Afghan War Blog

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Taliban's Offensive in Northern Afghanistan

The eyes of the world are focused on the Taliban's recent success in taking and holding (for only a few days) the first provincial capital since 2001. Their takeover of Kunduz City shocked the Afghan public and others. The subsequent accidental bombing of a Doctor's Without Borders hospital in Kunduz City by a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship further focused the world on Kunduz. However, not readily apparent to others is that the Taliban are mounting a late fighting season surge across all of northern Afghanistan. Other districts have fallen under the control of the Taliban in recent weeks across the north; including two in Faryab province (The Long War Journal, Oct 8, 2015). The European component of Resolute Support at Camp Marmal in Mazar-e Sharif has very little fighting strength to offer assistance. A handful of NATO SOF advisors are available to "advise and assist" Afghan SOF units (which number too few to make a real difference) but their ability to offer air support will now be curtailed due to the CIVCAS incident in Kunduz. The coming weeks will show that the ANDSF are resilient and can counter the Taliban offensive or that it is too weak (for whatever reason) and the Taliban may carry some real gains into the winter season.

More on Airstrike on MSF Hospital in Kunduz

Reports indicate that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has moved its personnel from Kunduz City - closing down its medical facility. An unfortunate development as it is one of the few medical centers in that very large city. The MSF medical center was hit by a U.S. airstrike during the fight for Kunduz City last week (early October). The death toll is reported to be more than twenty medical staff and patients. MSF is calling the airstrike a war crime; others are regarding the incident as a tragic error in the fog of war. The White House called the MSF hospital airstrike a 'profound tragedy'. (Tolo News, Oct 6, 2015).

AC-130 Gunship (Photo AF Defense Media)

AC-130 Gunship. Although not confirmed by the Pentagon many observers are speculating that an Air Force Special Operations AC-130 gunship conducted the airstrike. Some Pentagon reports say that the Afghan military called in the airstrike; that it was not conducted in support of U.S. troops in contact. The air attack lasted about one hour. A gunship does not always use or require a map coordinate to engage its target - it sometimes will be guided onto the target with a compass heading (direction) and distance provided by friendly force on the ground. The AC-130 almost always flies at night because of its slow speed, large size, and lower operating altitude. The U.S. military is having a difficult time explaining how it bombed the MSF hospital. (The Washington Post, Oct 5, 2015).

How Did it Happen? It seems that an Afghan army unit asked for air support because it was taking fire from the garden areas surrounding the hospital. A U.S. special operations element with the Afghan unit had some responsibility for the approving or execution of the air support mission. It is unknown if the AC-130 crew knew they were targeting a hospital. Some reports are saying that the SOF unit on the ground may not have followed proper procedure during the call for fire mission. One aspect coming to light is that the SOF unit may not have had "eyes on the target" - which may impede the ability to determine if the airstrike was hitting a legitimate target. Read more in "General Is Said to Think Afghan Hospital Airstrike Broke U.S. Rules", The New York Times, October 6, 2015. One of the more detailed examinations of the airstrike has been conducted by Kate Clark of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). Read her report dated October 7, 2015 entitled "Airstrike on a Hospital in Kunduz: Claims of a war crime".

Screwup or War Crime? Under the Geneva Conventions (as if the Taliban observe that agreement) hospitals can't legally be deliberately targeted for a military attack except in cases where the enemy is using hospitals as cover. A big question is if the U.S. knew the building was a hospital and if it was intentionally targeted - one would hope no in both cases. However, the MSF is pressing the case for calling the attack a war crime. Read more in "Did the US bombing of an Afghan Hospital Cross the Line Between Screwup and War Crime?", Mother Jones, October 7, 2015. Of course, the Human Rights Watch is jumping all over this drastic event. (Human Rights Watch, October 6, 2015).

Who is to Blame? With the international attention generated by this tragedy it will be hard for the U.S. military to sweep this incident under the rug. Read more in "Will Heads Roll at the Pentagon for the MSF Hospital 'Mistake'?", Foreign Policy, October 8, 2015. One observer feels that too much attention to this one tragedy will set the stage for country-wide risk. Read Anthony H. Cordesman's thoughts in The Tragedy in Kunduz, the Real Threat to Afghan Civilians, and the Need for Changes in U.S. Strategy, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), October 9, 2015.

Apologies. An incident this serious requires acknowledgement of mistakes and a thorough investigation. Fraser Seitel tells us what "A Proper Apology" entails (Forbes.com, Oct 9, 2015).

History of CIVCAS and "Unplanned Airstrikes". According to one observer there is a big difference in the incidents of civilian casualties when comparing "planned" and "unplanned" airstrikes. The incidents of civilian casualties in planned airstrikes are very small when compared to CIVCAS during unplanned airstrikes. Read "A Brief History of Unplanned Air Strikes in Afghanistan", by Matthew Gault, War is Boring, October 6, 2015.

Gen Campbell Chats With U.S. Senate

General John Campbell, the commander of the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, was in Washington this past week making the rounds. One of those stops was his appearance before a committee of the U.S. Senate where he gave an update on the situation in Afghanistan and answered the questions posed to him. Some questions were softballs while others were hard-hitting. One of the most touchy topics was the recent bombing of a Doctor's Without Borders hospital in Kunduz City where over 20 non-combatants were killed during an AC-130 attack. Another thorny issue was the taking of a provincial capital by the Taliban (Kunduz City) - certainly not a good news for some who would like to say that the Afghan security forces are getting better. In fact, General Campbell made it known that he supports a plan that would leave more troops in Afghanistan than is currently planned after 2015 and 2016. You can watch a video (more than 2 hours long) of his testimony before the Senate Armed Services committee held on Tuesday, October 6th, 2015. Several media outlets reported on his testimony. Read more in a news report by U.S. News & World Report, October 6, 2015. See also "Top US General in Afghanistan: Afghan Security Forces Could Potentially Collapse", The Diplomat, October 7, 2015. Not to be outdone, the U.S. DoD has issued its press release on the testimony with "Afghanistan at 'Critical Juncture', Campbell says", Defense Media Activity, October 8, 2015.

Mi-35's for Afghan Air Force?

Some news outlets are reporting that Afghanistan may receive more Mi-35 gunship helicopters from Russia. The Mi-35 is the export model of the Mi-24 HIND D that wreak lots of havoc during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan a few decades back. Currently the Afghan Air Force (AAF) has five Mi-35's but only one or two are flying depending on maintenance. The U.S. is providing twenty A-29 Super Tocanos but that deal has been years in the making and for some reason the aircraft won't be fully deployed until 2016 and 2017 (not exactly a timely solution). The U.S. also put some armament on some of the MD-530s (a small reconnaissance helicopter) but the Afghans are not very impressed with that 'little bird'. The U.S. has also outfitted some of the Mi-17s (a transport helicopter) with guns - which some Afghans refer to as a "flying tractor". The Afghans like the Mi-35 and hopefully the Russians can come through with the deal. So . . . I can just see it now. Russian maintenance and pilot instructors working hand-in-hand with advisors from Train, Advise, Assist Command - Air (TAAC-Air) while U.S. pilots are dodging Russian missiles fired from Russian naval vessels in the Caspian Sea and Russian jets in Syrian airspace. Perhaps the Russians can discreetly share some of their vodka with their U.S. counterparts. Call it an "ice breaker". Interesting times. Read more in "Afghanistan and Russia to sign a deal for delivery of Mi-35 gunships", Khaama Press, October 9, 2015. See also "Russia to Sell Modern Attack Helicopters to Afghanistan", The Diplomat, October 9, 2015.

Commentary

Training the ANA - Not so Much. A recent visitor to Afghanistan provides us his views on how well the training program in Afghanistan is going.

"Yet the current training is aimed a bureaucrats more than warriors, revolving around administrative functions such as budgeting and planning rather than the best way to fire a rifle or mount an attack."

Read what David J. Lynch has to say in "Training Afghan soldiers is just not working", USA Today, October 5, 2015.

SFA and BPC Questioned. Phillip Carter, a former Army officer and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security provides us his thoughts on having foreign troops fight our wars. He takes a hard look at the recent Security Force Assistance (SFA) and Building Partnership Capacity (BPC) ventures in Iraq and Afghanistan and finds some areas where the effort was lacking. He cites a difference in interests, the complexity of U.S. weapons, and a lack of a will to fight among our surrogates. Read "Why foreign troops can't fight our fights", The Washington Post, October 2, 2015.

NUG, Bad Comms, & Bad Intel. The combination of a government mired in conflict (Ghani vs. Abdullah), bad communications across and up/down with MoI, MoD, Corps, Zones, etc., and bad intelligence is consistently setting up the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) for failure. Read more in "The Plight of Afghanistan's Soldiers", The Diplomat, October 7, 2015.

"I Fought For Nothing". An infantryman remembers his tour in Afghanistan (2004-2005) and contemplates if it was worth it. Read "I fought for nothing: Staggering incompetence, egregious corruption & America's doomed war in Afghanistan", Salon, by John Rico, October 7, 2015.

Did HTS rationalize Pedophilia in Afghanistan? An HTS explanation of "Man-Boy Love Thursday" may have contributed to the U.S. looking the other way when confronted with "Bacha Bazi" events. Or so says two authors of a recent story about the HTS. Two anthropologists conveniently tie the recent story of the Special Forces NCO getting kicked out of the Army for assaulting an Afghan police officer who was raping a young Afghan to everything that was wrong with the Human Terrain System that provided cultural advice to the U.S. military in Afghanistan. While their writing may be convincing to some it looks to me as another opportunity to attack a very valuable program that provided great results in the Afghan COIN fight. Read their news story (but with a grain of salt) in Counterpunch, October 9, 2015.

Pakistan - Aiding the Taliban . . . Still. If you want to solve the problem of the insurgency in Afghanistan then you must look east to Pakistan. So says Fareed Zakaria - an opinion writer for The Washington Post and also commentator on several other media enterprises. The bottom line is that very few insurgencies are defeated if they have a cross-boarder sanctuary and a powerful patron (that would be Pakistan and Pakistan). Read his article "The key to solving the puzzle of Afghanistan is Pakistan", The Washington Post, October 8, 2015.

Paper Plans and Reality on the Ground. The battle for Kunduz exposed the strategy for the defense of Afghanistan as paper thin. Despite air power, advisors, and intelligence support from the U.S. (and NATO, of course) the Taliban were still able to take a provincial capital and hold it for a number of days. This problem of containing the Taliban goes beyond the development of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) into a professional counterinsurgency force. It has a lot more to do with eradicating the senior ANDSF leadership of corrupt officers. Read more in "Is Kunduz the Beginning of the End for Afghanistan?", by Emile Simpson, Politico, October 4, 2015.

Prospects of Success in Afghanistan? Not so Much. One observer, Patrick Skinner, has a pessimistic view of the situation in Afghanistan. Read "What Endures From Operation Enduring Freedom", The Cipher Brief, October 8, 2015.

Ignatius on Afghanistan. David Ignatius provides us with his opinion of the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and Pakistan in "The U.S. cannot afford to forget Afghanistan and Pakistan", The Washington Post, October 6, 2015.

ISIS in Afghanistan

ISIS versus Taliban. Folks are looking at the competition between the Taliban and the Islamic State and hoping (some are predicting) that they will hurt each other enough that the Afghan government (and its security forces) can solidify its presence in troubled districts. However, not everyone is in agreement that this will be a product of that hostile competition between the two groups. While ISIS is making some progress in Nangarhar province its presence elsewhere in Afghanistan is minimal. While the two groups are at odds with each other they continue to cause severe problems for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) as well. Read more in "Taliban in Kunduz, ISIS in Nangarhar: Fiefdoms of Conflict in Afghanistan", by Halimullah Kousary, The Diplomat, October 5, 2015.

ISIS Stages Kabul Attack. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliates in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for an attack on a religious congregation hall in Kabul city. Read more in a news report (Khaama Press, Oct 10, 2015).

ISIS and Jalalabad. According to General Campbell, the commander of the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, the Islamic State is making a play for control of Jalalabad. This large city in eastern Afghanistan not far from the Pakistan border is the capital of Nangarhar province. It also is the location of a small base of U.S. and NATO forces as well as an important crossroads for trade and commerce with Pakistan. Read more in "The Islamic State is growing in Afghanistan, and has its eyes on a specific city", by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, October 6, 2015.

News Article - Mullah Mansour

The new head of the Taliban - Mullah Akhtar Muhammand Mansour - is profiled by Joseph Goldstein in The New York Times (Oct 4, 2015) in this comprehensive news report. Some interesting tidbits - during the Taliban's reign in the late 1990s Mansour was the Chief of Aviation (when the govt had very little planes) and head of the Tourism Department (when there were very little tourists). However, since that time ". . . Mullah Mansour became central to the group's reincarnation as a powerful insurgency that survived NATO offensives to pose a grave threat now to the Western-backed Afghan government." Mansour's status as head of the Taliban has increased with the recent success of the Taliban in occupying a provincial capital (Kunduz City) for the first time since 2001. This should alleviate some of the leadership challenges he faces. He is also heavily supported by Pakistan's intelligence agency which is helping to consolidate his hold on power within the Taliban leadership. Goldstein's article is probably one of the more informative pieces of work on the new head of the Taliban. Read "Taliban's New Leader Strengthens His Hold With Intrigue and Battlefield Victory".

SOF News

Behind the Scenes. Barbara Star, CNN Pentagon Correspondent, interviews General Votel (cdr of USSOCOM). Votel chats about SOF successes, failures, SOCOM creation, covert operations, and more. Read (and watch the video) "Behind the scenes with the commander of Special Ops", CNN.com, October 5, 2015.

Spetsnaz in Syria. Russia's special forces has now deployed to Syria according to some news reports. Read "Putin has sent the feared Spetsnaz special forces nto Syria to bail out Assad", Mirror UK, October 6, 2015.

JSOC in the Shadows. "One of the least publicized organizations active in counter-terror operations is the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Formed in 1980 in the aftermath of a failed mission into Iran to rescue American embassy personnel being held captive there, JSOC was meant to eliminate the coordination problems between the services that were found to be the main reason the Iran rescue mission failed." Read more in "Special Operations: JSOC in the Shadows", Strategy Page, October 3, 2015.

History of Special Operations Executive (SOE). This famous organization was created by British prime minister Winston Churchill to carry out top-secret missions against Germany. Read more in "The Top Secret WWII Warriors Who Inspired James Bond and Birthed Modern Black Ops", Maxim Magazine, October 8, 2015.

Syrian Training Program "Paused". After the disastrous testimony of CENTCOM commander General Austin before Congress and subsequent reports of failure coming out of the Middle East the Syrian training program has been halted. At least the military part of it. A program to train up 5,400 Syrians had produced only 60; and those were either killed or captured as soon as they entered Syria. The more successful (?) CIA training program is reportedly still ongoing. It appears that rather than start from scratch in recruiting and vetting "moderate" Syrians the Pentagon may provide aid to already established rebel groups (what a concept). Perhaps they should have armed up and trained the Kurds in a big way right from the beginning. Thus far the Kurds have proven themselves to be the most effective fighters on the ground in Syria (besides ISIS).

SF Failing at UW? One wonders just how well our Army is in conducting the Special Forces core mission of Unconventional Warfare - if we couldn't get the Syrian training program off the ground with a $500 million budget, a years worth of work, existing rebel organizations already established, training camps in countries adjacent to the area of operations, air superiority, and sanctuaries for the resistance movements. Does the CIA know how to do UW better than the Army? Read "Pentagon plans major shift in effort to counter Islamic State in Syria", The Washington Post, October 9, 2015. See also a DoD press release on the topic (Oct 9, 2015).

10th SFGA & 4th ID Aligned. The 10th Special Forces Group is regionally oriented with Europe and has a battalion forward deployed near Stuttgart, Germany. It's home base and group headquarters is at Fort Carson. 10th SFGA teams have worked for many years alongside European SOF training, advising, and assisting special mission units of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in Afghanistan. The 4th Infantry Division is also located at Fort Carson. Both the 10th and the 4th are now going to be aligned and operating together in Europe. Read more in "Army looks to rotating and reserve forces for Europe mission", Army Times, October 8, 2015.

Report - Female Marines a NO for SOF. "A report conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps on integrating women into all military units concluded that even the top female troops likely cannot cut it in the special operations forces . . ." See "Report finds female Marines cannot meet some standards for special operations forces", Fox News, October 7, 2015.

Discharge of Green Beret for Assaulting ALP Officer Postponed. An SFC who was scheduled for discharge from the Army is getting a 60-day reprieve. The Army has agreed to postpone the discharge in order to review the case. The SF NCO received a letter of reprimand for assaulting an Afghan police officer in 2011 who continuously raped a young Afghan boy. The letter was instrumental in a personnel action that was removing the NCO from the Army. The case has received national attention and caused a certain amount of embarrassment for the Army. Read more in "Army agrees to postpone discharge of Green Beret", The Hill, October 6, 2015.

Intel & Counterterrorism News

Victory / Defeat Not Always Final. An intelligence professional, using setbacks such as the Snowdon treachery or China's downloading of every one's SF-86, says that defeats are not always final and cites some historical examples to put us at ease. Read "Rome, Carthage, and Counterintelligence: Why No Victory or Defeat Has to Be Final", Real Clear Defense, October 2, 2015.

Internet, Cookies, and Law Enforcement. A research on computer security at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley, California explains how the National Security Agency (NSA) and law enforcement agencies can subpoena Google and others for your Internet activities. Read "Law Enforcement and the World Wide Web of Spies", Lawfare Blog, October 5, 2015.

Radicalization in Afghan Schools. "There is widespread political activism, including an extensive presence of radical activists among high school students in Afghanistan", according to a new study by Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU). Read more in "Study Finds Radicalization on the Rise in Afghan Schools", Tolo News, October 7, 2015.

Booz Allen Contract - $937 Million. Booz Allen Hamilton is receiving a huge contract for "global threat mitigation". Learn more about this 'secretive' contract. (Washington Business Journal, October 8, 2015).

Insurgents - Rational and Emotional. Thomas Zeitzoff, an Associate Professor at American University, has penned an article entitled "Calculated or Emotional? How Insurgents Are Both Rational and Ideological", Political Violence @ a Glance, October 9, 2015.

ToA - 303rd MI Bn Now in Country. The 319th MI Bn is heading home after a Transfer of Authority ceremony at Bagram Air Field.

U.S. Spy Agencies "Caught Off Guard". It is now being described as another intelligence failure - the inability to predict that Russia would "go all in" with Syria. Read "US spy agencies were 'caught off-guard' by Putin's sudden dramatic escalation in Syria", Business Insider, October 8, 2015.

Torture, CIA, and "the Dark Side". In a riveting story we learn about aspects of torture that we probably would rather not know about. Caution: graphic photos in "A Former CIA Interrogator on Death, Torture and the Dark Side", Newsweek, October 7, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

Australians Drawing Down Troop Levels. Australia has been a staunch ally of the U.S. and other NATO countries during the entire Afghan conflict. However, as with other nations, it is slowly drawing down its forces. See "Australia ends Afghan advisory mission", 9 News.com.au, October 7, 2015.

Nobel Prize for Author of Zinky Boys. Svetlana Alexievich, a Belorussian, has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Zinky Boys was published in 1990 and is based on interviews with former Soviet soldiers and their relatives. The book revealed Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan and more. Read about Alexievich in a news article by Thomas Ruttig of Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN).

Taliban Spokesman Captured? An unconfirmed rumor on Twitter says that the Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Majuahid was arrested at Hamid Karzai International Airport (hate that name). If true, it would be a big ANDSF morale boost.

Marines Stiffen Physical Requirements. The Marine Corps has increased the physical fitness requirements for 29 different occupations in anticipation of gender-neutral physical requirements. The new standards will take effect before the integration of women in many or all of the job specialties is mandated by Congress. A recent nine-month long study has prompted some of the changes. The Marine Corps experiment integrated women into combat formations and the results were monitored. Female Marines were found to ". . . sustain higher injury rates, but were also slower, fired weapons with less accuracy than men, struggled to clear walls, and sometimes failed at simulated casualty evacuations". Read more in "Marines unveil new gender-neutral standards for 29 jobs", Marine Corps Times, October 5, 2015.

Campbell Visits India. A few weeks back the top US commander in Afghanistan made a rare visit to India. I wonder what Pakistan thinks about that? Talks were held with senior Indian leadership on the country's role in the war-torn Afghanistan. I am sure that China and Pakistan were also topics. (NDTV India, Oct 9, 2015).

NATO Willing to Stick It Out. It appears that some of the NATO countries are going to stay in Afghanistan a little longer. Read more in "U.S., NATO signal willingness to slow Afghan drawdown", Reuters, October 8, 2015.

Rakkasans Return Stateside. 3rd BCT, 101st Abn Division has left Tactical Base Gamberi in eastern Afghanistan. Their 9-month long Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission is over in the TAAC-East area. They were advising the Afghan 201st Corps as well as police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan. 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division is replacing the Fort Campbell Soldiers. (Fort Campbell Courier, October 8, 2015).

Fort Stewart Troops Return Home. A few dozen 3rd Infantry Division have returned from their tour with TAAC-East. See "Fort Stewart families welcome troops home from Afghanistan", SavannahNow.com, October 9, 2015.

Afghans Leaving Home. The number of Afghan refugees streaming out of the country has increased dramatically over the past year. One observer provides us with the reasons for the departure in Hurting the Host: The Rationale of the Afghan Exodus, E-International Relations, October 8, 2015.

Cost of Leaving? Traveling from Afghanistan to Europe (if you are an Afghan) can ". . . take over three months . . ." and cost more than $5,000. The trip ". . . is one of hidden costs, shady characters, and dangerous passages across borders and waterways." Read "This is What It Costs A Migrant To Get To Europe", Radio Free Europe, October 10, 2015.

METIS Solutions - Firm Engaged in Afghan Projects. METIS Solutions, LLC announced last week that it has made the 2015 Inc. 5000 list as the 661st fastest growing company in the U.S. with a three-year growth rate of 685%. Some of the work by METIS Solutions takes place in Kabul - working with advisors in the the MoI and MoD. (PR Web, Oct 7, 2015).

TAAC-Air Guardian Angels. The threat of an insider attack has caused advisors to take extra precautions for their safety. Read more in "Extra pair of eyes: Guardian Angels support TAAC-Air mission", DVIDS, October 8, 2015.

Supply Airmen Keeps AAF C-130s Flying. The Afghan Air Force has four C-130 Hercules airplanes and members of TAAC-Air work hard to ensure they keep flying. Read more in "Supply Airmen helps keep Afghan Air Force C-130s Flying", DVIDS, October 8, 2015.

Afghan Police Officer Works in "Valley of Death". Not far from Green Village, an enclave where contractors live who support the Resolute Support mission (I lived there for several months, nice place) works an Afghan police officer with a dangerous job. Read more in "Afghan police commander faces threat of suicide bombers with guns, prayers and soda", by Peter Holley in The Washington Post, October 7, 2015.

Anatomy of an Airstrike. There are two types of airstrikes - "pre-planned" and "time-sensitive targeting". A recent news report explains the difference in detail. Read "How it Works: A U.S. Military Airstrike", Popular Mechanics, December 2011.

Gen Milley - Three Goals. General Mark Milley, the new Chief of Staff for the Army and former commander of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC), has established three goals for the force - readiness, modernization, and taking care of Soldiers. Read more in "US Army's New Chief Sets Three Goals", Defense One, October 8, 2015.

Village Context. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published a paper entitled Taking village context into account in Afghanistan, Briefing Paper 18, September 2015. It provides info on the 'good' and 'bad' elites in villages, the processes by which newly introduced organisational structures (such as the National Solidarity Programme) are incorporated into older customary arrangements, and that villages all have differing characteristics.

USAID & Licit Agriculture. Our favorite government agency provides us with a press release about how Afghan farmers are modernizing with methods and equipment. (USAID, September 2015).

NGOs and Danger in Afghanistan. The airstrike at the hospital in Kunduz killed a number of medical workers from the NGO MSF. However, medical NGOs have faced growing danger long before the MSF hosptial tragedy. (Reuters, Oct 8, 2015).

Army's Green Service Uniform. The green service uniform has been retired after 61 years of service. As of October 1, 2015 it is no longer permitted for wear. The "Green Class A's" were adopted in 1954 and brought a ". . . sharp, classic, and dignified look . . . " to Soldiers. It has since been replaced by a very ugly, dowdy, shapeless blue uniform designed for fat Soldiers so they can look good. Read more in "The end of the Green Service Uniform: 1954-2015", Army Times, October 1, 2015.

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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Kunduz Falls to Taliban for Several Days

After a series of attacks for the past several months and a month-long siege the northern provincial capital of Kunduz fell to Taliban fighters on during the last days of September. Kunduz is the fifth largest city in Afghanistan. Many government officials and employees fled to the city's airport to seek safety. The Afghan security forces fell back to the airport as well as other locations. Early reports indicated that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) abandoned their posts leaving police stations, the governor's mansion, city prison, and other installations for occupation by the Taliban.

Map of Kunduz Province (Creative Commons)

Trojan Horse Tactics. The Taliban took Kunduz using guerrilla tactics (surprise, surprise). They infiltrated the city as individuals or small groups and then massed to attack government, military, and police facilities around the city.

Prisoners Released. The Taliban liberated more than 600 prisoners - among them an estimated 100 to 150 Taliban fighters.

Areas held by Taliban. By Monday (Sep 28th) most of Kunduz fell to the Taliban to include the National Directorate of Security (NDS) office, UNAMA, city prison, and most government offices. The airport and part of a police hqs remained in government hands.

Airport. Government forces retained control of the Kunduz airport during the first few days of the fight despite Taliban efforts to take the airport. The airport was key for the arrival of government reinforcements, supplies, ammunition, and medical evacuations. It was also a go-to location for fleeing government employees and other high-risk individuals.

U.S. Airstrikes. Reports are muddled about how many U.S. airstrikes have taken place. Statements from RS HQs indicated that the airstrikes are in support of U.S. troops (SOF) on the ground. At least three if not more airstrikes were conducted.

NATO SOF. Some news reports say that U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) along with British and German SOF are involved in the fight at the airport. Most likely they are advisors attached to the 5th Special Operations Kandak (SOK) based in northern Afghanistan. Perhaps some are attached as advisors to one of the Kabul-based Afghan special mission units of the MoI.

Roads. Most roads leading into Kunduz are controlled by the Taliban and/or are mined. In a seemingly coordinated effort Taliban elements in Baghlan province were preventing convoys of Afghan security forces from reaching Kunduz from ANDSF installations near Kabul.

Counterattack. By Thursday (Oct 1) the government was claiming that Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF) had retaken the city center and clearing operations were being conducted throughout the city. In the aftermath of the battle President Ghani said he was sending a delegation to Kunduz to conduct an investigation into the four-day occupation of the provincial capital by the Taliban.

Resolute Support Re-Examines Strategy? Many critics of the Obama administration's time-phased withdrawal (as opposed to event-driven withdrawal) point out the fall of a provincial capital to the Taliban as evidence the current strategy is flawed. Perhaps they are right! The pulling off of advisors (SFAATs) from ANA brigade and kandak units was certainly too soon. ISAF (later RS HQs) proclamations that the ANDSF 'know how to fight' but need continued advise and assistance in "sustainment" in some essential functions at the ministry level are starting to sound very hollow.

Learn More about the Fight for Kunduz:

Kunduz, Afghanistan. Learn more about the fight for Kunduz.
www.afghanwarnews.info/cities/kunduz.htm

Past Afghan War News Blog Posts on Kunduz
www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com/search/label/Kunduz

Airstrike Hits MSF Hospital in Kunduz (Apparently)

The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Kunduz was apparently bombed by the U.S. Air Force on Friday causing extensive damage to the hospital, killing medical staff and patients, and setting back the Information Operations campaign of Resolute Support. The U.S. has confirmed that it carried out airstrike(s) in the vicinity of the hospital and that collateral damage may have occurred. The MSF staff says the bombing attack occurred with "devastating precision". MSF also states that they provided the geographic coordinates of their hospital to NATO and U.S. personnel on September 29th - days before the deadly bombing attack. An investigation is currently ongoing. The death toll appears to be in the teens - probably around 19 dead with many more wounded. After the attack some of the more critically injured were transported to a hospital in Puli Khumri - a two hour drive away. Read more about the attack in a press report by MSF. The U.S. Secretary of Defense issued a statement on Saturday, October 3rd.

C-130 Crash in Jalalabad

C-130J in Afghanistan (Photo by AFCENT Oct 2013)

A U.S. Air Force C-130J cargo plane crashed on very early on Friday morning in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Six crew members and five contractors died in the crash. Two Afghan civilians were killed on the ground. The Taliban have claimed credit for shooting down the aircraft (naturally); however, Resolute Support spokespeople have denied this - saying the crash is under investigation. Two of the airmen were from the 66th Security Force Squadron based at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. Four of the airmen were from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. Read more in "C-130 crash in Afghanistan was not enemy action, Air Force says", Air Force Times, October 2, 2015.

News about Afghan Air Force (AAF)

U.S. Struggles to Build AAF. Rod Nordland of the NYT details the problems the U.S. has in building the Afghan Air Force (AAF). (The New York Times, September 27, 2015).
www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/world/asia/us-is-struggling-in-its-effort-to-build-an-afghan-air-force.html

Fluff Piece on AAF? In what appears to be press copy from a Resolute Support news release we hear a very positive report on the Afghan Air Force. Read "Afghanistan's airmen on track to assume key role in war, US advisors say", Stars and Stripes, September 26, 2015.

Negative Press on MD-530s? So what do you do when folks criticize the helicopter the U.S. is buying for the Afghan Air Force? Well - issue your own press release. Read "MD refutes Afghan MD 530F criticisms", Shepard Media, October 1, 2015.

MD-530's head to Helmand. In late September 2015 the Afghan Air Force (AAF) sent some of its helicopters to the volatile southwest of Afghanistan. The MD-530 Warrior is called "Jengi" (Dari) by the Afghans. It is used for convoy escort, aerial reconnaissance, armed over-watch, and close air support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Read more in "MD-530 "Jengi" helicopters depart Kabul for first expeditionary operations in Helmand", Khaama Press, October 1, 2015.

Force Management. Two U.S. Air Force NCOs (MSgt's Neal Harris and Andrea Brown) assist the Afghans in developing their Tashkil requirements for 2016. Read "Force Management Airmen shape Afghan Air Force for fighting season 2016", DVIDS, October 2, 2016.

PC-12 Pilatus Surveillance Aircraft. This small aircraft is providing imagery using for supporting Afghan's special operations forces on the ground. The 17 Pilatus planes were bought by the U.S. for the Afghan army's special operations forces under a $218 million contract. Read more in "Small spy planes make big difference on Afghan battlefield", Stars and Stripes, September 26, 2015.

Bacha Bazi, the ANDSF, and U.S. Advisors

SFC Martland Speaks Out. SFC Charles Martland is being involuntarily separated from the Army for beating up an Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander who was raping a young Afghan boy repeatedly. Unless SecDef gets involved and reverses the decision Martland is out of the Army come November 1st. This is an issue that is not going away. Read more in "Green Beret discharged for beating alleged child rapist speaks out", CNN, September 28, 2015.

Letter of Reprimand. The then commanding general of Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A) - which is now designated as SOTF-A - wrote a letter of reprimand accusing Martland and his team leader (CPT Quinn) of "flagrant departure from the integrity, professionalism and even-tempered leadership" expected of Special Forces soldiers. No double a letter artfully crafted by the CFSOCC-A lawyer(s). See "U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies", by Joseph Goldstein, The New York Times, September 20, 2015.

Kunduz - A Problem Area for ALP. The province of Kunduz has seen its share of problems from militias - whether those supported by the National Directorate of Security (NDS), local warlords, or the U.S. sponsored and advised Afghan Local Police or ALP. Part of the current security problems of Kunduz city and the province are attributed to these militia groups and ALP that have been above the law and victimizing the local population - thus providing more support to the insurgents. The 1st Special Forces Group was providing assistance to the Afghan Local Police in Kunduz (as part of their wider Village Stability Operations program). Attempts by SFC Martland and his SF team leader to rein in the ALP backfired on them and they were kicked out of the country. Read more in "One of the best" Defenders show support for ousted Green Beret", Army Times, September 30, 2015.

Due Process? Matthew Weybrecht provides his viewpoint on the legality of two U.S. Soldiers beating up a commander of the Afghan Local Police (ALP). He seems to believe that the Soldiers received due process and got off lightly with a reprimand and not a court marital for their alleged assault. Oh Matthew . . . really? I know you got combat time and served in the Rangers (read your bio); but based on your opinion piece it is readily apparent you will make a good lawyer. Good luck with your studies at Harvard Law School! Read the article in "The U.S. Military and Due Process in Afghanistan", Lawfare, September 29, 2015.

Gen Campbell Speaks Out. The current Resolute Support (RS) mission commander, General John Campbell, has come out strongly against allegations that U.S. forces ignore (or ignored) reports of sexual abuse of young Afghan boys by Afghan police or military members. Read his response in "Gen. Campbell: Any abuse is reprehensible", USA Today, September 28, 2015. Hmmm. While there was 'no such theater policy' there was certainly widespread knowledge of "Man Love Thursday" activities among the Afghan security forces. In addition, there were varying degrees of intervention by U.S. forces from turning a blind eye to trying to fire the offending ANDSF members. However, the leverage that U.S. commanders had at the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense in regards to firing bad Afghan commanders was dismal. So, there's that . . .

CSTC-A Dividend$ Newsletter - Sep 2015

The September 2015 CSTC-A Dividend$ newsletter is out. A one-page PDF providing information on three topics. The Afghan Airfield Economic Development (AAED) conference was recently held in Dubai that highlighted opportunities for the private sector to acquire key military airbase properties and assets including Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif. CSTC-A announced in a press conference that $200 million will be spent enabling the ANDSF to transition from expensive, unreliable diesel-generated fuel to the more cost-effective electrical grid. Essential Function Three (EF3) advisors have coordinated a Mobile Training Team (MTT) through the ANA Legal School that will travel the country and target senior leaders and Corps Rule of Law trainers to promote and teach a transparent Rule of Law process. http://static.dvidshub.net/media/pubs/pdf_27038.pdf

Taliban Offensive in Northern Afghanistan

The Taliban have launched a major offensive in the past few weeks to make significant gains in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban has seized nine districts in five provinces in northern Afghanistan in the span of five days. While the world's eyes and ears are focused on the fall of Kunduz, Russians bombing the CIA's allies in Syria, Syria refugees in Europe, and elsewhere the insurgents have scored success after success in rural Afghanistan - especially in the north. Read more in "Taliban overruns another district in Afghan north", Threat Matrix, October 2, 2015.

Commentary

"Why Troops Must Stay in Afghanistan". Max Boot faults the Obama administration for a surge that lasted an insufficient amount of time and a timetable (versus event) driven approach to troop levels in Afghanistan. Read his latest in "Why Troops Must Stay in Afghanistan", Commentary Magazine, September 29, 2015.

Pakistans' Taliban Problem. After riding the Islamist militancy tiger for decades, Pakisan now has a problem. Read more in a report by C. Christine Fair in "Pakistan and the Taliban: Past as Prologue?", The Diplomat, September 30, 2015.

Women in Combat Units. One woman, Anna Simons, comes out strongly against women being fully integrated into ground combat units. Read "Ground Combat Unit's New Addition: Women?", The National Interest, September 29, 2015.

The Hard Lessons of Kunduz and Syria. Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University and former undersecretary at DoD provides her thoughts on why U.S. efforts to train and equip friendly fighters around the world so often fail. "We consistently fail to understand that other people want to pursue what they see as their interests and objectives, not ours. We go into complex foreign conflicts with a profound ignorance of history, language, and culture; as a result, we rarely understand the loyalties, commitments, and constraints of those we train.". She recommends the reading of Special Operations, ADP 3-05, August 2012. Read her article posted at Foreign Policy (October 2, 2015).

Afghanistan - Political Deadlock. The threat of an Afghan civil war increases with the continued political deadlock of the National Unity Government (NUG). The political mess has significantly contributed to the security mess - there is no appointed Minister of Defense, the Taliban have been defeating the ANDSF in Helmand, northern Afghanistan, and other locations, and there is no sign that the Afghan police are becoming less corrupt or more capable. Afghans are the second largest refugee (or migrant) group next to the Syrians. Read more in "Afghanistan: Political Deadlock Raises Threat of Civil War", Eurasia Review, September 30, 2015.

Allies Lacking the Will to Fight. Mark Thompson writes about why the U.S. military is having trouble with success in training its "partners" and surrogate forces. We can provide the equipment to the tune of billions of dollars but in an ideological battle the 'will to fight' and solving the underlying causes of the conflict are more important. Read "Why the U.S. Military Isn't Winning", Time.com, October 1, 2015.

Obama's Legacy of Afghanistan to be Tarnished. Events around the world have made a shambles of President Obama's foreign policy record. Afghanistan is one of those seemingly failed endeavors. Read more in "Obama's Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Afghanistan", by Eli Lake, Bloomberg View, October 1, 2015.

SecDef is Found . . . Lacking? The secretary of defense came into office promising to shake up the Pentagon, but the chaos in Iraq and Syria has left him mired in wars he didn't want to fight". Read more in "Ash Carter is Looking to the Future. The Mideast is Keeping Him Stuck in the Past.", Foreign Policy, October 2, 2015.

Five Ring Circus and Air Integration. An Air Force officer, Col Mike Pietrucha, with time in the seat of an F-4G and F15E, 158 combat missions, 10 combat deployments, and ground time in Iraq and Afghanistan sheds light on the ability of the U.S. Air Force to provide the air interdiction mission. Read more in "The Five-Ring Circus: How Airpower Enthusiasts Forgot About Interdiction", War on the Rocks, September 29, 2015.

U.S. "Tactically Terrific but Strategically Slipshod?" Keith Nightingale writes on how good America's forces are in tactical fights but lacking in strategic proficiency in "Why is America Tactically Terrific but Strategically Slipshod?", War on the Rocks, September 30, 2015.

Has Afghanistan Slipped into the Background? One writer feels that the world is giving Afghanistan and its many problems little focus. Read more in "Is the World Paying Attention to Afghanistan Anymore?", by Catherine Putz, The Diplomat, September 28, 2015.

Obama Doctrine a Failure? U.S. trained Syrian rebels surrender supplies and ammunition to al Qaeda-linked insurgents, U.S. trained Iraqi army is in a stalemate against the Islamic State, and the Taliban score their biggest victory since 2001. Is this a sign that the Obama doctrine of relying on local partners is not working? Read "Across arc of conflict, Obama Doctrine shows signs of failure", Reuters, September 30, 2015.

Islamic State in Afghanistan

EU Rep: Defeating ISIS in Afghanistan. Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin, the Special Representative of the European Union in Afghanistan, spells out his views on how we need to defeat the Islamic State in Afghanistan. The ISIS threat has been upgraded from 'nascent' to 'operationally emergent'. Early efforts to stem the ISIS movement (using drones, Afghan SOF, and tribal engagement) worked very effectively; however, the group has proven that it is resilient. An immediate counter-strategy is needed to counter the continued growth and development of ISIS in Afghanistan. Read more in "We got ISIS wrong in Syria, let's get it right in Afghanistan", Times Live, September 29, 2015.

IS Making Inroads. A senior State Department official said that the U.S. is concerned about the Islamic State group's efforts to establish a stronghold in Afghanistan. This follows a United Nations report stating the same. Read "Islamic State Inroads in Afghanistan Concern US", Voice of American, September 26, 2015.

SOF News

New SF Facebook Page. The U.S. Army's 1st Special Forces Command has redesigned its Facebook page. www.facebook.com/SFCommand

Harris Radio Contract for SOF. RF Communications Division of Harris Corporation has been awarded an estimated $390 million contract for tactical communications for special operations forces. (Signal, Sep 28, 2015).

U.S. Commandos Back in Pakistan . . . Quietly. Pakistan expelled U.S. Special Forces from their country over four years ago - but now (in a quiet way) the special operators have returned. From 2008 to 2011 the U.S. special operations element was under the command of SOCFWD-PAK or Special Operations Command Forward Pakistan. This unit actively trained Pakistan military elements to improve the COIN capabilities of Pakistan. Now the new organization is called SOCCENT FWD-PAK. Read more in "American Commandos Quietly Return to Pakistan", War is Boring, September 28, 2015.

CA Association Conference. Civil Affairs, at least back in my SF days, used to be an integral part of the Special Forces community (along with the Psyop folks). Somehow we let the CA bubbas slip away from us. At any rate, for those who are interested the Civil Affairs Association is holding a conference 19-22 November 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. Naturally it is along the riverwalk. I can think of a nicer place at a better time of year!

The OSS, CIA, and SF. Douglas Waller provides us with some history of how the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) morphed into the CIA and Special Forces. Read more in "How the OSS Shaped the CIA and American Special Ops", War on the Rocks, September 30, 2015.

SF Dependent Upon CF. Joshua Meservey believes that the U.S. Army Special Forces is a great force with important missions but he worries that cuts in the conventional forces will undermine the USSF's ability to do its job overseas. Read more in "Special Forces Are Great, but They Require a Strong Conventional Military to Operate", The Daily Signal, October 1, 2015.

Paper on Navy IW. A paper has been published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) entitled Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke, September 25, 2015. It is available here on the website of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) - www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22373.pdf. If you try to access from a government computer you will get spanked! If you don't know what IW is then click here.

Paper - The Gray Zone. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has released a 'White Paper' entitled The Gray Zone. "Gray zone challenges are not new. Monikers such as irregular warfare, low-intensity conflict, asymmetric warfare, Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), and Small Wars have all been employed to describe this phenomenon in the past."
www.specialforcestraining.info/docs/GrayZones-USSOCOM-WhitePaper9Sep2015.pdf

Canada's SF & War Crimes in the Dark. The conservatives in Canada, if given the chance, will increase the size of Canada's special forces - adding over 600 members to CANSOFCOM. Yves Engler of Counterpunch (Oct 2, 2015) would like you to think that is a bad thing.

Navy SEALs and Women. It appears that the Navy SEALs are ready to allow women to go through its training. The head of the Navy's special warfare units says that women are welcomed to try but that the training is tough and expectations should be managed. He also worries that outsiders will try to adjust or lower the standards in an attempt to see women pass the rigorous training. Read more in "Navy SEALs ready to open doors to women", Navy Times, September 29, 2015.

SEALs, Silencers, Covert Ops, and Breaking the Law. A senior Navy intelligence official has been indicted in a covert weapons deal. Just a guy helping a brother out. Read more in a news report in The Washington Post, October 2, 2015.

CT and Intel News

OPM Breach, the CIA, and China. According to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper the ". . . CIA pulled a number of officers from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing as a precautionary measure in the wake of the massive cybertheft of the personnel data of federal employees . . ." Essentially, anyone with a security clearance (electronic SF 86 questionaire on file) who is in government service or in the military now has duplicate records. One in the U.S. and one in China. I am still waiting on my letter from the OPM notifying me that the Chinese have my file. (Washington Post, Sep 29, 2015).

New CIA Directorate. The Central Intelligence Agency is reorganizing itself. One new addition is the Directorate of Digital Information. See "The CIA unveils a radically new org chart", The Washington Post, October 1, 2015.

How Were CIA Agents Discovered by the KGB? It appears that the personnel section of the CIA took the "easy road" when sending replacement overseas. Read more in "How to explain the KGB's amazing success identifying CIA agents in the field?", Salon, September 26, 2015.

Intel and Politics. Robert Tomes writes "On The Politicization of Intelligence" in War On the Rocks, September 29, 2015. He explores what "politicization" really is and provides us some history on the topic. http://warontherocks.com/2015/09/on-the-politicization-of-intelligence/

Leaders' Summit to Counter ISIL. The United States recently held a summit that highlighted the international community's efforts to counter ISIL, address Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs), and Counter Violent Extremism (CVE). Read a fact sheet on the summit provided to us by the White House, September 29, 2015.

Understanding & CVE in Afghanistan. "Youth recruitment into extremist groups in Afghanistan continues to be a major source of group building." A report presents findings from a three-province study on violent extremism in Afghanistan. The endeavor was undertaken by The Liaison Office, an Afghan research and peacebuilding organization. Read "Understanding and Countering Violent Extremism in Afghanistan", United States Institute of Peace (USIP), September 3, 2015.

Drones and Pilots. UAVs provide a vast amount of strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence around the world (and in Afghanistan). There is a pilot shortage for drones within the Air Force and numerous reports indicate that many are leaving the Air Force for less stressful jobs. It appears that the Air Force may start using enlisted pilots. Read more in "Enlisted drone pilots? Decision expected early next year", Air Force Times, September 28, 2015.

Security News

Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens. Media sources are reporting that Taliban fighters are mounting an offensive in Badakhshan province. U.S. citizens present in this province, including the provincial capital of Fayzabad are strongly urged to consider departing the area immediately. Overseas Security Advisory Council, U.S. Department of State, October 3, 2015.

ALP Members Injured. Six Afghan Local Police were injured during a suicide attack in northwestern Faryab province on Sunday, September 27, 2015. (Tolo News, Sep 27, 2015).

Wardoj District Taken by Taliban. While the world's eyes were on the battle for Kunduz the Taliban were busy taking another district in Badakhshan province. Badakhshan, like Kunduz province, is part of the northern Afghanistan border.

Afghan Cdr Dies in Wardak. A famed Afghan commander (not always liked by U.S. military) has died in Wardak province. Wardak province is one of the more heavily contested provinces in Afghanistan - I spent some time there in 2012-2013. Read more about this Afghan commander in "The bravest man I met in Afghanistan has died. Here's what he taught me", by Kevin Sieff, The Washington Post, October 2, 2015.

Some Above the Law? A recent news report describes a Rule of Law environment where some folks in Afghanistan feel free from the constraints of the law. Read "Charges That Some Are Above the Law in Afghanistan", Voice of America, September 30, 2015.

Major Jail Break. Several weeks back Taliban insurgents stormed a prison in central Afghanistan - Ghani - freeing hundreds of inmates. Certainly a great victory for the insurgents and a stunning setback for the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF). At least four Afghan police officers were killed and many more wounded during the attack. The insurgents detonated a vehicle bomb in front of the jail, fired rocket propelled grenades, and then six militants dressed in Afghan police uniforms entered the jail. Some reports indicate that more than 400 inmates were freed. Read more in "Taliban frees 350 inmates and kills police in Afghan jail raid", CNN, September 14, 2015.

Jurm District Under Siege. Badakhshan used to be a quiet province in years past but that has changed. Over the past four years insurgents have taken root in 12 of Badakhshan's 28 districts. Jurm is one of these districts. Read an extremely detailed account of the struggle for Jurm district in "The 2015 Insurgency in the North (2): Badakhshan's Jurm district under siege", Afghanistan Analyst Network, September 14, 2015.

Business Community Fears Kidnappings. Local businessmen in Kabul are angered by the governments inability to provide security for the city. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, September 14, 2015.

Governance News

Corruption. Sarah Chayes, a long-time resident of Afghanistan, is interviewed about her thoughts of corruption and how it ties to insurgencies and instability. Chayes entered Afghanistan shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S. as a journalist. She soon transitioned to assisting Afghan women in starting up small enterprises in the Kandahar region. She became quickly became one of the more knowledgeable westerners in Afghanistan and ended up as an advisor to more than one U.S. general officer. One of her constant themes is how the U.S. didn't get a handle on the corruption in Afghanistan. Read more in "Interview - Sarah Chayes", E-International Relations, September 30, 2015.

NUG - One Year On. The National Unity Government (NUG) had its one-year anniversary this past week. While many observers point to success others point out the many failures. The taking of Kunduz City - the capital of Kunduz province - by the Taliban was not an indicator of the ability of the NUG to provide for better security. However, one observers seems to think the glass is half full. Read Tamim Asey in "NUG One Year On: Success", Foreign Policy, September 29, 2015.

Electoral Reform. Chayanika Saxena provides us with background on the continuing drama of reforming Afghanistan's electoral process in "The Promise of Ballot: Electoral Reforms in Afghanistan", Eurasia Review, October 2, 2015.

An Afghan Hotline for Corruption. A recently established hotline set up by the Afghan civil society organization Integrity Watch Afghanistan aims to combat Afghanistan's status as the fourth most corrupt country in the world. The hotline, known as the Whistleblower, has received 7,000 calls since its inception three months ago. Over 750 of the complaints have been published anonymously on the organizations website. Read more in "Afghans Fight Corruption with a Hotline", Gandhara Blog, October 2, 2015.