Afghan War Blog

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Afghan War News Snippets

Female ANP Forced into Prostitution. There are allegations surfacing in Kabul that an Afghan security forces officer has forced female police recruits into prostitution. (ABC Net News, Nov 15, 2015).

SIGAR - Reconstruction Hurt by Corruption. The head of the U.S. Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says that reconstruction efforts are plagued by poor planning, wasteful spending, and chronic corruption. Read more in a news report (Gandhara Blog, Nov 19, 2015). See also the transcript of prepared remarks by John F. Sopko (SIGAR) from his address to the Watson Institute for International Studies (Providence, R.I.) on November 18, 2015 entitled "U.S. Challenges in Afghanistan: A Discussion with John Sopko".

Georgian Soldier Honored in U.S. Posthumously. A ceremony where a Georgian soldier was awarded the U.S. Bronze Star Medal was recently held at Fort Campbell. Private First Class Vasil Kuljanishvili died in September while serving in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission alongside the 101st Airborne Division. (Agenda.ge, Nov 19, 2015).

Georgians, BAF, and the Marines. Bagram Air Base is the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan and subject to attack by snipers, rockets, and mortars. However there are forces working at BAF dedicated to ensuring the safety of the base. Some of these forces are from the Republic of Georgia. The Georgian soldiers are assisted in their mission by U.S. Marines. Read more in a news report posted by DVIDS, Nov 18, 2015.

Germany in for Long Haul. Germany has decided to modestly increase the size of its Afghanistan contingent and to extend the deployment's mandate until the end of 2016. The number of German troops will grow to 980. Read more in a news report by Business Standard, November 19, 2015. See a news report on the same topic by Tolo News, November 18, 2015.

"DEEP" and Governance in Afghanistan. NATO sponsored some seminars that provided Afghan civil and military officials with opportunities to learn more about strategic planning and improving civil-military interaction. Learn more in an article - "Advancing governance goals in Afghanistan's defence and security sector", NATO Newsroom, November 19, 2015.

Kabul Bank Scandal - Just Won't Go Away. The Afghan government was recently embarrassed when it rolled out its "Smart City" plan for urban renewal. One of the shareholders of the project is currently serving a 15 year sentence for his part in the Kabul Bank scandal. Read more in "The Afghan Government and the Smart City Debacle: Who out-smarted whom?", Afghanistan Analysts Network, November 21, 2015.

Afghan Meteorologists Increase Capabilities. The Train, Advise, Assist Command - Air (TAAC-Air) is helping the Afghan Air Force meteorologists and weather forecasters on how to provide weather support to the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF). (DVIDS, Nov 18, 2015).

Camp Baker Closed. The Australians are slowly pulling out of Afghanistan. Camp Baker, located within the confines of Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan was the Australian Defense Forces (ADF) main logistics and support base. It was established in March 2006. Read more in "Australia closes Afghan logistics base", Shepard News, November 18, 2015.

FM 3-96, Brigade Combat Team Updated. FM 3-96 provides doctrine for the brigade combat team and describes relationships, organizational roles and functions, capabilities and limitations, and responsibilities within the BCT. Read more in the TRADOC Newsletter, November 19, 2015.

Army Divorce Rate & Relationship w/ Strippers. A new study has found that there is a correlation between Soldiers marrying pole dancers and failed marriages. Read more in "Army to Lower Divorce Rates by Training Soldiers Not to Marry Strippers", Duffel Blog, November 21, 2015..

Battle for Kunduz City. A top government official in Afghanistan recently revealed that more than 1,300 foreign fighters participated in the capture of Kunduz City in northern Afghanistan last month. Some outside observers believe that this figure may be a bit high. Read more in "Afghan Official: Over 1,300 Foreign Fighters in Kunduz Battle", Voice of America, November 15, 2015.

Guest Bloggers Wanted

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website is constantly striving to keep its blog, weekly newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. Frequency of submission is up to you. If you wrote a paper on a relevant topic and would like to share it send it to us for posting on the blog and / or the website. If I missed an important story about Afghanistan - please let me know. Send the link! And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

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Sunday, November 15, 2015

Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to the Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter. Articles are posted every Sunday morning (5:00 am EST) or early afternoon Kabul time. In addition, all blog posts are sent out via an email newsletter on Sunday am. We welcome comments, ideas for stories, contributions, and guest writers! Visit our website at www.afghanwarnews.info and follow us on Twitter at @AfghanWarBlog.

Security Force Assistance

The Pentagon's foreign military aid budget will rise for yet another year with the Senate's vote on the new version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It also passed the House of Representatives. $10 billion of that money is allocated to security assistance but because the defense budget is insulated from scrutiny there is no way to tell if the dollars are used effectively. Recent expensive and high profile failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have prompted Congress to look a little closer at the military foreign aid programs. Read more in "The Pentagon's security assistance wasteland", The Hill - Congress Blog, November 11, 2015.

TFBSO and Wasting Our Money

Just a few weeks back the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) issued a report detailing the spending of $43 million on a natural gas filling station in Afghanistan that should have cost about $500 thousand. The gas station was the brainchild of the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) - a task force focused on economic development in US war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq. During its investigation the Defense Department gave SIGAR a huge run-around. Now there are other TFBSO issues that are currently under investigation but the 'run-around game' is still being played by DoD. The Senate Judiciary Committee is not amused and has issued a letter asking DoD to comply with the requests of SIGAR. Read more in "The Pentagon's Afghan 'Slush Fund' Will Now Have to Answer to Angry Lawmakers", by Tim Fernholz, Defense One, November 11, 2015. Learn more about TFBSO - www.afghanwarnews.info/orgs/tfbso.htm

Commentary

Anxiety Grows in Afghanistan. The security situation is going downhill in Kabul and across many parts of Afghanistan. One constantly hears the drumbeat of Resolute Support Headquarters that the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) are continuing to improve their capabilities; but that feeling of optimism is not reflected in the events on the ground. Read more in "Anxiety Grows as Conditions Worsen in Afghanistan", NPR Parallels, November 10, 2015.

Video - Foreign Afghan Interior Minister. In a 90-minute video by C-Span we hear about the security situation in Afghanistan and future prospects. The speaker, Mohammad Umer Daudzai, served as President Karzai's chief of staff from 2003-2005 and 2007 to 2011. He also served as the Minister of Interior (MoI) for a period of time (2013-2014) as well as the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan and Iran.
www.c-span.org/video/?400457-1/discussion-future-afghanistan

WTO and Afghanistan. "After nearly 11 years of negotiations, Afghanistan and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have finally agreed on the country's terms of accession to the global trade body. But will this help revive the flailing economy?" Read "How joining the WTO could impact Afghanistan", Deutsche Welle, Nov 2015.

COIN and Development in FATA. Hijab Shah, a columist, has penned an article posted in Georgetown Security Studies Review, November 12, 2015, entitled "Counterinsurgency and Development in FATA: Lessons from US Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan". The Pakistani armed forces claim to have entered the decisive phase in their counterinsurgency operations against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). In order to consolidate the victory the government will need to step up its post-conflict stabilization activities in FATA.

Training for Human Domain. "This monograph offers an outline for educating U.S. and allied service personnel in fundamental human domain skills and argues against their being overlooked in favor of technical solutions.Experience from Afghanistan and Iraq has demonstrated the vital nature of understanding human terrain, with conclusions relevant far beyond counterinsurgency operations in the Islamic world." Read Training Humans for the Human Domain, by Dr. Steve Tatham and Mr. Keir Giles, Strategic Studies Institute, United States Army War College Press, 61 pages, November 2015.
www.hsdl.org/?view&did=788366

Gender Stuff and DoD. According to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) the worlds military's need to improve the way it addresses 21st century security challenges. U.S. Army I Corps recently incorporated WPS into the Talisman Sabre 2015 exercise (with Australia). Read comments on this development by Brenda Oppermann - a stability operations advisor, gender expert and human rights lawyer - in "DoD Finally Gets the Point of Women, Peace, and Security", Small Wars Journal, November 13, 2015.

New Strategy for Afghanistan Needed. Daniel L. Davis, a retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Army and now a analyst on national security, believes that the mission for Afghanistan needs to change. The focus on a military solution has not worked and will not work; we should try for a negotiated political solution to the conflict. Read more in "America Needs a New Afghanistan Strategy", The National Interest, November 10, 2015.

SOF News

More on Kunduz Hospital Attack. Information about the AC-130 aerial attack on the MSF medical facility in Kunduz City seems to be slowly coming out. New reports indicate that about 35 members of the 3rd Special Forces Group were located 1/2 mile away at the governor's compound when they came under attack by a large group of Taliban fighters during the Afghan counteroffensive to retake Kunduz City. The SF element called in air support to hit a number of Taliban positions to include suspected Taliban command and control nodes. The Afghan forces insisted that the MSF hospital was one of these command centers and urged it to be destroyed. The SF element did not know the target was a functioning hospital until the attack was over. Read more in a news report by Associated Press, November 12, 2015.

AAN Report on MSF Hospital Attack. In October 2015 a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship attacked a Doctors Without Borders medical facility during the Afghan security forces offensive to retake Kunduz City from the Taliban. The Afghanistan Analyst Network (AAN) provides their perspective on what happened to cause 30 medical providers and patients to die. Read "MSF Investigation: US hospital strike looking more like a war crime", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), by Kate Clark, November 10, 2015.

Delta Force. One of the U.S. Army's most specialized units has had many names. "Delta", "Combat Application Group (CAG)", "The Unit", "Army Compartmented Element (ACE)", etc. Delta is one of the most effective counterterrorism units in the world. Read more in "Delta Force: Speed, Surprise and Violence of Action", Newsweek, November 8, 2015.

Video of BG Bolduc - Cdr SOCAfrica. BG Bolduc provides his perspective on the new era of special operations at "The Age of Everything" - Defense One Summit 2015.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY4THCpv75g

Project Diane. A University of Kansas study examines gender integration of Army Special Forces. The ". . . researchers recommend interventions to overcome barriers in policy implementation and daily operations". Reminds of the old days when we had to endure classes on "Consideration of Others" (COO). Oh my. (KU, Nov 10, 2015).

Estonia Special Forces Selection - Video. A short (90 secs) video details the selection process fo the Estonian Special Forces. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8-rVID-u04

Ukrainian SF Fight On With Limited Trng & Supplies. Ukraine's Special Forces are still heavily engaged in countering the proxie forces of Russia in the eastern part of the country. However the SF units are hampered in their fight. Read more in "Ukrainian Special Forces Fight On Despite Lack of Training and Supplies", Task & Purpose, November 13, 2015.

Gulf Allies Need SOF More than 'Fancy' Jets. "In an interview, the U.S. defense secretary says that America's Arab allies need fewer high-end fighter jets and more training of ground forces and special-operations troops." The real threat to Middle East security is not from nations states and their large armies but from the hybrid warfare conducted by Iran and other nations - a type of warfare that requires SOF forces to defeat. Read more in a news report by Defense One, November 6, 2015.

Intelligence News

National Cryptologic School. Where does the National Security Agency (NSA) get its trained cryptologists? They recruit and then train them. Learn more in "The NSA school: How the intelligence community gets smarter, secretly", The Washington Post, November 9, 2015.

"Red wine with fish - well that should've told me something". Learn the secret ways of how spies enjoy their beverages in "Bond on Drinking", Molotov Cocktail - War on the Rocks, November 13, 2015.

Drones and Terrorists. The United States launched an airstrike last week that may have killed an ISIS terrorist known as "Jihadi John". The U.S. has relied heavily on using remotely piloted aircraft or drones to target terrorists over the past decade and more. Read a history of the more significant drone strikes in "Terror Suspects are Frequent Targets of U.S. Drones", NBC News, November 14, 2015.

Spying Among Friends? In the spring of 2014 a colleague of mine and I were in the office of a German general in Mazar-e-Sharif having a discussion about training up the ANA of 201st Corps. At the conclusion of the meeting, just after making a reference to recent revelations that the NSA was spying on German leaders to include Chancellor Angela Merkel, the German said that he wished to continue our meetings in the future. We left the meeting with that 'chilly message'. Now it appears that the U.S. is not the only nation collecting on their allies. Read more in "Spying on Friends: Germany's BND Scandal Puts Snowden Leaks in Context", World Politics Review, November 11, 2015.

Honey Traps and Norwegians. "Norwegian police are warning that an increasing number of Norwegian politicians and businessmen have been the targets of Russian intelligence "honey traps" involving sex and alcohol . . .: (Business Insider, Nov 12, 2015).

CIA Bank Mystery - Nugan Hand. The co-founder of a mysterious bank with ties to drugs, thugs, and Langley was recently discovered in Idaho - decades after he disappeared. The former Green Beret and CIA operative, now with a new identity, claims he has done nothing wrong. Read more in "The Ghosts of Nugan Hand: A New Chapter in a Long-Running CIA Bank Mystery", Newsweek, November 12, 2015.

CTF - Intel on Taliban Financing. Estimates of the annual budget of the Taliban range from $500 million to $2 billion per year. Much of this money comes from the drug trade. One writer, Joseph V. Micallef, says to shut down the Taliban we should 'follow the money'. Read more in "How the Taliban Gets Its Cash", The World Post, November 14, 2015.

Socio-Cultural Intelligence. Robert R. Tornes, an adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University, has wrote a 16-page paper entitled "Socio-Cultural Intelligence and National Security", Parameters, Summer 2015, pages 61-76, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army.

ICC Reports Use of Torture by ISAF. The International Criminal Court (ICC) stated that there is evidence to indicate that NATO-led international security forces in Afghanistan tortured prisoners. (Time.com, Nov 13, 2015).

Security News

"Security will Improve". If GIRoA says it often and loud enough then it will happen. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) is stating that security will improve in a month. (Well, of course it will as the snow will begin accumulating in the mountain passes and the pace of the fighting season always slows in winter). According to GIRoA eight districts are being controlled by the Taliban. Ummm, . . . that number is really, really low. (Tolo News, Nov 11, 2015). I guess it depends on what you mean by control of the district.

Sangin District at Risk . . . Again. The never-ending fight for the control of Sangin district in Helmand province continues. 65 ANA soldiers defected to the Taliban with their weapons this past week. The provincial governor (PGov) recently blamed insecurity in the province on negligence by the ANA. (Pajhwok Afghan News, Nov 14, 2015).

Afghanistan Dangerous for Aid Workers. Afghanistan is considered the most dangerous country in the world for aid workers according to the Humanitarian Outcomes research group. (Yahoo! News, Nov 6, 2015).

October Deadliest Month. According to statistics offered by Tolo News October was the deadliest month so far this year based on figures from the MoD and MoI.

Taliban Hate that Afghanistan is a Better Place. Saad Mohseni says that Afghanistan is a better place since the fall of the Taliban regime. (The Wall Street Journal, Nov 12, 2015).

NRC Vehicle Damaged. A Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) vehicle was damaged by a roadside bomb in Jalalabad on Sunday, November 8th. Two local NRC staff members were in the vehicle but were not injured.

Cell Phone Coverage Interrupted in Helmand. For years the Taliban have dictated operating times or total shutdowns of cell phone services in various parts of Afghanistan. In some cases the cell phone companies were 'encouraged' to pay 'taxes' (we call that extortion) in order to continue to operate. Recent reports say that Roshan, MTN, AWCC and Eitisalat have been forced to shut down their mobile services in Helmand province.

Kundoz-Baghlan Highway Closed. The highway connecting Kabul with several provinces was closed for almost a week during daytime hours. Protesters have been erecting barricades. Read more in "Closure of Kundoz-Baghlan highway enters fifth day", Khaama Press, November 9, 2015.

Child Soldiers in Afghanistan. A great percentage of the Afghan population is under 18 years. There are reports that some of these children are serving in the Afghan National Police (ANP). Read more in "Child Soldiers: a tool to sustain power in the Afghan war", Khaama Press, November 14, 2015.

"Black on White Attacks". Colors play an important role in warfare. In 'mapology' depicting enemy forces in red and friendly forces in blue helped visualize the 'order of battle'. In Afghanistan green denotes the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) and blue Coalition forces. When we had the spike of insider attacks it was referred to as 'green on blue' events. When ANDSF attacked each other it was referred to as 'green on green'. Now when we see ISIS attacking the Taliban (as in recent clashes in Zabul and Nangarhar) we refer to them as 'black on white'. Guess it has something to do with the flags / banners.

Taliban Factional Fighting in Zabul. Rival Taliban factions have been duking it out in Zabul province. The fighting is currently concentrated in three remote districts of southern Zabul - Arghandab, Khak-e Afghan, and Dai Chopan. The breakaway Taliban faction is led by Mullah Mohammad Rasul and they are opposing the main Taliban faction headed by Akhtar Mohammad Mansur (who succeeded Mullah Omar). The Rasool faction is going by the name of High Council of Afghanistan Islamic Emirate. Some reports indicate that Rasul's faction has been working with local supporters of the Islamic State. Deaths from the fighting are said to number in the high 80s. Read more in "Islamic State Joins Taliban Factional Fighting", Gandhara Blog / Radio Free Europe, November 9, 2015.

Mullah Mansoor Dadullah Killed? Some initial reports on Thursday indicated that the leader of the breakaway Taliban group based in Zabul was dead.

Police Rob Citizens during Highway Stops. The Afghan police who stop and check vehicles are often more concerned with extorting bribes than in heading off insurgent attacks. Read more in "Afghan Police Accused of Highway Abuses", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, November 2015.

Passengers Beheaded. Seven travelers who were abducted a few weeks back have been beheaded (although perhaps just their throats cut) - including three women and a young girl in Arghandab district, Zabul province. The Hazara hostages were killed by self-styled ISIS militants. A national level protest was held and demonstration outside the Afghan palace walls for the 'Zabul Seven'. Reports indicate that Mullah Mansur-led Taliban executed the eight ISIS militants on Sunday (8 Nov) who beheaded the seven Hazara's. (Afghanistan Analysts Network, Nov 12, 2015).

Information Operations (IO)

Why Include IO in the AWN Newsletter? In a counterinsurgency - which is what the Afghan government, Afghan security forces and coalition 'advisors' are engaged in - there are four main lines of effort that need resources, time, energy, money, and personnel: Security, Governance, Development and Information Operations. During our time in Vietnam the U.S. military hardly ever lost a tactical battle . . . yet we lost the war in the arena of public opinion. One just has to look at how the story on the U.S. air strike on the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical facility in Kunduz City has taken over the headlines (at the expense of more positive news - such as the ANDSF successful counterattack in retaking the city from the Taliban) to appreciate the power of the media in a conflict. So . . . in the interests of 'educating the counterinsurgent' engaged in the fight in Afghanistan various news articles and resources on IO are included within this newsletter and posted on the blog.

ISIS Winning the Narrative? Is the Islamic State beating the U.S. and other western nations in the 'Battle of the Internet"? One writer does not think so. Read "ISIS Is Not Winning the War of Ideas", The Atlantic, November 11, 2015.

Reviving the USIA? Do we need to bring back the United States Information Agency? One writer, Matthew Armstrong, says "No"! Read "No, We Do Not Need to Revive the U.S. Information Agency", War on the Rocks, November 12, 2015.

Social Media and Kidnapping. "Technological advances have transformed the dynamics of crime, including kidnapping and extortion." Social media has provided criminals and terrorists with a whole new pool of victims and sources of exploitable information. Read more in "Use of Social Media in Kidnapping and Extortion", KR Magazine, October 2, 2015.

ISIS Recruiting Online? How does ISIS acquire new recruits online and convince them to take action? See "How Terrorists recruit online (and how to stop it)", Brookings.edu, November 9, 2015.

Pentagon Tightening Up on Email Utility. Everyone who ever had an Army Knowledge Online (AKO) account can understand the pain of the Army's bureaucracy. Just when you thought the government couldn't make itself less efficient and less user-friendly we get the news that links will no longer be tolerated in emails. Read "Pentagon purges HTML from .mil emails", FCW, November 12, 2015.

Social Media Specialist wanted for Resolute Support HQs. Want to be a troll? Can you spin the truth? Do you enjoy following Twitter (follow me on @AfghanWarBlog). Feel like living on a postage stamp sized post in the middle of Kabul with thousands of other Europeans? Can you do better than these guys - https://twitter.com/ResoluteSupport? Apply at the link below:
www.jobs.af/afghanistan/41141/social-media-specialist

The Life of a Troll Magnet. The story of a Finnish investigative journalist who brought the wrath of the Russian social media troll army upon herself. "My Year as a Pro-Russia Troll Magnet", Kioski, November 9, 2015.

Afghan Interpreters Betrayed

Interpreters Betrayed. When American troops conducted combat operations in Afghanistan their link to the Afghan population was the Afghan interpreter. The past few years - in the time of the 'train, advise, and assist mission' - the American advisors link to the Afghan security forces is the Afghan interpreter. However, with the huge drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan many of the interpreter were soon unemployed and . . . even worse . . . subject to persecution by the Taliban. Many former interpreters hope to find safety in the countries of the Soldier they served with but there are some bureaucratic obstacles that stand in the way. Read more in "The Long, Slow Betrayal of America's Interpreters", War is Boring, November 9, 2015.

Some Help Available. The U.S. has expanded a special immigrant visa program - a provision in the 2016 defense authorization bill would further expand the number of SIVs for Afghan interpreters to 7,000 a year, up from 4,000. One organization, called No One Left Behind, is helping out the interpreters. Read more in "Some struggling Afghan, Iraqi interpreters get help from charity", Military Times, November 14, 2015. Visit www.nooneleft.org

Corruption

Update on Kabul Bank Scandal. It appears that common sense is prevailing - President Ghani has negated the land development agreement between 'bank swindler' Khalilullah Frozi (convicted and sentenced to 15 years) and the Ministry of Urban Development (MUD) for the creation of a "Smart City Township" in Kabul. One really has to wonder where the MUD was coming from - is corruption so ingrained in the Afghan government that MUD thought this was a good idea? Ummm, yes, it its. Read more in "Afghan President Calls off Business Deal With Banker Convicted of Fraud", The New York Times, November 7, 2015.

"King of Corruption" Launches Hamid Karzai Foundation. Because he didn't steal enough money already - you can never have two many villas in Dubai - former President Karzai has founded a welfare foundation to assist youth in the education sector and provide more opportunities both in the country and abroad. Read more in "Hamid Karzai Foundation Launched", Khaama Press, November 7, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

MEC Releases Statement on Foreign Assistance. The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) released its Review of Selected Foreign-Assistance Programs implemented in Afghanistan. MEC examined a number of projects ranging from road construction to health care services and has formulated some recommendations for some best practices in implementing foreign aid programs. Read the news release by MEC, November 8, 2015. The full report can be read here.

NATO and Afghanistan - Pondering. The recent fall of Kunduz City and the Taliban resurgence across northern Afghanistan and Helmand province has NATO member nations concerned. Read more in "NATO ponders future of Afghan mission as fatigue, frustration mount", Reuters, November 8, 2015.

Medal of Honor Received by Army Captain. CPT Florent Groberg confronted a suicide bomber in Regional Command East in August 2012. Four Americans would die in the attack, but because of the CPT's brave actions, many were saved. (The Washington Post, Nov 12, 2015).

Black Widows Now at Bagram. Some F16s are now at Bagram Airfield with the intention of giving the Taliban some nightmares. Or at least that is what the Air Force Times headline says in a recent news report (November 9, 2015).

Afghanistan in 2015: A Survey of the Afghan People. This annual survey will be available on November 17th for download courtesy of The Asia Foundation. http://asiafoundation.org/afghansurvey/

Reaper Madness. Here's another 'anti-drone' news report regurgitating yet another 'anti-drone' report. No surprise here - "Reaper Madness: Obama's Whack-a-Mole Killing Machine", Counterpunch, November 9, 2015.

M9 - Useful, Vanity or Just More Convenient? A short article providing one man's perspective on the pistol carried by Soldiers. Some say it is not very useful and more of a vanity weapon. Others say it is more convenient on FOBs where everyone has to carry a weapon. It is certainly easier going to the dining facility with a pistol rather than the M16. For those folks advising the Afghan National Security Forces during the summer of 2012 it was a good force protection weapon inside buildings and during meetings in light of the insider attacks that were occurring. Read more in "Army Culture: The M9 as Vanity Weapon", Carryingthegun.com, August 20, 2014.

LT Hurst at Resolute Support HQs. One Soldier describes his job as providing ". . . everything from bullets to body armor". Read about the 'go-to guy' at RS HQs in Kabul. (Providence Journal, Nov 11, 2015).

Marine Describes Job & Life at RS HQs Camp. He works as an advisor to the Afghan Local Police Special Operations Advisory Group in developing ALP officers throughout the country. (Santa Clara Weekly, Nov 2015).

Former BG Advisor to 201st Corps Fired. LTG Ron Lewis, an aide to SecDef Carter was fired from his job on Thursday. Lewis had served (when a BG) as the principal advisor to the commander of 201st Corps in RC East (now TAAC-East). (Military Times, Nov 12, 2015).

Kinetic Strikes via UAVs. A writer, Scott N. Romaniuk, examines the use of drones for surveillance and targeting killings (TK) in CT and COIN environments. Read "Targeted Killings, Drones, and the Myth of Precision", Geopolitical Monitor, November 8, 2015.

War Story Afghanistan - A Canadian Documentary Series. Learn more about Canada's contribution to the fight in Central Asia. (Radio Canada International, November 8, 2015).

Heroin Crisis in the States. Afghanistan provides 90% of the opium needed to make heroin. A recent paper by RAND Corporation provides some info on the epidemic and what can be done in Afghanistan to stem the flow of drugs. Read "Opioid Rising: How to Stop the World's Growing Heroin Crisis", RAND Corporation, October 20, 2015.

Russia Assists in Diplomatic Training. The embassy of the Russian Federation in Kabul launched a scholarship programme for the diplomatic staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Ten diplomats will attend a two-week long training program in Moscow the latter part of November. (Khaama Press, Nov 12, 2015).

Can Diplomacy Work? The anticipated drop in fighting expected with the winter season has prompted international and regional partners to once again encourage a revival of Afghan peace talks. Read more in "Afghanistan Stakeholders Push Diplomacy", Voice of America, November 13, 2015.

An Advisor in Kunar Province. An Army officer, Andrew Plucker, recounts his time as an advisor to an ANA brigade in a dangerous part of Afghanistan. Read "Two officers, two nations, one mission", USC News, November 11, 2015.

JCLIS. The Fall 2015 issue of the Journal of Culture, Language and International Security (JCLIS) is now available online. In this special issue the writers take a hard look at the DoD's Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) program. Posted by the Institute for the Study of Culture and Language, Norwich University. http://iscl.norwich.edu/special-issue

Afghans Leaving? Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has penned a piece detailing the ongoing departure of Afghans for Europe. Read "An 'Afghan Exodus': Facts, figures, trends", AAN, November 14, 2015.

AREU Paper on Kandahar Economy. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit has published a paper (Nov 15) on the Kandahar economy since 9/11.

Lithuania May Up Troop Level. Currently the plan for Lithuania troop levels in 2017 is for 20 personnel. However, that may be raised to 50. They would work in the areas of logistics, communications, and staff in the Kabul area. Read more in "Lithuania to increase troops in Afghanistan", The Baltic Times, November 9, 2015.

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Sunday, November 8, 2015

Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to the Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter. Articles are posted every Sunday morning (5:00 am EST) or early afternoon Kabul time. In addition, all blog posts are are sent out via an emailed newsletter at the same time. We welcome comments, ideas for stories, contributions, and guest writers! Visit our website at www.afghanwarnews.info and follow us on Twitter at @AfghanWarBlog.

Commentary

RAND Paper on Security Cooperation. Christopher Paul (of RAND) has published a transcript entitled What Works Best When Conducting Security Cooperation?, CT-441, October 2015. The pub is the testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee on October 21, 2015. Some important points outlined for the committee include aligning "with partner nation security forces' baseline capabilities and their ability to absorb training and technology", "relationships matter, and they can take time to establish", "characteristics or features of partners improve prospects for security cooperation success", and "consistency and sustainment are key".

Russia Revisits Afghanistan? Recent security reverses in Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban, large swathes of terrain in northern Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban, and other factors have Central Asian states and Russia deeply concerned. Khyber Sarban explores this in depth in his article entitled "Russia in Afghanistan: Past as Prologue?", The Diplomat, November 4, 2015.

The 'Forever War'. Ann Jones, book writer, columnist, feminist, and former Afghan expat writes about the hopeless situation in Afghanistan in "Afghanistan 'After' the American War", Huffington Post Blog, November 5, 2015.

A Tale of Two Afghan Armies. Lemar Alexander Farhad examines the performance of the former Afghan Communist Army with today's Afghan National Army using two decisive incidents. The Battles of Jalalabad 1989 and Kunduz 2015 illustrate the comparative capabilities of the two Afghan armies. The author also explores the ANA's motivational belief system, what motivates them (nationalism vs. ethnic / tribal affiliation), and lack of will to fight. Read the report in Small Wars Journal, November 3, 2015.

What Should U.S. Do in Afghanistan? The decision by Obama to stop the flow of U.S. troops out of Afghanistan allowing them to continue the Counterterrorism and Train, Advise, and Assist mission at current troop levels is an important step to halting to slide into deepening instability in that country. However, that is not enough. More needs to be done on the political front. 1) improve the constitutional process and fix the problems generated by the NUG, 2) help reform the electoral processes, 3) help in building the relationship between the central government in Kabul and the re-emergence of sub-national power brokers, and 4) assist in the negotiations with the Taliban. At least, that is what Rebecca Zimmerman of the RAND Corporation thinks has to happen. Read her article in "Saving Afghanistan: More Than Just Troops", War on the Rocks, November 5, 2015.

Lessons from Afghanistan. Janine Davidson, a Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, is interviewed about Iraq and Afghanistan. Read (or listen to the podcast) in "Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan: Facing Future Defense Challenges", Council on Foreign Relations, November 4, 2015.

Political Centralization in Afghanistan. Ahmad Murid Partaw writes about the costs of political centralization in Afghanistan and how the highly-centralized political system has deepened the country's problems. (Foreign Policy Journal, Nov 4, 2015).

Ashraf Haidari on US-Iran Nuclear Deal & Afghanistan. Haidari, a former high-level Afghan national security official, provides his view that the JCPOA is a win-win situation for the Middle East and believes that similar negotiation efforts concerning Afghanistan will be of great benefit in the future. Read "Afghanistan after the US-Iran nuclear deal", Observer Research Foundation (ORF), November 4, 2015.

The U.S. Military's Broke Personnel System. One need only look at how the U.S. Army and other services assigned personnel to work at the Afghan Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense as advisors to realize that the military's personnel system is very broke. Air Force Colonels were assigned as advisors to the MoD's Ground Force Command (GFC), Navy logistics officers to advise ANCOP kandaks, and a reserve logistics Navy officer (06) who specialized in computer software in her civilian occupation was assigned as the principal advisor to the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF). But the problem is much bigger than that and it is resulting in the loss of valuable people. Read more in "Can the U.S. Military Halt its Brain Drain?", The Atlantic, November 5, 2015.

Millennium Challenge (MC-02) - a Lesson in Red Teaming. Shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan and less than a year prior to the invasion of Iraq the U.S. military conducted one of the largest and most integrated military exercise ever - Millennium Challenge. The exercise was to be transformational - introducing concepts such as Effects Based Operations (EBO) and other advanced ways of thinking about military operations. The exercise was deemed a success or failure (depending on who you listened to). Read more in "Millennium Challenge: The Real Story of a Corrupted Military Exercise and Its Legacy", by Micah Zenko, War on the Rocks, November 5, 2015. On a related note, the Center for Strategic Leadership Newsletter (Carlisle Barracks, PA) has a number of articles about conflict simulation and wargaming.

Rumi Spice - Helping Out Afghan Farmers

A small group of Afghan War veterans attending school at Harvard University got together and formed an import company called Rumi Spice. The small firm imports saffron - a very expensive exotic spice grown in Afghanistan. The fair-trade business may well be a boon to Afghan farmers who will sometimes grow poppy for its high cash value. Ventures like these are what are needed to take Afghanistan out of its never-ending cycle of poverty and provide a more robust economic environment for young people that would otherwise be attracted to insurgent groups by ideology or pay. Read more in "A Lucrative Crop - It's Not Opium Poppies - May Help Afghanistan's Farmers", Take Part, November 3, 2015. Visit the website of Rumi Spice at: www.rumispice.com

Insecurity & Human Rights in Central Asia

Post-Kerry Visit Analysis. The Secretary of State's five-country tour of Central Asia was big news - just the fact that it happened. Central Asia has been getting a lot of attention from leaders of very important nations to include Japan, India, China and others - but thus far the U.S. has not had a very prominent presence. With the withdrawal from Afghanistan the U.S. focus on Central Asia has diminished. So has the U.S.'s mentioning of the State Department's New Silk Road Strategy (NSRS). So what was accomplished? Probably not much. Read more in "As Kerry Leaves, What's Next for U.S. in Central Asia?", The Bug Pit, Eurasia.net, November 4, 2015.

Central Asia's Human Dimension? Kerry's visit with the dictators of Central Asia begs the question - Why? The nations located north of Afghanistan have a poor reputation when it comes to human rights. The Secretary of State broke new ground when he 'diplomatically' used the words 'human dimension' in place of 'human rights'. Read more in "Lost in Central Asia's 'Human Dimension'", Freedom House, November 4, 2015.

John Kerry and Uzbekistan. The Secretary of State is visiting five Central Asian nations in an effort to bolster the U.S. image in those countries, gain support for U.S. initiatives in the area (New Silk Road), ask for continued support for the Afghan regime, and (in private) raise concerns about human rights. Read more in "John Kerry is Cautious on Human Rights During Uzbekistan Visit", The New York Times, November 1, 2015.

Turkmenistan's Afghan Policy. It's hard to be neutral in the midst of a war along your border. This is true with Turkmenistan as it looks in a southerly direction across its border. Read more in "Turkmenistan's Afghan Policy Revealed", Qishloq Ovozi Blog (Radio Free Europe), October 27, 2015.

Tajikistan Worried? - Not so Much. Analysts run the range of 'highly concerned' to 'not very' when it comes to evaluating the threat from Afghan insurgent groups crossing the border going north. Read "Tajikistan Brushes off Talk of Islamic State at the Border", Inside the Cocoon - Central Asia Today, November 6, 2015.

Traveling Along the Pamir Highway. High above the clouds in an area of the world where the borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China meet is a stretch of mountains both beautiful and remote. Read more in "The Pamir Highway: Adventures on the border of Afghanistan", News.com.au, November 5, 2015.

Preparing for Chaos. The capture of Kunduz City by the Taliban sent Central Asia into the worry mode. 7,000 Afghan security force members fled to the airport to the south of the city when confronted with 500 Taliban fighters. So Central Asia has good reason to be concerned. Read more in "Central Asia Prepares for Chaos from Afghanistan", Silk Road Reporters, November 6, 2015.

Central Asia after Afghanistan. Jeffrey Mankoff writes on how the war in Afghanistan has been both a boon and curse for neighboring Central Asia. Read more in "The Integrate Game: Central Asia After Afghanistan", World Politics Review (WPR), November 3, 2015.

SOF News

Green Beret Officer Retires After Cleared of Wrongdoing. A decorated Special Forces officer who was investigated by the Army for whistleblowing to Congress about the government's broke hostage-recovery process has retired from the U.S. Army. His retirement was held up by the Army while an ill-advised months-long investigation ensued. The investigation, a warrant-less and inane act of bureaucracy, finally cleared LTC Jason Armerine of wrongdoing. Armerine and his 12-man Special Forces team linked up with Hamid Karzai in the fall of 2001, defeated a number of Taliban formations in the field, and entered Kandahar as liberators. Three members of the operational detachment were killed during this timeframe. Karzai later became President of Afghanistan. Read more in "Green Beret investigated for whistleblowing retires", Army Times, November 2015.

50 SF Soldiers Heading to Syria as Advisors - but "It's not Combat"! Some U.S. special operations troops are going to be coordinating local fighter movements with U.S.-led coalition efforts against Islamic State militants. They will assist local Syrian forces (Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen fighters) in tactics, operational planning, and logistics. They probably will assist in controlling air support as well. But this is not "combat". Hmmm. Red more in "White House: No Combat Missions for US Troops in Syria", Voice of America, November 2, 2015.

Drones Continue Advisory Mission in Syria. US officials remain adamant that the increase of operations and air support in Syria do not indicate a change in US policy. White House Press Secretary Josh Ernest was emphatic when he said our ". . . drones are serving in a non-combat role". Read more in "Drones in Syria 'Serving Strictly in an Advisory Role'", Duffel Blog, November 2, 2015.

Failed SF Training Program for Syrian Moderates Cost $2 Million per Trainee. While the price tag may be an exaggeration certainly the program was not a success. Read more in "Pentagon's failed Syria program cost $2 million per trainee", USA Today, November 5, 2015.

Retired SF LTC Comments on Syria Mission. In a guest commentary to The Denver Post, Mitch Utterback tells us the difference that 50 Green Berets on the ground in Syria can make. Read "Don't underestimate the power of U.S. special operations", November 2, 2015.

SF Working "Coffee Breath Close". An example of "advise and assist" going right can be found in the effort by SOCAfrica to reduce the threat from African warlord Joseph Kony. His force of 3,000 has been whittled down to about 200 hardcore fighters. Read more in "What the Syrian Train-and-Equip Effort Could Learn from US Ops in Africa", Defense One, November 2, 2015.

9th Commando Kandak Facility Under Construction. Versar, Inc. has received a $17 million construction contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support construction projects in Afghanistan. (UPI, Nov 3, 2015).

7th SFGA Memorial Wall. On Friday, Nov 6th 7th SFGA had a groundbreaking for the 7th SFGA Memorial Wall. (Stars & Stripes, Nov 6, 2015).

General Votel Interview. The commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in Tampa, Florida is interviewed. (KSTP.com, Nov 1, 2015.

JSOU Reading Lists. The Joint Special Operations University Library has posted their "Professional Military Reading Lists" for 2016; including the USSOCOM Cdr's favorites. Also, see AWN's reading lists for Afghanistan.
http://jsou.libguides.com/readinglists
www.afghanwarnews.info/afghan-reading-list.htm

SOCOM Looks to Techno Future. The US Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida is always exploring new high tech ways of conducting special operations. Read more in "Socoms 'hackatohon' opens process of creating high-tech commando gear", The Tampa Tribune, November 4, 2015.

Cash Bonus for SOF NCOs. Special Forces Senior NCOs with a high DLPT score are now eligible for bonuses (CSRB) of up to $150K if they re-enlist from 24 to 73 months. Check out the pay graph with details at Military Times.

MSF Report on Hospital Attack. When SOF operators, supporting ANA SOF in the fight to retake Kunduz city, called in air support from an AC-130 on a hospital in Kunduz over 33 people were killed including many members of the medical staff of "Doctors Without Borders". MSF has published its Initial MSF Internal Review about the attack on the MSF Kunduz Trauma Center. http://kunduz.msf.org Meanwhile, The Daily Beast has published an article on the incident - "Pentagon MIA on Afghan Doctors Without Borders Hospital Attack", November 3, 2015. Read also "U.S. Airstrikes in Kunduz destroyed more than a hospital", The Washington Post, November 4, 2015.

Book Review - The Lion of Sabray. An illiterate former Mujahedeen leader helped a survivor of a four-man SEAL reconnaissance element chased down by the Taliban. Lone Survivor is a book about Marcus Luttrell - a SEAL assisted by an Afghan villager. The Lion of Sabray is the story of the villager that helped Luttrell. Read a review of the book in a news story posted on Hampton Roads.com, November 1, 2015.

Counterterrorism

CT - Rhetoric vs. Reality. Anthony H. Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), provides us his thoughts on the difficulty of defining who is a terrorist and the conflict between defeating terrorism and observing human rights. He explores the relative ease in which a nation will declare itself against terrorism yet use non-state actors (terrorist groups) as proxies and tools to advance their national interests. He also suggests that institutions dealing with cooperation in dealing with terrorism focus largely on counterterrorism and not only dealing with the causes of terrorism. Read his paper Cooperation in Counterterrorism: Rhetoric vs. Reality, CSIS, October 20, 2015.

Hunter Killer - New Book. A retired Air Force drone pilot has penned a new book about drones. He was one of the original drone pilots and wrote the tactical manual for the predator and piloted drones from 2003 to 2012. Read more in "The Details of Drones, From a Pilot Who Flew Them", National Public Radio, November 5, 2015.

Toy UAV's Sold to Army. A Florida firm is under investigation for selling an inferior UAV - the Maveric Microdrone - to the Army at $240,000 per system. However, commercially available drones that are very similar are available on Amazon.com at a fraction of the price. Read "Drone Company Misled Military Into Buying UAVs That Were Basically Toys", War is Boring, November 6, 2015.

9th Annual Terrorism Conference. The Jamestown Foundation will host the Ninth Annual Terrorism Conference. The theme of this conference is "The War in Syria, Islamic State, and the Changing Landscape of Asymmetric Threats". Tuesday, December 8, 2015, Washington, D.C. View a comprehensive listing of security and defense conferences and exhibitions for the coming months at www.securityinfonet.com/Security_Conferences_and_Seminars.htm

Intelligence News

Corporate Espionage and Drones. Have you ever operated a Raven UAV? (See photo of Raven at left). You may have new job possibilities in after your hitch in the Army in corporate spying. In a look to the future one writer imagines small private drones flying by corporate headquarters capturing writing on whiteboards in corporate boardrooms recording secrets via camera. Far fetched? Read "The corporate espionage that flies below the radar", C4ISR & Networks, October 26, 2015.

Book Review - The Billion Dollar Spy. David E. Hoffman has penned a true story of cold war espionage and betrayal. His book is reviewed by Benjamin Wittes. Read the review in "A True Cold War Spy Thriller with Contemporary Relevance", Lawfare Blog, October 27, 2015.

British Officer to be Dep Dir of DoD Intel Agency. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has chosen Air Vice Marshal Sean Corbett of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) as a deputy director. Read more in a news report by The Atlantic Council, November 2, 2015.

Big Data Intelligence Symposium. On November 17-18, 2015 the Defense Strategies Institute will host a symposium for intelligence professions. http://dsigroup.org/big-data-symposium-registration/

AF Awards DCGS Training Contract. Aptima has been awarded a $12 million contract to develop a weapons trainer for the Air Forces's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS). (C4ISR & Networks, Oct 30, 2015).

New 007 Movie - Spectre. Daniel Craig's fourth Bond film has been released. Should be an exciting movie for all those Intel geeks out there. However, indications are that Craig will do one more Bond film and then he is finished with the 007 character. There are many who wonder who can replace him. Some in the New England (USA) area have their favorite guy in mind. Read "7 Reasons Tom Brady should be the next James Bond", Patriots.com, November 6, 2015.

193 James Bond Gadgets. Great 15 min video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGCGWb6nt_c

NGA Has New Commercial GEOINT Strategy. "The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is targeting private industry's capabilities in imagery and big data analytics as part of a broader, new commercial strategy in the GEOINT field. (C4ISR & Networks, Oct 29, 2015).

Not So Intelligent. A Soldier attempted to enter Fort Bragg dressed as a suicide bomber, complete with a fake explosive vest (it's a Halloween thing I guess). Needless to say - it caused a bit of a stir at the entry gate. (Army Times, Nov 2, 2015).

OPM Breach, Security Clearances, and Jobs. The hack of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) by China has slowed hiring for jobs requiring a security clearance. The hack has had a negative effect on cleared recruiting across the industry. Read more in "Got a Clearance? Getting a Job Just Got Harder", Defense One, October 26, 2015.

Security News

Helicopter Movements for Daily Transport to Work. Life has changed in Kabul with the decreased number of foreign troops, aid workers, and other expats. Movement along the roads is restricted and frequenting restaurants by foreigners has dropped off significantly. The sounds of helicopters fills the air.

"After 14 years of war, of training the Afghan Army and the police, it has become too dangerous to drive the mile and a half from the airport to the embassy."

Read more in "Life Pulls Back in Afghan Capital, as Danger Rises and Troops Recede", The New York Times, November 3, 2015.

Fighting in Kunduz Continues. While Kunduz has dropped from the news the fighting still continues but on a smaller scale. Three Afghan Local Police were recently killed in a clash in Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz province. (Pajhwok Afghan News, Nov 4, 2015).

Instability in Northern Afghanistan. Dan Lamothe writes about the evolving (and deteriorating) security situation in northern Afghanistan. Read "In northern Afghanistan, a mix of Taliban, foreign fighters, and soldiers spread thin", The Washington Post, November 4, 2015.

Farah Taliban Splinter Group. The Governor of Farah says that a segment of the Taliban have broken away to form a new group. The new leader of the group - Mullah Rasool - was governor of Nimroz province during the Taliban rule. (BBC, Nov 4, 2015).

Video - RS Update #7. Resolute Support HQs posted a video about IED training in Herat, passing of the colors at TAAC-South (7th ID) - BG Paul Bontrager heads home (after a job well done), and paper guns for training ANDSF. 5 mins long. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUODqglTrhQ&

DABS and MoD Agreement for Power Delivery. Da Afghanistan Bank (DABS) and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed a historic Power Delivery Power Purchase Agreement that will guarantee the MoD affordable electrical grid power. Read more in a Facebook post by RS HQs.
www.facebook.com/ISAF/posts/10153712900583454

Battle for Marjah - Again. A few years back the fight for the district of Marjah was supposed to be a turning point in the war for the U.S. U.S. forces - supported by other nations and in concert with Afghan security forces - were to kick the Taliban out of Marjah and reestablish governance. Didn't quite happen that way. And now the Taliban are threatening once again - currently (this week) beating up on the Afghan Local Police. The fight for Marjah was a bid deal - Learn more by watching a 90 minute long documentary by HBO (Sep 2011) entitled The Battle for Marjah.

Indian Helicopters for AAF? Afghanistan may soon be receiving four attack helicopters from India. The attack helicopters are of a Russian make and much more robust than the smaller MD-530s that the US is providing to Afghanistan. Read more in "Afghanistan turns to India for military helicopters, likely to rile Pakistan", Reuters, November 5, 2015.

Vikings Continue Their Stay. The Swedes intend to stay through to the end of 2016 keeping about 50 military personnel in Afghanistan. Their presence is mostly in the north at a military camp close to Mazar-e Sharif. Read more in "Continued Swedish presence in Afghanistan", Government Offices of Sweden, November 2015.

RPA Crash in Kabul Province. US Forces Afghanistan said that a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (most folks call the drones) crashed in the mountains of the Mosahi District in Kabul province on Wednesday (4 Nov 15). No one has claimed ownership of the RPA.

Woman Stoned to Death. A young woman was killed by the Taliban for refusing to live in an enforced marriage in Ghor province. The Taliban have ruled the village for three years and security forces are unable to wrest control of the village from the insurgents. (CNN, Nov 4, 2015).

Governance News

Corruption, Kabul Bank Fraud, and the NUG. I am convinced that corruption is ingrained into Afghan society and that it will take centuries to bring it to a manageable level. In an odd arrangement, one of the prime perpetrators of the Kabul Bank fraud is going to be in charge of a multi-million dollar project to build housing in Kabul. Tell me again why we should spend another dollar in Afghanistan? I keep forgetting. "Afghan Businessman Convicted in Kabul Bank Fraud Is Still Free to Make Money", The New York Times, November 4, 2015.

Oversight and Coordination Body (OCB) Hosted by MoF. The Afghan Ministry of Finance hosted the fifth meeting of the OCB on November 2. High ranking members of the Afghan government and Coalition attended to review progress on transparency, accountability, and affordability initiatives within the Afghan Security Institutions (ASIs). (DVIDS, Nov 3, 2015).

'Motley's Law' - Reviewed. A new film about a lawyer providing services to folks in Kabul is out. Read an account of this film in "Film Review: 'Motley's Law'", Variety, November 3, 2015.

The NUG and the Constitution. CEO Abdullah Abdullah says that the Loya Jirga will be responsible for amending the country's constitution. (Tolo News, Nov 4, 2015).

Weak Governance Hinders Security. President Ghani is all about eradicating corruption . . . but in doing so he neglects the delicate balance of the Afghan patronage network. As a result - his government has ground to a halt. Read more in "Weak Governance Bolsters the Taliban", by Shawn Snow, Small Wars Journal, November 6, 2015.

A Leaderless Country. The NUG is just not working out. Afghans want a government that functions and the current one is not quite there. Read more in "Afghans Searching for a Leader", by Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam, The World Post, November 6, 2015.

A Young Democracy in Peril. The Afghan government's leaders have failed the Afghan people. Read more in an editorial in "Protecting Young Democracy", Outlook Afghanistan, November 7, 2015.

New HPC Chief. Former Afghan Parliament Speaker and Vice President Younus Qanoni has been appointed as the chief of the Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC).

Afghan War Widows. Being a woman in Afghanistan is hard enough. It is even more difficult if your husband has died and your means of financial survival is now gone. After decades of conflict many Afghan women struggle to survive on their own. War widows are supposed to receive a pension of 7,500 afghanis a month (about $120) but many do not due to an inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy. Read more in "Afghanistan's War Widows", Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2015.

Information Operations (IO)

To Tweet or Not to Tweet. In the war of online influence, the United States is gaining ground but is still hopelessly outmanned. One report says that the U.S. State Department doesn't have enough people to conduct tweeting operations against ISIS. State's social media propaganda machine consists of just 20 people working in the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC). Well, . . . I am doing my part @AfghanWarBlog . Read more in "Pentagon: State Doesn't Have Enough People Tweeting at ISIS", Defense One, October 22, 2015.

Russia and IO. The Russian regime is heavy into the manipulation of information and use of social media on the Internet to influence audiences. Read more in "The Trolls Who Came In From the Cold", Radio Free Europe, November 5, 2015.

Russia's Troll Army. To learn more about Russia's dominance on the digital battlefield read Everything you wanted to know about trolls but were afraid to ask, ShareAmerica, November 4, 2015.

Marginalizing the Islamic State Online. Jared Cohen explains how future insurgent groups will not only control physical terrain but also dominate pockets of the Internet. Many recruits, followers, and supporters make their first contact with IS and its ideology via the Internet. Read more in "Digital Counterinsurgency", Foreign Affairs, November / December 2015.

U.S. Army - a Band of Tweeters. The digital age may be interfering with the bonding of unit members in combat. Skype, email, social media is consuming the downtime of Soldiers in FOBs - where in the past Soldiers entertained themselves by interacting together as a group telling stories, joking, and engaging in sports during their time off. Read "From Army of One to Band of Tweeters", by John Spencer, The New York Times, November 5, 2015.

Air Force-Wide Facebook Outage Causes Panic and Confusion. A temporary outage of Facebook has put the United States Air Force into a state of crisis. The cause of the FB service is unknown but several theories have surfaced. Read more in "Panic, Chaos During Air Force-Wide Facebook Outage", Duffel Blog, November 6, 2015.

Reflective Belts and Winning Wars

"Past conflicts have had iconic symbols associated with them. For World War II, it is the flag raising on Iwo Jima. Vietnam has the UH-1 Huey helicopter." The symbol for the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) will (for some folks) be the yellow or orange reflective belt. The Army knows it as the "Belt, High Visibility" and it had its place at its very beginning - wearing it on post while running on roads during hours of darkness. But, unfortunately, it morphed into something much bigger. You know that things are out of whack when you can't get into a chow hall during daylight hours on a large FOB in Afghanistan without your reflective belt. In probably one of the most absurd regulations out there is the requirement by 10th Mountain Division prescribing different colored reflective belts based on rank. You can't make this stuff up! Read more in "The Reflective Belt: An Icon of The Global War on Terror", Task & Purpose, October 26, 2015.