fire attack on Bagram Airbase. She was a member of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Anniston, Alabama and deployed to DLA Disposition Services Bagram as part of the civilian expeditionary force. Read more in a news story by The New York Times (June 10, 2015).
Civilian Casualty in Southern Afghanistan. A Resolute Support contracted civilian died as a result of a non-battle related medical condition in southern Afghanistan on June 27, 2015.
Parliament Attack. The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) has accused the Pakistan ISI of financing and planning the June 22 attack by six members of the Taliban on the Afghan Parliament. The Pakistani foreign office rejected the accusations. A woman and child were killed during the attack.
NATO Convoy in Kabul Attacked. In June 30th a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed car near a military convoy on the main highway leading to Kabul's airport. There were many civilian casualties - as many as three dead and 60 injured (Radio Free Europe, June 30, 2015). NATO reported that two of its personnel suffered minor injuries. Some reports (NYT, Jul 1, 2015) indicate that an angry crowd attacked U.S. military personnel at the scene and one Soldier was stabbed during the confrontation. The advent of the fighting season has seen almost weekly attacks in Kabul and numerous threat warnings.
The Afghan "Mini-Pentagon" is now complete. The four-year long building project will serve as the headquarters for the Afghan Ministry of Defense and its Afghan National Army. The building cost over $160 million. It is five stories high, with barracks, wastewater treatment facility, and power plant. The dining halls (3) can seat 1,000 people. Read more in "Afghanistan gets 'mini-Pentagon as troops struggle", Associated Press, June 12, 2015.
New 205th Commander Improves Contracting Process. According to Essential Function 1 advisors the new cdr of the 205th ANA Corps is bringing much needed command emphasis on eliminating corruption in the contracting field. (DVIDS, June 26, 2015).
Fight for Kunduz. With the opening of the fighting season (April) the Taliban made a major effort to take districts in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. In May they seized one or two Kunduz districts for a few days before being pushed back. In June the Taliban came within four miles of the provincial capital. However, the Afghan government rushed reinforcements to the city to stem the attack. The Washington Post published a news article with a synopsis of the attacks on Kunduz. As of early July the city was still threatened but unlikely to fall to the Taliban. The fighting has put much development work into jeopardy (Deutshe Welle, Jul 2, 2015).
ANA General Caught Transporting Heroin. A senior Afghan general from northern Afghanistan was arrested after being caught transporting a large amount of heroin in his military truck. Perhaps he should have been paying attention to events in Kunduz? (NBC News, July 1, 2015).
Suffering Refugees. The onset of the 2015 fighting season has resulted in a large number of refugees in the north of Afghanistan. (Gandhara Blog, Jul 8, 2015).
Budgets and Bullets. The head of SIGAR, John Sopko, recently (May 2015) spoke before an audience at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) about the status of the Afghan security forces. You can read his very informative speech on the CSIS website in Budgets and Bullets: Taking Stock of Afghanistan's Security Forces.
DoD Casualty. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of a DoD civilian who was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan. Krissie K. Davis of Talladega, Alabama was killed on June 8, 2015 during an indirect fire attack on Bagram Airbase. She was a member of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Anniston, Alabama and deployed to DLA Disposition Services Bagram as part of the civilian expeditionary force. Read more in a news story by The New York Times (June 10, 2015).
Civilian Casualty in Southern Afghanistan. A Resolute Support contracted civilian died as a result of a non-battle related medical condition in southern Afghanistan on June 27, 2015.
Parliament Attack. The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) has accused the Pakistan ISI of financing and planning the June 22 attack by six members of the Taliban on the Afghan Parliament. The Pakistani foreign office rejected the accusations. A woman and child were killed during the attack.
NATO Convoy in Kabul Attacked. In June 30th a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed car near a military convoy on the main highway leading to Kabul's airport. There were many civilian casualties - as many as three dead and 60 injured (Radio Free Europe, June 30, 2015). NATO reported that two of its personnel suffered minor injuries. Some reports (NYT, Jul 1, 2015) indicate that an angry crowd attacked U.S. military personnel at the scene and one Soldier was stabbed during the confrontation. The advent of the fighting season has seen almost weekly attacks in Kabul and numerous threat warnings.
The Afghan "Mini-Pentagon" is now complete. The four-year long building project will serve as the headquarters for the Afghan Ministry of Defense and its Afghan National Army. The building cost over $160 million. It is five stories high, with barracks, wastewater treatment facility, and power plant. The dining halls (3) can seat 1,000 people. Read more in "Afghanistan gets 'mini-Pentagon as troops struggle", Associated Press, June 12, 2015.
New 205th Commander Improves Contracting Process. According to Essential Function 1 advisors the new cdr of the 205th ANA Corps is bringing much needed command emphasis on eliminating corruption in the contracting field. (DVIDS, June 26, 2015).
Afghan Development and Aid News

USAID has updated its Civilian-Military Cooperation Policy that was issued in July 2008. This updated policy, as of June 2015, establishes the foundation for interagency cooperation between USAID and the DoD. The policy provides guidance to the 'whole-of-government' approach to contemporary national security challenges such as humanitarian activities, stabilization operations, and counterinsurgency. The Defense in Depth Blog of the Council of Foreign Relations provides an analysis of this updated policy (CFR, Jul 8, 2015). The USAID document is available at the link below. www.usaid.gov/policy/dod-cooperation
Delivering Aid and Afghan Corruption. Rick Cohen writes a piece about the corruption at the highest levels of Afghan government (can you say "Karzai"?) in Nonprofit Quarterly, July 8, 2015.
Most Dangerous Country in World for Aid Workers? Afghanistan, of course. Read more in Business Insider, July 16, 2015.
Afghan Schools Success Exaggerated? A National Public Radio report says that USAID reports of success are not verifiable. Read "Afghan Schools: Is the Success Story Exaggerated?", June 18, 2015. See also "How USAID Can Track "Ghost" Schools", Sunny in Kabul, June 29, 2015.
"Ghost Students, Ghost Teachers, Ghost Schools". A hard-hitting investigative report overcomes the information operations machine of ISAF to bring you the real truth on the status of Afghanistan's schools and how effective the U.S. school building effort really was (BuzzFeed News, July 9, 2015).
"Reach the Women". Gary Owen writes about the US military's experiment of female soldiers working with Afghan women. (Afghanistan Analysts Network, June 20, 2015).
Criticism of the National Solidarity Programme. There are some critics that say the NSP's Community Development Councils (CDCs) are lacking proper oversight. Read more in "Afghans Question Reconstruction Scheme", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, June 23, 2015.
Governance, Elections, etc.
Parliamentary Elections. Foreign donors are becoming frustrated with Afghanistan's failure to set a date for parliamentary elections. The elections were supposed to be held in April but have been delayed. The Afghan parliament's five-year mandate expired on June 22. "ELECT II" is a donor funded program run by the United Nations Development Programme that is due to end in December; however, it may shut down prior to December if the Afghans don't get their act together. The history of elections - presidential and parliamentary - is rife with corruption, meddling, violence, and vote-rigging. The latest presidential election held in the spring (and then summer) of 2014 did little to polish up the Afghan election image. In fact, it threw the Afghan government into chaos and impeded important progress in the conduct of Afghan military operations until it was finally resolved with the formation of the National Unity Government (NUG).
Governance in Afghanistan. An author provides us with his perspective on government, governance, and legitimacy in Afghanistan. Read "Inducing Cooperation: Building Governance in Afghanistan", Small Wars Journal, June 29, 2015 by Aaron W. Miller.
4th Oversight and Coordination Body. Coalition partners from 17 donor nations met with CSTC-A and others at the Afghan Ministry of Finance in mid-June to coordinate donor commitments for the ANSF in 2015 and beyond. (Army.mil, June 23, 2015).
National ID Card Program. It appears that the long-sought-for but never implemented national ID program is still a ways from being put into place. The computerized digital ID program was to be rolled out years ago but corruption and miss-management has taken its toll.
Governance in Afghanistan. An author provides us with his perspective on government, governance, and legitimacy in Afghanistan. Read "Inducing Cooperation: Building Governance in Afghanistan", Small Wars Journal, June 29, 2015 by Aaron W. Miller.
4th Oversight and Coordination Body. Coalition partners from 17 donor nations met with CSTC-A and others at the Afghan Ministry of Finance in mid-June to coordinate donor commitments for the ANSF in 2015 and beyond. (Army.mil, June 23, 2015).
National ID Card Program. It appears that the long-sought-for but never implemented national ID program is still a ways from being put into place. The computerized digital ID program was to be rolled out years ago but corruption and miss-management has taken its toll.
Advising in Afghanistan
Ian Bertram, of the U.S. Air Force and a Mi-17 air advisor in Afghanistan in 2012, suggests that advisors in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere would benefit from reading a series of books published long ago. He contends that the introduction of western values and methods are not always as useful as the use of traditional values and methods found in the host nation. Read "Ancient Backbone: Using Ancient Texts to Train Modern Allies", Small Wars Journal, July 15, 2015.
Lessons for Advisors . . . from Vietnam. Peter Murphy has penned an article entitled "Why Military Advising Was So Successful in Vietnam . . . ", Small Wars Journal, June 28, 2015.
Paper on Advising. Professor Raymond A. Millen of the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI), Carlisle Barracks, PA, has penned an informative paper about ministerial level advising. Millen served three tours in Afghanistan; his last as an advisor at the strategic plans level at the Ministry of Defense. His paper, 76 pages long, was published June 3, 2015 by the United States Army War College Press.
Professionalizing Ministerial Advising
www.pksoi.org/index.cfm?disp=cdrview.cfm&cdrid=1334
Lessons for Advisors . . . from Vietnam. Peter Murphy has penned an article entitled "Why Military Advising Was So Successful in Vietnam . . . ", Small Wars Journal, June 28, 2015.
Paper on Advising. Professor Raymond A. Millen of the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI), Carlisle Barracks, PA, has penned an informative paper about ministerial level advising. Millen served three tours in Afghanistan; his last as an advisor at the strategic plans level at the Ministry of Defense. His paper, 76 pages long, was published June 3, 2015 by the United States Army War College Press.
Professionalizing Ministerial Advising
www.pksoi.org/index.cfm?disp=cdrview.cfm&cdrid=1334
Afghan Peace Talks
Not much headway has been made in the peace talks with the Taliban. Unless, of course, you are an optimist. Over the past few months there have been lots of rumors of 'unofficial peace talks' between the Taliban and various entities (China, Pakistan, etc.) but with nothing concrete developing. However, in early July representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban met in Pakistan for some direct talks (although Taliban spokesmen in Qatar insist the talks were not authorized). The talks will resume after Ramazan. There is very little hope that much will come of this as the Taliban are enjoying success on the battlefield against the ANDSF and it appears that some Taliban groups are opposed to peace talks (Gandhara Blog, Jul 10, 2015) although it appears that Mullah Omar (head of the Quetta Shura) is approving the current peace talks process (Lawfare Blog, Jul 15, 2015).
Michelle Barsa writes on how to fix Afghanistan's broken peace process in an article posted by Foreign Policy (Jul 9, 2015). Halimullah Kousary writes in The Diplomat (Jul 6, 2015) about how Ghani's pivot to Pakistan has fallen flat. On another note, an Afghan university thinks it can teach your way out of a war (Foreign Policy, Jul 1, 2015).
Michelle Barsa writes on how to fix Afghanistan's broken peace process in an article posted by Foreign Policy (Jul 9, 2015). Halimullah Kousary writes in The Diplomat (Jul 6, 2015) about how Ghani's pivot to Pakistan has fallen flat. On another note, an Afghan university thinks it can teach your way out of a war (Foreign Policy, Jul 1, 2015).
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.
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)
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
"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).
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).
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.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Taking a Knee
Best regards, Staff at Afghan War News Blog
Friday, May 1, 2015
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
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
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
www.afghanwarnews.info/sitemap.htm
Kunduz Battle Update

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
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
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".www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-54-AR.pdf
"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"
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Zabul - Operation Badar Update
Gen Campbell Praises ANSF in Helmand Op

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

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