Afghan War News Snippets

DynCorp Contractors Honored. Three contractors killed in August were honored by Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul on September 9, 2015 during a memorial ceremony. Richard McEvoy, Barry Sutton, and Corey Dodge were killed when their convoy was attacked by a car bomb in Kabul. They were working in support of the Afghan National Army / Afghan National Police Advisor and Mentor Program. (DVIDS, Sep 11, 2015).

Martyrs Week. Government officials, dignitaries, former Jihadi leaders, family and friends of Ahmad Shah Massoud marked the 14th anniversary of Massoud's assassination on Wednesday (Sep 9) at a wreath laying ceremony in Massoud Square in Kabul. Other ceremonies observed the popular Northern Alliance leader who was killed two days before 9/11. (Tolo News, Sep 10, 2015).

RS Cdr's 9/11 Commemoration Message. View General Campbell's message to the force posted on his Facebook account (Facebook, Sep 11, 2015). See also a video about a 9/11 ceremony held on the RS compound in Kabul (YouTube.com, posted by RS HQs, Sep 11, 2015).

UNAMA Report to SC on Afghanistan. The United Nations organization working in Afghanistan is required to submit a update report every three months to the United Nations Security Council. The latest report is dated September 1, 2015.
http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/SG%20Reports/SG_Report_September_2015.pdf

Paper "Medical Care in Armed Conflict". The Program on International Law and Armed Conflict (PILAC) at Harvard Law School has published a paper entitled Medical Care in Armed Conflict: IHL and State Responses to Terrorism, September 8, 2015. The paper explores the many questions about medical care of insurgents and terrorists. http://pilac.law.harvard.edu/medical-care-in-armed-conflict-report

Afghan Casualty Evacs. The Afghan security forces are having trouble treating their wounded. Read more in "Afghans Struggle to Get Injured Off the Front Lines", Stars and Stripes, September 8, 2015.

Army 3 Star Says Language & Culture Important. The deputy commander of TRADOC recently toured the Defense Language Institute (DLI) and made some comments about the importance of language and culture during deployments to conflict areas. (Army.mil, Sep 3, 2015).

Marines and Women in Combat. "Over the past nine months, the Marine Corps tested a gender-integrated task force in both Twentynine Palms, Calif. and Camp Lejeune, N.C. in an attempt to gauge what the Marine Corps might look like with women in combat roles". Read more in "Marine's women in combat experiment gets mixed results", The Washington Post, September 8, 2015.

UK and Interpreters. A former head of the Army - Lord Dannatt - says that the UK government should allow Afghan interpreters into Britain. Read more in a news report in The Telegraph, September 5, 2015.

Kyrgyzstan Conflict History. Insight on Conflict provides a brief history of conflict in Kyrgyzstan - one of the Central Asian States to the north of Afghanistan. With a diverse ethnic makeup the country experiences periods of strife. Read more in "A Brief History of Conflict in Kyrgyzstan", September 9, 2015.

Afghan Refugee Crisis. The world's attention has focused on the refugee crisis in Europe; but little is mentioned in the world press about Afghanistan's long-term refugee problem. For three decades Afghanistan was the world's largest producer of refugees. Millions have returned to Afghanistan but many problems remain. Read more in "Afghanistan's 32-year Refugee Crisis", The Diplomat, September 9, 2015.

Story of an Afghan Refugee. A news report chronicles the trip of an Afghan refugee departing through Europe along an illegal human smuggling route. Read of his preparations in "Dangers Fail to Deter Afghans from Embarking on the Dangerous Journey to Europe", Gandhara Blog, September 9, 2015.

Karzai Being Karzai. The former president says he didn't know if al-Qaeda existed and if they were in Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks. Sure . . . Read "Karzai: Al Qaeda never operated in Afghanistan", Politico, September 10, 2015.

Afghan Migrant - Hardship on the Road. Read the story of one Afghan migrants journey to escape his life in Afghanistan. "From Prey to Predator: An Afghan Migrant Trafficker's Story", Radio Free Europe, September 13, 2015.

Thirty Afghans Killed in Mecca. hundreds of people were killed and injured when a crane collapsed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Among the dead are 30 Afghans. (Khaama Press, Sep 12, 2015).

Bowe Bergdahl Case. Military prosecutors have decided to proceed in its case against Bergdahl using a seldom used section of military law. He was charged with misbehavior before the enemy - which carries a potentially stiff penalty. Read more in a news report by Military Times, September 7, 2015.

Fuel Overcharge Being Investigated. NATO spent vast sums of money keeping vehicles and facilities supplied with fuel. It was very expensive to supply fuel to the many remote NATO bases located throughout Afghanistan. There is now an investigation into allegations of NATO being overcharged millions of dollars by a contractor. Read more in "MoD police called in over 460 Million Pounds fuel overcharging for Afghanistan", The Telegraph, September 7, 2015.

FM 6-22 - Leader Development. The Army has released Field Manual 6-22, Leader Development, June 2015. http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/fm6_22.pdf

Ammo Abatement and Retrograde. There is lots of work involved the retrograde process of moving units from Afghanistan back to the United States. One important task is ammo abatement. Read more in "Ammo abatement Soldiers perform critical tasks", DVIDS, September 8, 2015.

3rd BCT, 10th Mtn enroute to Afghanistan. A color casing ceremony was held for elements of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Polk. The unit is about to deploy about 1,000 Soldiers to Afghanistan. Most of them will work in the eastern part of Afghanistan for Train, Advise, Assist Command - East or TAAC-East. Read more in "Ceremony held for deploying soldiers", Leesville Daily Leader, September 7, 2015.

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Musa Qala District Recaptured by ANDSF?

Afghan officials early this week indicated that Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) recaptured the district center of Musa Qala. This district is located in the northern part of Helmand province and was the seen of fierce fighting between British forces and the Taliban and later U.S. Marines and the Taliban. Reports indicate that U.S. airpower played as significant role as well as special operations advisors on the ground with the Afghan National Army Commandos and Special Forces kandaks. The counteroffensive was launched by the ANDSF on/about August 28th - two days after the district fell to the Taliban. The town of Musa Qala straddles opium farms and smuggling routes and is adjacent to other districts in Helmand province under the control of the Taliban. Certainly this is a big morale boost for the ANDSF.

CAUTION ALERT: Most insurgencies don't try to "hold" terrain as they can't match up with large conventional forces supported with artillery and airpower - so expectations that the Taliban would retain control of the district center are not realistic. The importance of the battle for Musa Qala is that the government forces were ejected from the district center by the Taliban. In addition, read about the difference between control of the district center and control of the district. Read more in "Afghan Forces Recapture Symbolic Southern District", Gandhara Blog, August 30, 2015. Of course, sometimes information released by the Ministry of Defense is inaccurate. For instance, one news report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation (Sep 3, 2015) says that the Afghan forces have yet to regain control of the symbolic district. Hmmmm. For a detailed report on Musa Qala read "The Second Fall of Musa Qala: How the Taleban are expanding territorial control", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), September 3, 2015.

The Fight for Khas Uruzgan District

Most observers of the Afghan conflict are focused on the security situation in Kabul and the press releases from Resolute Support HQs on "multi-corps operations" to "clear and hold" contested areas. RS HQs would have you believe that the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) are capable of defending key terrain, lines of communication, urban areas and the population based on their ability to conduct "cross-pillar operations". However, in a rural-based insurgency the fight is away from key terrain, LOCs, the large towns and cities, and where large concentrations of the ANDSF are located. It takes place in more isolated remote areas at the district level (there are about 400) in places like Khas Uruzgan.

In Afghanistan the insurgency fight is won or lost at the district level. There are many aspects to the fighting at district level. One is the inability of the Afghan National Army to operate out of all of the districts - there are just too many of them. Another is the dependence on the Afghan National Police for security within the district - however, the ANP are (currently) understaffed, ill-trained, and not resourced for a counterinsurgent fight. In addition, there is the ethnic makeup of the district, strength of the Taliban, presence of warlords, militias, Afghan Local Police, effectiveness of governance, and many other factors. Of course, when discussing the districts, one has to define security within a district. Does the government control the district or just the district center compound where the governmental offices are located? Martine van Bijlert, a long-time observer of the Afghan conflict, provides us a glimpse of the fight at the district level with all the varied factors accounted for. Read "Trouble in Khas Uruzgan: Insults, assaults, a siege and an airlift", Afghanistan Analysts Network, September 2, 2015.

Pakistan Update

Coalition Support Fund (CSF). The U.S. Congress is currently in deliberations on the last installment of its annual $1 billion aid package to Pakistan as part of the Coalition Support Fund or CSF. The last payment of $300 million could be withheld because Pakistan is not doing enough to combat the Haqqani Network (or should we really say they are doing too much to support it?).  This past week National Security Advisor Susan Rice visited with Pakistan's civilian and military leadership in Islamabad and the issue of the Haqqani Network was at the top of her agenda. May believe that the Haqqani Network is an informal extension of the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Read more in "US, Afghanistan Still Doubt Pakistan's Commitment in Fight Against Militants", Voice of America, August 31, 2015.

Politics of Military Aid. Stephen Tankel examines the topic of aid to Pakistan. "Ending U.S. reimbursements to Pakistan's military is not as simple as it sounds. The way Washington handles this delicate issue could have a big impact on Pakistan's behavior as well as on militant groups with American blood on their hands". Read more in "Is the United States Cutting Pakistan Off? The Politics of Military Aid.", War on the Rocks, August 31, 2015.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Riff. Pakistan's foreign minister will be trying to repair the relationship between the two countries. It seems that Pakistan can't understand why Afghanistan is pissed (U.S. terminology; not Brit terminology) that the Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI) is supporting the Haqqani Network (and other insurgent groups). Read more in "Senior Pakistani Official Looking to Restore Trust with Afghanistan", Gandhara Blog, September 3, 2015.

SIGAR Audit - $ for Refugees Wasted

ANCOP provides clothing to refugee children
in refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan.
 Photo by Senior Airman Christopher Hatch,
 NTM-A DVIDS, July 2011.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) published an audit on September 3, 2015. about U.S. assistance intended to support Afghan refugees and returnees. Some of its findings include amount of money spent ($950 million), reliance on Pakistani and Iranian governments (both very trustworthy?) to identify the number of Afghan refugees, weaknesses in UNHCR and Pakistani government processes that limit the ability to obtain accurate data, the Afghan governments' limited progress in implementing its refugee strategy, and the role the corruption and limited ministerial capacity plays in the refugee situation. Overall the audit seems to point to yet another example of lots of money intended for a good purpose getting siphoned off by corrupt Afghan officials, lack of ministerial capacity, and improper oversight by U.S. officials. But, after all, in the overall scheme of all things Afghanistan $1 billion is just a drop in the bucket! Read Afghan Refugees and Returnees: Corruption and Lack of Afghan Ministerial Capacity Have Prevented Implementation of a Long-Term Refugee Strategy, SIGAR 15-83 Audit Report, August 2015. www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-83-AR.pdf

Afghan Corruption - AJO Online Incident Reporter

Two years ago the Afghanistan Justice Organization (AJO) based in Kabul started up a website where Afghan citizens can report stories of corruption. The incident of corruption can be reported anonymously and the story can be told in any of the official Afghan languages. The AJO is an Afghan-led, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. The AJO is organized exclusively for the purpose of promoting reform through education and training and to advance free markets and individual liberty under the laws of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The link for reporting a corruption incident is below.

http://afghanjustice.org/report-corruption/

Commentary

Paper - "Iraq and Afghanistan: Similar, Yet Different".  Austin J. Luckenbach, a military intelligence office in the Army National Guard (also previously an enlisted airman in the Air Force) has a deep background in intelligence. He is finishing up his M.A. in Intelligence Studies with American Military University. His paper questions (and answers?) whether the U.S. operations in Iraq can become lessons learned for policy makers drafting the exit strategy for Afghanistan, how are the insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq different, and will the U.S. ever completely leave Iraq or Afghanistan. Read his paper posted on Small Wars Journal, August 30, 2015.

Security News

Life in Kabul Amid the Violence. Taliban attacks and bombings within the city of Kabul have increased significantly and the population is constantly on edge. Read "Kabul families struggle to smile amid rising violence", BBC News, August 30, 2015.

Small Victories Count. Angelic Young, worked for the U.S. Department of State for over ten years serving in positions in the counternarcotics and law enforcement fields. From 2001 to 2007 she was a "frontline civilian" and served as the DoS program manager for the Afghanistan National Police Program. Looking back, she says it was hard to recall positive moments but there were some small advances that made a difference. Read her article on the "Family Response Unit" of the Afghan National Police in "In conflict environments, little wins make a difference", devex.com, August 31, 2015.

Sweden, Germany, and "Kill Decisions" in the RS HQs CJOC. Looks like there are some tensions building over the presence of coalition officers being present in the Combined Joint Operations Center (CJOC) of the Resolute Support Mission at the RS compound in Kabul. The CJOC monitors all combat operations in Afghanistan (special operations and drone strikes conducted by the U.S. military and other coalition partners) and liasion and officers from various nations are present during these activities. Some question whether this violates the national caveats that a couple of the nations have. Read more in "Germany and Sweden Are Said to to Help Make Afghan 'Kill Decisions", The New York Times, September 4, 2015.

ALP: More Funding & Scrutiny Needed. "The Afghan Local Police (ALP) are playing an increasingly important security role, but questions remain about the accountability of this new and sometimes controversial force. Speakers at a series of IWPR debates held around Afghanistan in August called for action to curb corruption and abuses in order to ensure these police units enjoyed local support". Read more in "Afghans Want More Funding for Local Police, But More Scrutiny Too", Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), September 5, 2015.

Militias in Faryab Out of Control? The multiethnic province in the northwest has been troubled by the Taliban for a few years. The Afghan police and the 209th ANA Corps have been unable to secure the province. Vice President Dostum has made it a personal mission to establish security in the province and he is relying on some militias to accomplish this. Read more in "Return of Militias to Afghan Front Lines Sparks Allegations of Abuses", Radio Free Europe, September 5, 2015.

RS HQs Counter-IED Staff. "According to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, in the first six months of 2015, 22 percent of Afghan civilian casualties stemmed from improvised explosive devices. The Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan Counter-IED Directorate is working to change that. The Kabul-based team of coalition service members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors at Resolute Support Headquarters trains, advises and assists Afghan National Defense and Security Forces on how to identify and disarm IEDs and unexploded ordnance and collect evidence following detonation". Read more in "Empowering Afghan citizens to counter IED threats", RS News, September 5, 2015.

AAF CAS Detailed. The Afghan Air Force is increasing its capability to provide close air support but it is still a very small capability. Read more in "Afghan Air Force Hailed for Creative Operations Despite Shortfalls", Khaama Press, September 3, 2015.

13 Civilians Killed in Balkh Province. On Saturday unidentified gunmen stopped civilian vehicles and killed the occupants.

Governance News (and corruption, of course)

Not Working Out - New Kabul Bank. According to some economic analysts the New Kabul Bank faces a loss of millions annually and some critics say it would be beneficial to sell it or terminate its operations. In the last six years the bank has lost $65 million USD. Read more in "Analysts Push for Action on New Kabul Bank", Tolo News, August 30, 2015.

The Female Governor of Ghor Province. The mountainous and remote western province of Ghor has a female governor - one of a few provincial governors ever in Afghanistan. A former aid worker and local resident of Ghor - Mawlavi Mohammad - has a difficult job. Ghor's educational system is in shambles and suffers from ghost teachers and vast corruption. The security situation is dire - with insurgents, drug traffickers and warlords all competing for scarce resources in an agricultural area. The province is cut off from the rest of the world during the winter for up to six months. Read more in "Struggling to pave the way for future female leaders in Afghanistan", Los Angeles Times, August 31, 2015.

Ghor Couple Recieves 100 Lashes. An Afghan man and women both were subjected to 100 lashes in the Western province of Ghor after being found guilty of adultery. It was the first time since the end of Taliban rule that such a sentence was supported by provincial authorities. Watch the beating in a video posted on Gandara Blog, September 5, 2015. Read about Amnesty International's take on the event in a news report by Gandhara Blog, September 2, 2015.

Development News

Photos - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). "Since 2002 UNEP has played a key role in laying the foundations for sustainable development in Afghanistan, working with the government and other stakeholders to overcome serious land and resource degradation. UNEP's Disasters and Conflicts programme seeks to minimize environmental threats to human well-being from the environmental causes and consequences of conflicts and disasters." View the photos at this link on flickr www.flickr.com/photos/unep_dc/sets/72157632850536773 and learn more about the UNEP Disasters and Conflicts programme at this link www.unep.org/disastersandconflicts/.

RECCA Conference. "Representatives of more than 30 nations and 40 international organizations have gathered in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, to discuss the country's future." During the conference, called the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan or RECCA, participants debated a range of economic issues - including trade, customs, and border procedures. Read more in "Kabul Hosts Regional Economic Conference", Radio Free Europe, September 3, 2015. Visit the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) webpage on RECCA. Read also "Capacity Remains One of Afghanistan's Biggest Obstacles", The Diplomat, September 3, 2015.

Non-Traditional Education Supported by USAID. "A joint initiative by Afghanistan's Ministry of Education, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations International Children's Emergency fund (UNICEF) is to start the non-traditional education in rural areas in the country". This is a five-year long program with a budget of $75 million that will be administered in non-formal classrooms in 13 provinces of Afghanistan. Read a news report about this in Khaama News,  August 30, 2015.

CT and Intel News

Paper on Network Analysis Techniques in Future Environments. The U.S. Army's recently published National Military Strategy (NMS) - June 2015 - emphasizes the high probability of hybrid conflicts. It also stresses the importance of security cooperation with mature allies and building capacity for emerging U.S. partners. In order to successfully operate in the environment that the NMS (and other documents) envision commanders must understand the environment and potential consequences of their decisions  - especially when operating in ungoverned spaces. The paper recommends a network science approach to monitor, assess, and analyze ungoverned spaces. Read more in  "The Specter of Ungoverned Spaces & How Advances in Network Analysis Can Assist Policymakers", by Jeffry Julum and Daniel Evans, Small Wars Journal, August 30, 2015.

SOF News

U.S. SOF Rushed to Helmand Province. The northern part of Helmand province is experiencing some significant security issues. The districts of Kajaki, Musa Qala, Sangin, and Bahgran have seen some Taliban advances - including the capture of a couple of district centers. To help counter this deteriorating situation the American military has deployed about 90 special operations troops to Helmand province. Two were recently killed during a green-on-blue incident. The SOF troops were rushed to Camp Bastion shortly after the fall of Musa Qala district last week and reportedly have taken part in the recapture of the district center this past weekend. Read more in "US deploys 90 Special Operations troops in Helmand province", Khaama Press, August 30, 2015.

Retired SF Officer Killed in Afghanistan. Richard McEvoy was killed by a suicide bomber on Friday, August 22, 2015. He was working as a Program Manager with defense contractor DynCorp International in Kabul, Afghanistan. He grew up in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, graduated from West Point, served in the infantry to include Special Forces. He retired in 2008 as a Colonel (O6). Read more in a news report by Community Advocate, September 2015.

Green Beret sold down River by FBI? An SF officer who helped Hamid Karzai enter Kandahar in the early stages of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 is getting the short end of the stick because of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Army. Read more in "Investigation clears Army of retaliating against Green Beret whistleblower, but scrutiny remains", The Washington Post, September 3, 2015. Read also "Why is the FBI Trying to Bury a Special Forces War Hero?", Newsweek, September 2, 2015.

Diversity in SOF. The U.S. SOF forces are disproportionately white and some folks are wondering why. One simple reason is the mandatory "must pass" rigorous swim test. If you are a non-swimmer you don't get in. There are other reasons as well. Black Soldiers tent to choose support units such as logistics and administration. Other barriers included high test scores (GT, etc.) and clean disciplinary records. Read "Special ops diversity woes dog Pentagon", USA Today, September 3, 2015.

Heroic Day in Afghanistan Detailed. SFC Brendan O'Connor crawled through a 14-inch ditch under heavy fire from the Taliban to save his injured men in a big fight in June 2006 in an area southwest of Kandahar. Read an account of the action that earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. (Task and Purpose, September 3, 2015).

Nerkh District Killings Investigation. In 2013 a Special Forces detachment based in Nerkh district, Wardak province was accused of being complicit in the disappearance and killing of residents of the district. Some reports indicate that as many as 18 Afghan civilians are missing. The incident caused a considerable amount of angst for the Special Forces leadership in the country to the extent that President Karzai ordered all SF teams out of Wardak province (a order later rescinded). The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) recently (Aug 15) reopened the investigation. However, there is distrust among Afghan citizens as to what the final outcome will be of the investigation. Read more in "Afghan villagers skeptical as U.S. reopens probe into 2013 killings", The Washington Post, September 1, 2015.

SOF and Their Toys. SOF units have used All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) extensively in Afghanistan - not only for base operations but to move to target areas or conduct reconnaissance in remote areas (and also to stay off IED-laden roads). SOF units are now going to get a more advanced ATV. Read more in "US special ops clinches deal for cutting-edge ATVs", Fox News, September 3, 2015.

Indiana to get NG SF Company. A National Guard Special Forces unit now stationed in Chicago is moving to Indiana in 2016. A/2/20th will move to Camp Atterbury. Read more in "Indiana National Guard to house Special Forces unit", Army Times, September 3, 2015.

SOF Flight Data Revealed on Flightradar24.com. It interesting article on how you can track SOF air mission on an unclassified website. Read "How the US Periodically Reveals the Locations of Special Operations Missions", VICE News, August 31, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

SIGAR Inquiry on Camp Brown. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction recently conducted an inspection of a command and control facility at Camp Brown on Kandahar Airfield. Over $2.2 million was spent on a half-finished facility that was never used. Seems the expensive project was started by plagued with contractor failures and ultimately - due to retrograde of U.S. forces - no longer needed. A good example of money wasted it would seem. Read the SIGAR letter dated August 25, 2015.

U.S. Women in Combat. The Army is opening up Ranger School to women an a full-time basis. The announcement follows the graduation of two women in August from the physically demanding two-month long course. Other opportunities are also opening up - the Navy announced that SEAL training is now open to women. Read more in "More obstacles crumble for women in the military", The Washington Post, September 3, 2015.

'Good Listener, Neat Dresser' - Bio of the new Taliban Leader. The Taliban, in an effort to inform the world about its new leader, has published a 5,000-word biography aboutMullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansur. It was published on the Taliban's official website on August 31st. Read more in a news report by Radio Free Europe, September 1, 2015.

Donor Aid Should be Conditional on Women's Rights. Women's groups are calling on international donors to make future funding conditional on promotion of gender equality amid fears security will overshadow human rights issues. Read more in a news report in The Guardian, September 5, 2015.

General Breedlove Explains Difference b/t NATO and U.S. Mission. In a short video General Breedlove - the Commander of Supreme Allied Command Europe (SACEUR) - explains that U.S. combat actions in Afghanistan are not part of the NATO mission - which is "Train, Advise, and Assist". (DVIDS, Sep 3, 2015).

Paper on IO. Arturo Munoz and Erin Dick have penned a paper entitled Information Operations: The Imperative of Doctrine Harmonization and Measures of Effectiveness, September 2015, RAND Corporation.

UK and Afghan Interpreters. The pressure is mounting on the UK government to take action over the Afghan interpreters. (Forces.tv, Sep 1, 2015).

Afghanistan's Music Institute and Women. "The Afghanistan National Institute of Music is providing girls an equal opportunity to learn and excel in their musical and academic studies. It is dedicated to promoting women's rights and ensuring gender equality in the music sector." Read more in "Girls find their Place in Afghanistan's Music Institute", The World Bank, September 2, 2015.

West Point: Pillow Fights and Dirty Tactics? Thirty cadets received injuries to include broken legs and concussions as a result of a traditional pillow fight the marks the end of the summer training session. It appears this years event got a little out of hand. Read more in "At West Point, Annual Pillow Fight Becomes Weaponized", The New York Times, September 4, 2015.

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You can receive the Afghan War News Weekly 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.

Musa Qala District Falls to Taliban

Musa Qala Falls to Taliban. After months of intense fighting the district center of Musa Qala in Helmand province was taken by Taliban fighters on/about Tuesday, August 26th. This is the first time the district has been controlled by the Taliban since 2007. Reports indicate that as many as 35 ANDSF died with many more wounded. The district center fell despite air strikes by the United States to repel the attackers. The air strikes killed as many as forty insurgents. Most of Northern Helmand - at this point in time- is effectively controlled by the Taliban. They have control of most of Naw Zad, Baghran, and Musa Qala districts.

Read more in "Taliban Overruns Strategic District in Southern Afghanistan", Gandhara Blog, August 27, 2015. Read about the responses of Marines that fought for Musa Qala several years back in "As Towns in Helmand Province fall, Marines speak out", The Washington Post, August 27, 2015. Read more in "Musa Qala is small military victory for Taliban but big propaganda boost", The Guardian, August 27, 2015. See also "Prominent Afghan Officials Are Killed by Taliban in 3 Attacks in South", The New York Times, August 29, 2015.

ANDSF Counterattack? Is the Afghan National Defense Security Forces trying to retake the district? Apparently efforts are underway - possibly with the support of US. (or coalition) airpower. Some news reports say that the Afghan deputy defense minister is in Helmand province looking over preparations for a counterattack. Read more in "U.S., NATO Forces Join Afghan Effort to Oust Taliban from Helmand", Gandhara Blog, August 28, 2015.

How Important is One District? There are about 400 districts in Afghanistan. Some are located in strategic areas (urban areas, important border crossings, provincial capitals, or adjacent to the ring road). Others not so much. Musa Qala was bitterly contested between the Brits and the Taliban and then later between the U.S. Marines and the Taliban. Now the fight is between the ANDSF and the Taliban. If one district is under the control of the Taliban then the adjacent districts become threatened.

What Constitutes Control of a District? The yardstick that the Afghan government uses (and presumably RS Hqs) is if the district center is occupied by Afghan police then it is government controlled. That doesn't mean that the District Governor (DGov) goes to work there; he may conduct his business from the provincial capital or Kabul via cell phone. Another possible indicator is how many ministry officials (MRRD, MAIL, etc.) actually occupy an office at the district center. In RC East (now TAAC-East) I visited many district centers that were "controlled by the government" - that control consisted of the immediate vicinity of the district center measured by the maximum effective range of an AK-47 or PKM. One province comes to mind: Wardak. Consisting of eight districts with the important ring road running north south through its eastern edge this province could be called a key area. However, of the eight districts perhaps only four could be called under government control although each of the district centers is occupied by Afghan police. So of the 400 some districts in Afghanistan how many are really under government control? Depends on what you mean by government control. Read more on what constitutes control of an Afghan district.

Insider Attack? - Two RS Members Killed

In a possible insider attack (sometimes called green-on-blue) two U.S. Air Force airmen were killed early on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 on an ANDSF compound in Helmand province. They were members of the 21st and 23rd Special Tactics Squadron. The attack took place near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan. The incident is being described by Afghan officials as a case of mistaken identity - when a U.S. special operations element was returning to base during nighttime hours after completion of a movement (or mission). The Department of Defense released the names of the two airmen in a press release - "DoD Identifies Air Force Casualties", U.S. DoD, August 27, 2015. Read a news release by Resolute Support HQs.

Learn more about the insider threat:
www.afghanwarnews.info/insiderthreat.htm

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

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

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

ATP 3-05.2 Foreign Internal Defense (FID) August 2015

The Army has released an updated version of Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-05.2, Foreign Internal Defense, August 2015. This version supersedes the September 2011 version. This 218 page publication is full of important information for advisors conducting Foreign Internal Defense (or Security Force Assistance) in a host nation. The proponent of ATP 3-05.2 is the U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, USAJFKSWCS. ATP 3-05.2 provides the U.S. Army commanders and staffs information on the concept of planning and conducting foreign internal defense (FID). This publication describes the fundamentals, activities, and considerations involved in the planning and execution of FID throughout the full range of military operations, and it emphasizes FID as a strategic policy option. The pub serves as the doctrinal foundation for Army FID doctrine, force integration, material acquisition, professional education, and individual and unit training.

Chapter 1 - Overview
Chapter 2 - Organization and Responsibilities
Chapter 3 - Planning
Chapter 4 - Training
Chapter 5 - Employment Considerations
Chapter 6 - Operations
Chapter 7 - Redeployment
Annex A - Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Considerations
Annex B - Internal Defense and Development Strategy
Annex C - Intelligence Support Operations
Annex D - Illustrative Interagency Plan
Annex E - Security Assistance
Annex F- Site Survey, Trainer, and Advisor Checklists

http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_05x2.pdf

Security News

CRS Report on Afghanistan. Kenneth Katzman, a specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs for the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has wrote a report entitled Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, August 17, 2015. The report (PDF) is 80 pages long and has numerous charts, references, pictures, and more.
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL30588.pdf

Kabul Attacks Up Since Last Year. A spokesman for Resolute Support Headquarters, RS Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications BG Wilson Shoffner, said last week that insurgent attacks have increased in Kabul compared to the past year. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, August 23, 2015.

3 Abducted ABP Found Dead in Ghazni. Three Afghan Border Police (ABP) officers kidnapped by insurgents in mid-August were killed. They were enroute to their base after a visit to families when captured. Read more in a news report by The New York Times, August 23, 2015.

Taliban Kill Uprising Civilians in Andar District. For a while there was hope that 'local uprisings' would spread throughout Afghanistan along the model of the Anbar Uprising that occurred in Iraq. However that hope soon fizzled out as ISAF had a hands-off approach and the Karzai regime played politics with the issue (only supporting those groups that advanced his political and corrupt agenda). The 'local uprising' groups have not fared well. Andar district was once highlighted by the press and others as an example of how to keep the Taliban in check at the local level. Without good support from ISAF (now RS HQs), the ANDSF, and the NDS these groups slowly melted away or were decimated by the Taliban. The insurgents recently killed 7 members of an Andar district, Ghani province group. (Note: sometimes uprising groups and the Afghan Local Police are lumped together in news reports). Read a news report by Khaama Press, August 29, 2015.

Policewoman Shot in Parwan. Unidentified gunmen killed a policewoman in Parwan province. See report in Tolo News, August 29, 2015.

Taliban Squabbles. Mullah Mansoor, the successor to Mullah Omar, is reported to have sent over 600 of his men to fight Mullah Dadullah in Zabul province. It appears that Dadullah favors the son of Mullah Omar as the leader of the Taliban. Read more in a news report by Khaama Press, August 2015.

Chart Depicting Taliban Leadership Crisis. Radio Free Europe has posted a diagram detailing the Taliban's leadership struggle. www.rferl.mobi/a/27183381.html

Warduj District Requests Assistance. The central government of Afghanistan is being urged to launch a military operation with air support to defeat Taliban insurgents in the Warduj district of Badakhshan province. Read more in a news report by Khaama Press, August 29, 2015.

Report on Afghan Journalists. The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) released its six-month report in a press conference on August 27th. In the first six months of 2015 the AJSC recorded 39 cases of threat and violence against journalists. One journalist was killed and another 4 wounded. This is a 43% decline compared to the first six months of 2014.

Provincial Ulema Council Head Dies in Ambush in Uruzgan. At least three people were killed in an ambush by insurgents in central Uruzgan province on Saturday morning. See report by Tolo News,  August 29, 2015.

4 Bomb Makers Killed by Own Explosives. The PCoP of Khost province says that four militants who were making bombs were killed by their own explosives. Two others were wounded. (Khaama Press, Aug 27, 2015).

Taliban in Northern Afghanistan Swear Allegiance to New Emir. According to a posting by The Long War Journal (August 27, 2015) ". . . hundreds of heavily armed Taliban fighters gathered in the open in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz to pledge an oath of allegiance to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the new emir of the group". Read the news report.

Afghan Interpreter Killed. The Taliban killed a 22-year-old Afghan interpreter who worked several years for British forces. Read "Betrayal of the brave", Daily Mail, August 28, 2015. Read also "Britain curmudgeonly and ungraceful for abandoning Afghan interpreters", The Telegraph, August 24, 2015.

6 Policemen Disappear in Garamser District. At least six policemen have mysteriously disappeared from a checkpoint in Garamser district, Helmand province. A cook serving with the policemen was found dead. Read news report by Khamma Press, August 29, 2015.

22 ALP Members Reported Killed in Faryab. According to one Afghan news outlet 22 members of the Afghan Local Police or ALP were killed in Faryab province during an ambush. Read a news report in Afghanistan Times, August 28, 2015.

Attack on Gen Dostum Foiled. Three suicide bombers were arrested before they could attack the First Vice President of Afghanistan - who is sometimes referred to as General Dostum. They were arrested in the vicinity of Dostum's residence in Qaisar district.

Development News

Paper on Economic Management in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's economy remains weak and its fiscal situation dire. A new paper for the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) by William A. Byrd provides some thoughts on how the international community should approach the Afghan economy. Byrd is a senior expert at the US Institute of Peace where he has been working on Afghanistan since April 2012. From 2002 to 2006 he was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan where he served as the World Bank's country manager for Afghanistan and then as economic advisor. Read AAN's introduction to his paper. You can read online or download the full paper posted on the AAN website.
Economic Management in Afghanistan: What worked, what didn't, and why, August 2015.

Humanitarian Situation in Faryab Province. A top United Nations official has met with provincial officials in Faryab to assess the humanitarian situation of the conflict-ridden population. Read more in a news update by UNAMA.

USAID and the Kajaki Dam. USAID has provided a photo update report of the installation of Turbine Generator Unit 2 at the Kajaki Dam Hydropower Plant in southern Afghanistan. Photos are posted on flickr.com. (no date given).

Paper on American Foreign Aid & Foreign Policy in Afghanistan. Anders Nandrup Rylander has wrote his Master thesis on this topic. He attempts to develop a better understanding of the relationship between American foreign aid, policy, and traditions by examining American actions in this sector for the years 2007-2012. Posted August 2015 on website of University of Oslo.
www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/44857

USAID Funded Assistance for Deaf Afghans. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funding for a program that helps deaf Afghans communicate via the Internet. Read Deaf, But Not Silenced in Afghanistan, USAID, August 2015.

Governance News

Afghan-Turkmenistan Accords. President Ashraf Ghani met with his Turkmenistan counterpart on Thursday, August 27th to discuss a number of issues and witness the signing of bilateral agreements ranging from education to energy supply. Read more in "Afghan-Turkmenistan Accords Signed in Kabul", Tolo News, August 27, 2015.

Troubles for the Hazaras. Kidnapping, infertile land, and poor aid distribution are only some of the troubles the Hazaras face in Afghanistan. They face threats by militants, the Taliban and (in the future if they make gains) the Islamic State. The Hazarajat is where the ethnic Hazara live - in central and mountainous Afghanistan. Read more in "Peril and Persecution in Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, August 27, 2015.

Council of Jihadi Party. Afghanistan's former president Sebghatullah Mojaddedi announced the establishment of a new political party - the Council of Jihadi. The aim of the new organization is to put pressure on the National Unit Government (NUG) to bring about reform. Read more in "Council of Jihadi Party Launched in Kabul", Tolo News, August 27, 2015.

Commentary

Afghanistan, Choose Your Enemies Wisely. Jeff Eggers, a senior fellow at New America, an adjunct senior fellow with the RAND Corporation, and a former Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, provides us with his view on how political accommodation can help prevent conflict escalation and how that concept can still be applied to Afghanistan. The lumping together of terrorists and insurgents in Afghanistan has hampered reconciliation efforts with the Taliban. He worries that a skewed view of accommodation will prevent the Afghan government (and the U.S.) in taking one last opportunity for a negotiated settlement. Read his paper Afghanistan, Choose Your Enemies Wisely, The RAND Blog, August 2015.

Why Afghanistan Matters for U.S. James B. Cunningham and Ryan Crocker (both former U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan) tell us that Afghanistan needs a sustained U.S. and partner support. They say that despite the success of the transition of security to Afghanistan there have been some setbacks and disappointments and that many challenges remain. Read their views in a CNN political op-ed published on August 25, 2015.

Building Partner Capacity.  A host of writers have collaborated in a publication entitled What Works Best When Building Partner Capacity in Challenging Contexts?, RAND Corporation, August 2015. The report explores what the United States can do when conducting BPC in challenging contexts to maximize prospects for success. Some of the key findings include "Many Challenges Stem from U.S. Policy or Practice", "The Partner Nation (PN) Itself Must Be Willing to Engage Fully", "PN Ministerial Capacity Can Be Extremely Important", and "Consistency is Key". The paper also provides several recommendations.
www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR937.html

Paper - Resistance to Government & Modernization in Afghanistan. Mohammad Attar Abkenar in his PhD thesis examines two epochs of reform and resistance to the government in Afghanistan's modern history. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the internal and external factors that terminated the government's efforts in consolidating the central authority and modernizing the country. Resistance to the Government in Afghanistan's Modern History: a Case Study Approach,  April 2015.

Does Security Assistance Reduce Terrorism? Matthew Saintsing states that no large-scale quantitative studies finds a positive correlation between U.S. security assistance and a reduction in terrorism - although there are some notable successes (as in USSF in Philippines). Some ". . . studies find a positive correlation between assistance to aid sectors other than police and military of partner nations and a reduction in terrorism." Read his article posted on Small Wars Journal, August 26, 2015.

Pick Our Battles Carefully. Joshua Foust examines the military actions of the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere and explains "Why the Mightiest Superpower on Earth Hasn't Won a Won in Decades", Playboy, August 23, 2015. Sorry, no pictures of scantily-clad ladies in this article. Foust provides food for thought but it is difficult to agree with some of his observations and conclusions.

SOF News

Paper - SOF and Human Domain Mapping. "One way to develop ways and methods to prepare for the evolutionary change in warfare is to operationalize social network analysis through human domain mapping. This will " . . . provide a richer and more in depth understanding of the societies in which we will inevitably operate." . . . "Some examples include identifying key influencers or brokers, providing early intelligence on the fundamental composition of insurgent networks, or detecting marginalized elites or disenfranchised social groups sympathetic to U.S. strategies". The author, Major Derek Raymond, is with the 5th Special Forces Group and holds a Master's of Science from the Naval Postgraduate School. Read his report in "Human Domain Mapping in 21st Century Warfare", Small Wars Journal, August 22, 2015.

Memorial for SFC McKenna. A memorial was held on Camp Integrity for a Green Beret who died in a recent insurgent attack on Camp Integrity (SOJTF-A) in mid-August.

Manhunting Machine. Sean Naylor provides us with a brief history of special operations - from Panama to the 'Global War on Terror' with his article "Inside the Pentagon's Manhunting Machine", The Atlantic, August 28, 2015.

SOJTF-A Challenge Coin. All good SOF units have a "Commander's Challenge Coin" and the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan is no exception. Read more at the link below.
https://commanderschallenge.wordpress.com/tag/major-general-scott-miller/

SF Grooming Afghan Troops. Michael Phillips has penned an article on how special operations units are trying to get their local counterparts ready for combat in "Treading the Line Between War and Peace, U.S. Special Forces Groom Afghan Troops", The Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2015.

Paper - "Advising the Command." Todd C. Helmus, a RAND Corporation researcher, has penned a report that presents best practices from the Special Operations advisory experience in Afghanistan.
www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR900/RR949/RAND_RR949.pdf

Paper - "The Dawn of SOWT."  This paper examines the rise of Special Operations Weathermen during World War II, from the founding of the Weather Bureau of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The Dawn of SOWT: OSS Weathermen in the Balkans, 1944, 2015. Posted on Marshall Digital Scholar, Marshall University.

Islamic State

Uzbekistan & Islamic State. The United States has asked Uzbekistan to join the multinational coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Read more in a news report by Radio Free Europe, August 28, 2015.

Airpower and ISIS. A.C. Hall, a member of the special operations community, has penned a paper calling for battlefield innovation from tactical leaders in the employment of airpower against ISIS. Read his paper posted on Small Wars Journal, August 27, 2015.

Paper - U.S. Policy in Afghanistan and ISIS. Thomas F. Lynch, III has wrote a paper entitled "After ISIS: Fully Reappraising U.S. Policy in Afghanistan", The Washington Quarterly, August 3, 2015. The author contends that the residual U.S. military presence in Afghanistan should be scoped to ". . . a size and posture able to address the intractable dilemmas that remain."

Central Asian Groups & Global Jihad. Two different Central Asian jihadist groups are at odds with each other. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) have been allied with al Qaeda in the past but are now ". . . taking different sides in the ongoing struggle between the Islamic State and al Qaeda for the leadership of the global jihad." Read more in "Central Asian groups split over leadership of global jihad", The Long War Journal, August 24, 2015.

Airpower & Afghan Air Force

90 Years of AAF at Shindand Air Base. The Afghan Air Force may not be much to look at now but if one looks back it has a long history - almost 90 years. In fact, in the 1960s it had one of the top Air Forces in the region.  Read more in "Shindand Air Base Celebrates 90 Years of AAF", Tolo News, August 25, 2015.

Russian Gunships for AAF. Russia is prepared to supply the Afghan Air Force with Mi-35 attack helicopters. Read more in a news report by Khaama Press, August 26, 2015.

Profile of AE Tech Sgt. A North Carolina Air Guardsman brings a diverse background to Bagram Air Fields aeromedical evacuation mission. Read a news report by DVIDS, August 24, 2015.

Reapers & Predators in Afghanistan. According to one Air Force report Reapers and Predators are responsible for about 90% of ISR for Afghanistan. Read more in "Reapers, Predators on the prowl in Afghanistan", U.S. Air Force News, August 24, 2015.

Lack of Legal Justification for Drone Attacks in Pakistan. "This article focuses on the justification and legal position of Drone attacks within the boundaries of a sovereign state. It examines the legality of drone attacks under international law and the US domestic law." "US Drone Attacks in Pakistan: An International Law Perspective", International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 6, No. 6., June 2015.
http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_6_No_6_June_2015/14.pdf

Intel & CT News

Asymmetric Conflict and the Human Domain. The nature of warfare has changed in the world. For the United States its opponents are less likely to be nations like Russia or China and more likely to be non-state actors or state-sponsored insurgents or terrorists. The strategic prize is not control of terrain but of the human domain. Some call this asymmetric warfare. Read one persons views on this in "The Heart of the Common Man: The Battleground of Asymmetric Conflict", Indian Defence Review (IDR), August 19, 2015.

Paper - "Socio-Cultural Intelligence and National Security". In his article, Robert T. Tomes reviews, assesses, and makes recommendations relating to the provision and use of socio-cultural intelligence in support of national security policy. He details responses to gaps in socio-cultural intelligence during the 2000s, and reinforces the importance of this issue in future conflicts. He recommends expansion of the Foreign Area Officers program, improving the military's cross-cultural understanding, increase the language proficiency of Special Operations Forces, and more. Read his article in Parameters, Summer 2015.

Paper - "Using Target Audience Analysis to Aid Strategic Level Decisionmaking", By Dr. Steve Tatham, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, August 25, 2015.
www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=1288

Terrorist Designation for Haqqani Brother. The U.S. Department of State has designated Abdul Aziz Haqqani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224. He is a senior member of the Haqqani Network and the brother to Haqqani Network leader Sirjuddin Haqqani. Read more in a media note published on August 25, 2015.

Military Officials Skewing Intelligence Estimates? Say it isn't true. The IO campaign by ISAF HQs is one example of putting a silver lining on a dark cloud. Now the same can be said for Central Command (CENTCOM). It appears that the Pentagon's inspector general is investigating allegations of officials providing a more optimistic account of progress against ISIS than is warranted. No kidding. Read more in "Inquiry Weighs Whether ISIS Analysis Was Distorted", The New York Times, August 25, 2015. See also "Spies: Obama's Brass Pressured Us to Downplay ISIS Threat", The Daily Beast, August 26, 2015.

Report on Intel Community and Contractors. Elaine Halchin has authored a paper entitled The Intelligence Community and Its Use of Contractors: Congressional Oversight Issues, Congressional Research Service (CRS), August 18, 2015. Posted on Federated American Scientists website.
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/R44157.pdf

OSINT Explained. There are lots of "INTs" in the intelligence field. HUMINT, MASINT, SIGINT, etc. A more recent "INT" is "Open Source Intelligence" or OSINT. Read more in "Spy Agencies Are Like Old-School Porn - But That's Changing", VICE News, August 25, 2015.

POPINT, HUMINT, and Information Operations. The concept of POPINT - understanding group behavior - is described by Cdr (rtd) Steve Tatham -  in an interview posted on Small Wars Journal, August 26, 2015.

"Flat Communications". One of the experiences I had when working along side folks who spent time with JSOC is their obsession with "Flat Communications". This, of course, consisted on an excessive amount (I thought at the time) of VTCs (video teleconferences) with an enormous amount of people plugged in across theater. But as it turned out I became a "reluctant fan" of the approach. Learn how JSOC used "better information sharing plus empowered people" to develop a smarter, faster force that could soon outmaneuver insurgents and terrorists in "How JSOC Harnessed Networks to Take on Terrorists", by Chris Fussel, Defense One, August 27, 2015.

RAVEN UAV Gets Upgrade. It appears that the Army will be upgrading the sensor gimbal on its Raven hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems. Read more in a news update by C4ISR & Networks, August 27, 2015.

Intelligence & National Security Summit. AFCEA and INSA are hosted a summit about the state of U.S. intelligence and the priorities, plans and partnerships for the Intel community. It will be held in Washington, D.C. on September 9-10, 2015. www.intelsummit.org. Learn more about other defense, national security, terrorism, and intelligence summits and conferences at the link below:
www.securityinfonet.com/Security_Conferences_and_Seminars.htm

Handling Classified Material. If there is something that can get you in trouble quickly it is making a mistake in handling classified material and not following the rules. Two well known cases illustrate this aptly. It would seem that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke the rules when she transmitted classified information through her private email using an unclassified server. In another instance, former ISAF commander and Director of the CIA David Petraeus broke the rules when he handed over personal notebooks containing classified information to Paula Broadwell (his biographer). The two cases are similar (involving high ranking government officials) yet different (severity of the crime). Sending classified information over the Internet in today's world is stupid and dangerous. Passing personal notebooks containing information to a trusted person (who incidentally is a LTC in Military Intelligence with a Top Secret clearance) is a lesser offense (although the affair was plainly stupid). A former Navy SEAL looks at the complicated world of information classification in a news report by Business Insider, August 25, 2015.

Movie - "Rock the Kasbah"

Hollywood's latest attempt to portray Afghanistan in the movies is called "Rock the Kasbah". A comedy starring Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Leem Lubany, Danny McBride, and Scott Caan. The plot involves a washed up music manager who takes his last act to Afghanistan, falls into one bad situation after another, and then discovers an Afghan singing wonder. It will be released in October 2015. Hopefully the movie will be as funny as the trailer (see link below).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvcb5N_kek

Afghan War News Snippets

Bagpipes and the UK in Afghanistan. Approximately 200 soldiers from 2 SCOTS will be located in four sites in Kabul protecting ministerial advisors, mentors at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy, and the UK's aviation detachment. Read more in "Bagpipes announce the beginning of a new phase of UK involvement in the Resolute Support Mission", RS News, August 23, 2015.

New BSA for Contractors in Afghanistan. Existing provisions of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) will take full effect in September 2015 which will impact DoD and NATO coalition contractors working in Afghanistan. These provisions include visa and business license requirements. There are approximately 35,000 contractors in Afghanistan. Read more in a news article on Army.mil, August 27, 2015.

Paper - "Professionalizing Ministerial Advising". A former advisor to Afghan ministries provides us his input on advising at the ministry level. Posted on PKSOI website.

Human Rights Key to Success Against Insurgents. The director of Resolute Support Essential Function Three, U.S. Army BG Mitchell Chitwood, recently attended a shura at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province attended by members of Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC-East) and members of the ANDSF.  The shura was organized by TAAC-East. BG Chitwood says that this was a first - a shura with coalition members and ANDSF coming together to discuss human rights. If that is a true statement then the meeting was a long time coming - as in 14 years! Surely the general was misquoted. Read more in "Human rights: a key to security in Afghanistan", RS News, August 2015.

Pay Raise for U.S. Military? It appears that President Obama will attempt to increase the pay of federal workers and military member by 1 percent effective in 2016. Congress can come up with its own plan (and it sometimes does). Read more in a news report by The Hill, August 28, 2015.

Afghan Journalists Under Fire. A news report by the Asia Division Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch details the occupational hazards of Afghan journalism. Human Rights Watch, August 27, 2015.

Life of a Guardian Angel. View a 3 minute long video by Resolute Support entitled "Life on Forward Operating Base Camp Connelly", YouTube.com, August 27, 2015. A few years back there were three SFAATs, a U.S. company, an ANA kandak, and other combat enablers. Now it is a temporary camp for TAAC-East advisors and their support (as in GAs).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzmmDXgFos

Afghan Asylum Seekers Deported from UK. The UK is deporting Afghans back to Afghanistan - but there is a court order that prohibits deportation to most of the provinces in Afghanistan. Of the 34 provinces only three qualify. (The Guardian, Aug 26, 2015).

Crackdown in Pakistan on Afghan Refugees. Almost 90,000 Afghan refugees have returned home in recent months from Pakistan. There is a December 31 deadline for a return on all Afghan refugees. (Gandhara Blog, Aug 25, 2015).

Afghans and Pakistan. "Many Afghans associate the Taliban with neighboring Pakistan and blame Islamabad for their misery and decades-long armed conflict in their country." Read more in "Whay are the Afghans wary of Pakistan?", Deutsche Welle, December 24, 2015.

Ghani Issues Order to Curb CIVCAS. Afghanistan's president Ashraf Ghani has issues orders to government officials and the Afghan security forces to curb civilian casualties in the ongoing war. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, August 28, 2015.

What are the Troop Numbers for RS? Did you ever wonder which nations are contributors to Afghanistan's defense and training? Resolute Support HQs has a 'placemat' that will answer that question. See "Troop numbers and contributions".

Video - Airspace Management Advisor TAAC-East. In this video from Resolute Support headquarters an advisor, Ellyn Grosz, talks about what it means to advise the 201st ANA Corps and Operation Iron Triangle. Training involved working with the Afghan Army ATACs.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0mS_SoRaIY

China's Leadership Role in Afghanistan. Two writers believe the China needs to step up and play a stronger role in Afghanistan's affairs. Read more in "Can China Assert Itself in Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, August 28, 2015.

Oshkosh Wins Major Contract. The Wisconsin truck-maker has won a large contract ($30 billion?) to make the U.S. Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) that will replace the Humvees. (Defense One, Aug 25, 2015).

950th Engineer Company Deployment Ends. The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 950th Engineer Company is back in the United States after its deployment to Afghanistan. Their primary mission was route clearance operations and providing security for the Kandahar Airfield and Forward Operating Base Oqab. The unit previously deployed to Iraq in 2003 and 2010. Duluth News Tribune, August 27, 2015.

Book on Battle of Wanat now Digital. The Combat Studies Institute has enhanced the well-known work titled "Wanat: Combat Action in Afghanistan, 2008" with the iBook format. Read more in "Well-Known Combat Studies Institute Book Charges Headlong into the Digital Age", TRADOC Newsletter, August 26, 2015.

Pentagon Upset at French for Speedy Awards to U.S. Servicemembers. The bureaucratic pencil pushers at the Pentagon a chafing with the news that the U.S. military members have received a prestigious French award for their preventing a terrorist attack on a European train in August 2015. Read more in "Pentagon Angered at Speed of French Military Awards System", DuffelBlog, August 27, 2015.

Corruption in Balkh. Read why "Corruption is a Huge Challenge for Balkh Residents", Tolo News, August 26, 2015. A survey was done by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) of twelve provinces of Afghanistan including Balkh.