Afghan War Blog

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Intelligence News

Afghan Intelligence Chief Resigns. The chief of the Afghan spy agency - National Directorate of Security or NDS - has resigned amid policy differences with President Ghani. Rahmatullah Nabil submitted his resignation on Thursday, December 10, 2015. Nabil's deputy -Massoud Andrabi - has been appointed as acting chief. One constant source of friction between the NDS chief and President Ghani is the approach to Pakistan. Afghanistan's neighbor has been supporting the various insurgent groups for years - in the belief that an unstable Afghanistan is much better for Pakistan than a strong country that could possibly ally with India and/or make demands on the disposition of the Durand Line. Mr. Nabil has been heading the NDS for about five years. See "Afghanistan intelligence chief resigns amid row", BBC News, December 10, 2015. Read also "Afghan Spy Chief Quits After Denouncing Talks With Pakistan", The New York Times, December 10, 2015. See also a report from Khaama Press, Dec 11, 2015.

Problems with Drones. Thomas Ricks writes about "5 big problems with the drone programs" in Foreign Policy, December 10, 2015.

LTG (Ret) Flynn to Write Book. A high-ranking U.S. Army intelligence officer, Michael T. Flynn, will soon be writing a book on how to win the global war against radical Islam. Flynn served as the intelligence officer for the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), as the G2 for ISAF in Afghanistan, and is the a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He is at odds with the Obama administration in their handling the fight against Islamic terrorism and the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Read "Michael T. Flynn Inks Deal With St. Martin's Press", GalleyCat, December 9, 2015.

Security News

A-29 Super Tocano

A-29's Soon to Deploy - Minus a Few Pilots. Two Afghan Air Force (AAF) pilots who have been training at with the 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base in the United States since February are now missing. While they pose no threat to the U.S. (let's hope) the AAF is now short two very valuable pilots for their not-yet-introduced and very-late-in-deploying counterinsurgency close air support planes. The pilots are probably happier washing dishes in the kitchen of a D.C. restaurant than flying around Afghanistan getting shot at. (USA Today, Dec 9, 2015).

USAF Mission in Afg. The Diplomat's Franz-Stafan Gady is currently in Afghanistan reporting on the ongoing war against militants in the country. His latest report is "Afghanistan: US Air Force's Mission Has Not Changed" dated December 11, 2015.

Info on B-1 Bomber. Wesley Morgan writes about the missions of a USAF bomber in Afghanistan (and elsewhere). Read "The B-1 bomber: The underappreciated workhorse of America's air wars", The Washington Post, December 30, 2015.

Kandahar Airport Attacked by Taliban. Insurgents and Afghan security forces battled on Wednesday, Dec 9th after Taliban militants stormed the airport complex in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. As many as 37 people died during the attack with an another 35 plus wounded. Some reports put casualties above 50. The insurgents wore ANDSF uniforms. (Los Angeles Times, Dec 9, 2015). See also "Afghan airport remains closed after Taliban launches daring attack", The Washington Post, December 9, 2015.

Insurgent Groups Duking it Out in Shindand. Rival Taliban factions loyal to Mullah Akhtar Mansour (recently wounded or killed depending on the press report) and Mullah Abdul Rasool have been clashing in a district in Herat province. Go for it!

Spanish Embassy Attacked. Insurgents mounted an attack on Friday, Dec 11th against a guesthouse near the Spanish Embassy in Kabul. Two Spanish policemen and four Afghan police officers were among the dead. The three insurgent attackers were killed. The attack began with a car bomb blast against the gate of the guesthouse. The US Embassy in Kabul issues a statement condemning the attack. Some Twitter accounts say that Norwegian SOF along with Afghan SOF responded, probably the Crisis Response Unit, to the attack. (BBC News, Dec 11, 2015). And "Fighting in Kabul's Diplomatic Quarter Ends, Afghan Officials Say", The New York Times, December 12, 2015.

Taliban Offensive in Helmand Province. The Taliban have made some gains in Helmand province this past fighting season and it appears that the fighting season is still ongoing. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have had trouble holding on to some of the districts in the province. Reportedly Khansheen district has fallen to the Taliban after weeks of seige and intense fighting. Read the plight of villages in Chah-e Anjir village in a news report - "Afghan Village 'A Living Hell' Amid Fighting", Gandhara Blog, December 8, 2015.

Report - Human Terrain System

Dr. Christopher Sims has wrote a 526 page report entitled The Human Terrain System: Operationally Relevant Social Science Research in Iraq and Afghanistan, dated December 2015. The author presents ". . . an examination of the organizational origins of the HTS, and a tactical history delineated through the experiences and insights of former Human Terrain Team social scientists, set against the backdrop of a wider debate in the academy and media on the efficacy and ethicality of the program." The provides an overview of the HTS program and examines the wider debate around social science and the military. This study of the U.S. Army HTS by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College is the story of civilians conducting social science research in conflict in order to help win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Note: My personal experience in Afghanistan is that the men and women of the Human Terrain Teams (HTTs) working at the Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) provided extremely helpful advice and information to the warfighters because of their knowledge of the area of operations, culture, and situation. HTTs staff members tended stay in country for a number of years while BCTs rotated in and out every 9-12 months. http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=1308

Lost Temple City At Risk from Mining Operation

Mes Aynak is one of Central Asia's largest Buddhist ruins. It is located about a 90 minute drive south-east of Kabul in the hills of Logar province (Logar province is highlighted in red at left). A team of archaeologists are running out of time to save the ancient artifacts before a Chinese copper mining operation starts to rip up the soil destroying the ancient site. Read more in "Race to save lost temple city at risk from its own wealth", by Andrew Lawler, New Scientist, Sep 2015.

Women in Combat

Member of a Coalition Support Team
(CST) interacts with Afghan child

Women in Service Studies. The U.S. Department of Defense wants you to 'feel good' about the integration of women into special operations forces and infantry units. Read up on a bunch of studies about the integration of women into combat units and infantry / special forces training. The documents are posted on the DoD website - "Women in Service Studies". One study posted on this site conducted by RAND Corporation found that 85% of the special operators assigned to tactical SOF units did not want women integrated into their units. The general belief was that women don't have the physical strength or mental toughness to do the grueling jobs (Military Times, Dec 10, 2015). But hey, what do those combat vets with multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Panama, and a few other places that can't be mentioned know about . . . well, combat, anyway? After all, if the D.C. folks say its okay . . .
www.defense.gov/News/Publications/WISR-Studies

Report on Women in Combat. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) prepared a paper for Congress entitled Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, December 3, 2015. Posted on the website of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42075.pdf

Female Ranger Grad Comments on WIC. Lisa Jaster, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve and a recent graduate of the U.S. Army's Ranger School has some comments about not letting our standards fall or forcing quotas on our combat units. Read "Women in combat units will prove the naysayers wrong", The Washington Post, December 11, 2015.

Women and the Draft. Now that women are free to enter any occupation, job or profession in any of the military services to include infantry and special operations it is probably time to require females to register for the draft. I mean . . . why not? What is fair is fair! ". . . rights and responsibilities go hand in hand". Read more in "Now Women Should Register for the Draft", Time.com, December 7, 2015.

News Snippets - Afghan War Blog

NATO Medal Authorized for RS. The NATO Medal has been approved for acceptance and wear by Soldiers and other U.S. military members who have participated in Operation Resolute Support. (Army Times, Dec 7, 2015).

China's 'Af-Pak' Dilemma. China's involvement in the affairs of Afghanistan has increased over the past few years. China wishes to bring stability to Afghanistan to ensure success for its "One Belt, One Road" strategy. But that means it must pressure Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. Read more in "China's Emerging Af-Pak Dilemma", by Michael Clarke of the Jamestown Foundation, December 7, 2015. (Posted on refworld.org).

Resolute Support Video Update #8 (Dec 7, 2015). This 3 minute long video provides content on human rights, rule of law, and Train, Advise, Assist Command - West in Herat, Afghanistan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NGo3tRhFak

Petraeus - "No Further Punishment". The U.S. Army has decided not to pursue any further punishment for retired General Petraeus - former COMISAF and CIA Director. (The Washington Post, Dec 7, 2015).

Germany is Staying. The German defense minister recently visited Mazar-i-Shari - when the European nations are encamped at TAAC-North headquarters. The end result of the visit is an acknowledgement that mistakes were made and a commitment to increase the German troop presence. See "What'a going wrong in Afghanistan?", Deutsche Welle, December 12, 2015.

Gen Dunford Visits Afghanistan. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Afghanistan on Dec 8th to meet with General Campbell and other senior military representatives. Dunford was the ISAF commander prior to Campbell. He made several comments on the current situation in Afghanistan. (Stars and Stripes, Dec 8, 2015).

Quarterly Parameters Autumn 2015. The US Army War College Quarterly Parameters is now posted. http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/

Korengal Valley - And Limits of Power. A Soldier writes of his time in the Korengal Valley in Kunar province and about how power projection has its constraints. (Best Defense - Foreign Policy, Dec 11, 2015). The Korengal Valley, an offshoot of the Pech River Valley was a hard-fought battle spanning a few years.

Photos from Khost. Sudarsan Raghaven provides us with a photographic view of Khost in eastern Afghanistan in "This is what the real Afghanistan looks like", The Washington Post, December 4, 2015.

Probe on Civilian Deaths at Mosque. A mortar attack by government troops on Friday, Dec 4th resulted in a number of civilian deaths near a mosque. The incident took place in Sayedabad - a district in central Maidan Wardak province. The Taliban issued a statement condemning the attack. (VOA, Dec 5, 2015).

UNAMA Report on Toll from Kunduz City. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan stated that the preliminary findings put the civilian casualty toll from the Kunduz city crisis two months (late September to mid-October) ago at 848 - 289 dead and 559 injured. You can read the UNAMA Special Report on Kunduz Province dated December 12, 2015.

Video - MG Buchanan visits TAAC-West. Italian forces have taken over responsibility for Train, Advise, Assist Command - West in Herat from the Spanish contingent. MG Jeff Buchanan comments on his recent visit to Herat in this short (2 min) video posted by Resolute Support HQs on DVIDSHUB on December 9, 2015.

Video - IED Training in TAAC-West. Resolute Support personnel provide counter IED training to members of the ANDSF in Herat. (2 mins, DVIDS, Dec 9, 2015).
www.dvidshub.net/video/441468/taa-counter-ied-herat-afn-europe

German Defence Minister visits MeS. The Defence Minister of Germany recently paid a visit to Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The visit on Sunday, Dec 6th comes after a recent decision to enlarge the German contingent in Afghanistan. The message is "We're staying". (Tolo News, Dec 8, 2015).

Germany Contributes AFN 5 Billion. The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund has received a pledge from Germany for a large contribution. (Khaama Press, Dec 10, 2015).

WTO Membership & Afghan Economy. Afghanistan 'imports' international aid and 'exports' opium but the international community is trying to change all of that. One step in that direction is providing membership to Afghanistan in the World Trade Organization. Read more in "Afghanistan Hopes W.T.O. Membership Can Reboot Its Battered Economy", The New York Times, December 9, 2015.

Heart of Asia Conference. Pakistan hosted the Heart of Asia conference which aimed to strengthen the peace process in Afghanistan and also improve economic and political cooperation in Afghanistan and among its neighbors. Twenty-seven countries participated. No word yet on whether Pakistan will pledge to stop supporting the Taliban with intelligence, training, support, money and sanctuaries. Read a news report on the conference by Deutsche Welle, December 9, 2015. The results of the conference were less than encouraging; with Afghan and Pakistan diplomats holding firm to previous positions. (Gandhara Blog, Dec 9, 2015).

EU, Afghan, and US Meeting. Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, European Union, and United States met in a side meeting during the Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad to discuss preparations for future conferences (of course) and regional security and economic developments. See a press release by the European Union External Action dated Dec 9, 2015. See also a press statement by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 10, 2015.

Sharpen Your Writing Skills!

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, December 6, 2015

Welcome to the 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.

Rise of ALP and Anti-Taliban Militias?

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have not quite been up to the task of finding, fixing, and finishing the Taliban and other insurgent groups across the country. The ANDSF has taken significant losses, suffered from high desertion rates, and seen many regions across the country fall under the control of the Taliban, ISIS, and other groups. The Afghan government has resorted to funding various local militia groups in Kunduz, Faryab, and other locations where the ANDSF has fallen short in providing security. In addition, GIRoA has indicated that it wants to increase the size of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) from 30,000 to 45,000. Read more in a report by Anuj Chopra in "Rise of Afghan anti-Taliban militias stokes instability fears", Yahoo! News, December 1, 2015.

SOF News

VSO, Gant, Water, Crops, and COIN. One writer, Doyle Quiggle, manages to combine a variety of topics (although related) into an essay on how to win a small war! He tells us of the failures of the Village Stability Operations (VSO) program of U.S. special operations in Afghanistan, of how Jim Gant was doing VSO right, and the importance of water in counterinsurgency at the village level. Read "Small Farms and Small Wars: Planting The Garden in Village Stability Operations", Small Wars Journal, November 29, 2015.

Event - "Lessons from VSO and ALP". Dr. Corey Lofdahl is presenting a lecture on the topic of Implementing Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: Lessons from Village Stability Operations and Afghan Local Police (VSO/ALP). He is a senior scientist with Charles River Analytics who worked in 2011 and 2012 at the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A). The presentation is on Thursday, December 10th in Washington, D.C. and is hosted by The Institute of World Politics. (Note: CFSOCC-A is now known as the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan or SOJTF-A).

DoDIG Investigation on ANASOF TAA. The Inspector General for the Department of Defense intends on conducting an assessment on U.S. and Coalition efforts to Train, Advise, Assist, and Equip the Afghan National Army Special Operations Forces (ANASOF). The objective is to determine whether U.S. government and coalition goals, objectives, plans and resources to train the ANASOF are sufficient, operative, and relevant. Read the memo from DoDIG, November 25, 2015.

Joint U.S. - Afghan SOF Raid Frees 40 from Prison. A prison rescue mission successfully liberated at least 40 Afghan security personnel from a Taliban prison in Nawzad district of southern Helmand province in an operation that began on Thursday night. (Tolo News, Dec 4, 2015). See also an NBC News report dated December 4, 2015.

"Project Gray" - Fighting in the Gray Zone. Warfare has changed over the past few decades. The advent of Hybrid Warfare, Irregular Warfare (IW), and the use of Unconventional Warfare (UW) by our adversaries (Iran, ISIS, al Qaeda, Russia, and others) has forced the U.S. military to take a long look on how to operate in this new environment. The UW experts at Fort Bragg (that would be the Green Berets) are learning to fight in what is now being referred to as the "Gray Zone". The initial Special Forces training that Green Berets undergo goes a long way to prepare its members for this kind of fight; yet the learning never stops. As part of this never-ending learning process the U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence has started "Project Gray" and published a website that reflects the work in this area. www.projectgray.org

Advocating a "Human Warfighting Domain". One writer is strongly proposing that a Human Warfighting be established and that the proponent should be those in the U.S. Army who are the most proficient in counterinsurgency and unconventional warfare - that would be the 1st Special Forces Command. Read "Should There Be a Human Warfighting Domain?", by Thomas Doherty, Small Wars Journal, December 3, 2015.

5th Group Reviving Vietnam Era Flash. The solid black flash worn on the berets of members of the 5th Special Forces Group will be giving way to a bit of history. The new (or old) flash will be the one worn by 5th Group Soldiers while serving in Vietnam (and also stateside). Read more on the perplexing move by 5th SFGA and Special Forces Command in "Army's 5th Special Forces Group to Resurrect Vietnam-Era Beret Flash", Military.com, December 1, 2015.

'Targeting Force' to Iraq / Syria. In testimony before Congress SECDEF Carter stated that more U.S. military forces will be headed to the Middle East to fight against ISIS. The number of airstrikes will increase as well as on-the-ground intelligence gathering and special operations raids. Carter also said that a "specialized expeditionary targeting force" will assist Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces fighting the Islamic State. Sounds very JSOC-like! Read more in "DoD to deploy 'targeting force' to hunt down ISIS leaders", Military Times, December 1, 2015. See also Kim Dozier's article - "Obama Unleashes Hunter-Killers on ISIS", The Daily Beast, December 1, 2015.

USSF Fighting with Kurds for Months. Kurdish fights say that US Special Forces have been fighting ISIS for months in northern Iraq. The Obama administration continues to maintain that there are 'No Boots on the Ground"; however, perhaps that is because the SF dudes (in another era they were referred to as "Sneaky Petes") are all wearing sneakers. (The Guardian, Nov 30, 2015).

SOCOM Cdr Likely Choice for CENTCOM. General Votel is a top candidate to succeed General Austin for command of Central Command. Given the importance of the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria he is a good choice. Read more in "SOCOM's Votel is Top Choice to Take Over CENTCOM", Defense One, December 3, 2015.

How Does SOCOM Feel about the Gender Integration Order? - He is all for it! The commander, General Votel, seems to think it is a good idea. (The feedback I hear from those on the SF teams is quite different.) Listen to a 8-minute long video of the leader of SOCOM justifying his decision to support the SECDEF in the full integration of women into all special operations organizations. (USSOCOM, December 3, 2015).

How Do SOF Operators Feel about Women in SOF Units? Not So Much! The RAND Corporation conducted a study that special operations leadership commissioned on the integration of women into SOF units. 85% of the rank and file said "NO!, Don't Do IT". But with the proper 'career guidance', 'gender integration seminars', 'focus groups', 'safe space discussions', and more I am sure the steely-eyed combat veterans with multiple deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere will come around. Read "Special Ops Survey Showed 85% Opposed Serving With Women", Defense One, December 4, 2015.

Book - Relentless Strike. I just finished reading Sean Naylor's recent book about the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Very informative read with perhaps more information than USSOCOM would have wanted published. I am sure there was more than one former 'operator' talking out of school. The book is available on Amazon.com.

More on the AC-130 Attack on Kunduz Hospital

Fatal Guesswork and Human Error. The international press continues to carry stories and analysis on the U.S. Air Force's AC-130 attack on the Doctors Without Borders medical trauma center in Kunduz City. One recent news report compares the MSF tragedy with two other incidents of U.S. attacks that went badly. One was the downing of an Iranian civilian airliner in 1988 by a U.S. Navy vessel that killed 290 innocent civilians over the Persian Gulf. A second was the destruction of two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters over northern Iraq during Operation Provide Comfort that killed 26 people. Read more in "Fatal Guesswork: Why the U.S. Military Attacked that Afghan Hospital", by Mark Thompson, Time.com, November 29, 2015. To understand how the AC-130 gunship works (or doesn't) read "How tech fails led to Air Force strike on MSF's Kunduz hospital", by Sean Gallagher, ars technica.com, November 30, 2015.

NATO Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held a two-day summit on the Resolute Support mission for Afghanistan in Brussels, Belgium on December 1-2, 2015. Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and other operational partners participated in the meeting which was focused on how allies and partners will continue to Train, Advise, and Assist the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) during 2016. In addition, mechanisms to finance the ANDSF were scrutinized.

NATO provided a press release at the conclusion of the meeting on December 1st where it stated that NATO Allies and Resolute Support operational partners have agreed to sustain the Resolute Support presence during 2016. In addition, NATO has agreed to continue providing financial support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) until 2020.

Death of Afghan Taliban Leader?

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor

Afghan Taliban Leader Injured (or Killed)? Initial reports from mid-week suggest that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur has been seriously injured in a firefight following a verbal dispute at a meeting of militant commanders in Pakistan. It's just bad judgement to allow guns at staff meetings; should have checked them at the door. I wonder how this will affect the prospects of peace negotiations? He was injured enough to be taken to a hospital where (I am speculating) Pakistani security authorities ensured that he would not be targeted during his stay. Other reports say that the Taliban leader was killed. The Taliban (and Pakistani authorities) kept the death of Mullah Omar, the previous Taliban leader, quiet for over two years. There are various factions of the Taliban saying he is just fine, not wounded; and others saying he has been killed; and still more saying he is wounded and will need months to recover. (Pajhwok Afghan News, Dec 5, 2015). Let's see how long it takes for the real story to come out on this incident. Read more in "Afghan Taliban Leader 'Seriously Injured' in Pakistan", Gandhara Blog, December 2, 2015.

CSTC-A DIVIDEND$ Nov 15 Issue

The Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) has published its November 2015 issue of DIVIDEND$. Topics this month include blurbs about the "Oversight and Coordination Body", an "Environmental Conference", and an "Inspector General Forum".

www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/27882

ANDSF to Get ScanEagle UAS

ScanEagle UAV

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will receive eight ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The drones will be supplied by Insitu through a $70.9 million contract. Insitu will provide the eight systems which will include 65 air vehicles, some spares, support equipment and a ground training facility in Afghanistan. The ScanEagle carries either an electro-optical or an infrared camera in a gyro-stabilized turret. The camera has full pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities and allows the operator to track both stationary and moving targets. This is in the smaller class of UAVs - only 4 feet long and 10 feet wide (wing span). It can loiter above a battlefield for as long as 24 hours.

The sale was awarded under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Insitu, Inc. is a subsidiary of Boeing Aircraft. Work is expected to be completed in June 2018. Ummm, considering the present security situation on the ground I would have to say that is a long way off. Perhaps we should have considered fielding a small UAV (like the Shadow?) for the Afghans back in . . say . . . 2005, . . . or 2010, . . . or 2013. They would have them right now. Hopefully some smart guy at Resolute Support HQs has figured out how to train the Afghan operators and maintenance personnel prior to the systems being fielded (Don't count on it!). Read "Insitu wins $70.9M ScanEagle order", C4ISR & Networks, December 1, 2015.

Learn more about the ScanEagle UAS at the following link:
www.afghanwarnews.info/equipment/scaneagle.htm

TFBSO and Expensive Kabul Villas

It seems that the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) wants all non-military personnel to have lousy living conditions comparable to the U.S. military. Anyone who has spent anytime in Afghanistan knows the disparity in living conditions between our NATO allies and partners and the U.S. military. (For instance, in 2014, 13 years after the start of the war the U.S. forces on Camp Marmel, Mazar-e-Sharif were still living in tents while the Europeans lived in concrete barracks with tiled floors, bathrooms, and Internet.) Or compare the living conditions of the U.S. military with USAID or State Department at Camp RS in Kabul! SIGARs latest target is the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) and their desire for the comforts of life. Read a letter from SIGAR to SEC DEF Carter pointing out the millions of dollars spent by TFBSO providing the nicer things that help get you through a year in Afghanistan for their staff members. (SIGAR, Nov 25, 2015). (NOTE TO SELF: I could have lived a lot better during my five years in Afghanistan if I worked for TFBSO!).

Commentary

Counter-IED Capabilities Need Investments. Over the last few years the U.S. military has attempted, unsuccessfully, to put Afghanistan and Iraq (and things like COIN, C-IED, JIEDDO, etc.) into the rear view mirror. Unfortunately conflicts like these will continue to pop up over the horizon and the use of IEDs by the combatants that we will oppose will stay just as prevalent as they were on the roads of Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more in "Growing Terrorist Threat Requires New U.S. Investments in Counter-IED Capabilities", by Daniel Goure, Real Clear Defense, November 30, 2015.

Deobandi Islam, Pashtunwali, and the Taliban. "The Taliban are arguably more powerful now than at any point since they were ousted in 2001." This power comes not just from the support the Pakistan state provides but from the civilian population of Afghanistan tired of an ineffective and corrupt national government. The Taliban's more moderate approach and ". . . increasingly resurgent narrative of stability through reverting to Afghanistan's past . . . " is generating ever-growing support from the rural Afghan population. Peter Storey provides us with his view of the Taliban in "The Roots of the Taliban", The Bridge, December 1, 2015.

Pivoting From Pakistan. When President Ghani took office he made a deliberate effort to revitalize the Afghan- Pakistan relationship . . . but it wasn't reciprocated. Now it would appear he is reaching out to India at the risk of weakening ties with Pakistan. Read more in "Ghani's Pivot Away From Pakistan", by Shawn Snow, Foreign Policy, November 25, 2015.

Fighting a War in a Land-Locked Country Like Afghanistan. A U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft commander provides his perspective on the difficulties of fighting a war in a country that is remote and bordered by less than reliable allies. His paper describes exactly how difficult it is to get the Pakistan government to stop its support of the Taliban given the overflight requirements needed to prosecute the war. "Pakistan Catch-22: The Trouble with Wars in Landlocked Countries", The Bridge, December 2, 2015.

Fractured Taliban? Tamim Hamid provides us with an explanation of the current state of the Taliban leadership in "A Divided Taliban Explained", Tolo News, December 3, 2015.

Corruption Hindering the Fight. Corruption in Afghanistan has had a corrosive impact on military operations. It undermines the legitimacy of the Afghan government, provides fodder for recruitment into the Taliban (and ISIS), and has rendered ineffective the Afghan National Police (and to a lesser degree the Afghan National Army). The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) undermined its own objective of creating security in the country with its initial inattention to the problem. Read "How Corruption Undermines NATO Operations", Defense One, December 2, 2015.

Kagan on Afghanistan. Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and a observer of the Afghan conflict provides his thoughts on what the US needs to do in Afghanistan. He sees the insurgent groups gaining more territory and capability as time goes on and a weak ANDSF that is seeing its international support slowly diminish. He advocates for more US troops and expanded authorities for those currently stationed there. He believes that the appropriate troop level is likely around 20,000 to 30,000. Read The Afghanistan Conundrum: How Should the US Approach the Rise of Insurgent Groups?, AEI, December 2, 2015.

French COIN. The vast majority of our senior level general officers would like to put the counterinsurgency years of Iraq and Afghanistan behind us - well, . . . they can't. COIN is not going away. While folks are painting the conflict in Syria and Iraq with ISIS as counterterrorism there is still many aspects of the fight that is a counterinsurgency. And in Afghanistan, the Afghan security forces are conducting counterinsurgency (while U.S. and NATO advisors busy themselves with advising the Afghan security institutions and corps-level organizations on 'systems', 'functions', and 'processes'). Many U.S. "COIN experts" draw upon the experiences of the French pacification of Algeria for 'lessons learned'. In particular, they read the tracts provided to us by two noted French officers - David Galula and Roger Trinquier. However, one student of French strategy suggests that a truer picture of the French COIN effort in Algeria can be gained by digging deeper into French military historical writings. Read "Myth-Busting French Counterinsurgency", by Terrence Peterson, War on the Rocks, December 3, 2015.

Is the U.S. Army's Personnel System Broke? YES! A 1LT who spent two years studying at Oxford instead of holding standard military jobs expected of junior officers was almost forced out of the Army. Besides being a Rhodes Scholar he was at the top of his ROTC class. And although over 90% of his peers were getting promoted he was being left behind. Read more about some of the systemic problems the Army's personnel bureaucracy is experiencing in "First Steps Towards the Force of the Future", War on the Rocks, December 1, 2015.

PowerPoint in Armored Vehicles - Really? OMG, so it finally happened. The Army's officers have figured out a way to display PowerPoint slides in an armored. Trust me - this is not a good thing. My experience with creating PowerPoint slides to convey a message to senior level officers is that the font type, size, and color is much more important than the content. Read "This armored vehicle lets you use PowerPoint on the battlefield", The Washington Post, December 1, 2015. For more info see "I Corps validates new mobile command post proof-of-concept", www.army.mil, November 29, 2015.

All Military Occupations Open to Women - SECDEF. Ash Carter, the Secretary of Defense, announced that beginning in January 2016, all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception. This includes all units and organizations in the infantry and in special operations. So far in 2015 two women passed the very tough Ranger Course at Fort Benning; perhaps we will see some women enter Special Forces training at Fort Bragg in 2016. Let's hope that a advance in "fairness" and "political correctness" will not result in the implementation of quotas, a lowering of standards, the erosion of unit cohesiveness, and a decrease in combat effectiveness. Read more in "Carter Opens all Military Occupations, Positions to Women", DoD News Release, December 3, 2015.

Women in the Marine Corps Infantry? RAND Corporation conducted a study for the U.S. Marine Corps that reviewed the literature on the integration of women in combat units, conducted interviews with members of organizations with physically demanding occupations, estimated the costs of potential initiatives to promote successful gender integration, and develop an approach for monitoring implementation of gender integration of the infantry. Read "Implications of Integrating Women into the Marine Corps Infantry", Rand Corporation, November 2015.

Women in Ground Combat Units? A doctor very familiar with sports science adds his voice to this topic. Read "Sports Science, Physiology, and the Debate over Women in Ground Combat Units", by Dr. Paul O. Davis, War on the Rocks, December 1, 2015.

Peace Talks

Another effort to revive the peaces talks for the Afghan conflict is now underway. President Ghani (Afghanistan) and Prime Minister Sharif (Pakistan) met during this past week while attending the climate conference in Paris. Certainly one topic discussed by the two national leaders during there one-on-one conversation was restarting peace talks. (Tolo News, Nov 30, 2015).

Pakistan has been playing both sides for quite a while now; supporting the Taliban yet feigning cooperation with the U.S. and Afghanistan . . . and this is known by the Afghan government as well as the U.S. military and intelligence services. The Pakistanis have a lot of influence over the Taliban - some say enough to force them to come to the peace table; but the long-term objective of Pakistan is to keep Afghanistan an unstable environment mired in conflict. This ensures that a second strategic front (think about a war with India) does not come into being. So the chances of peace talks actually getting anything done? Not so much.

ISIS in Afghanistan

The Afghan Taliban have released a detailed report about their recent fight against Central Asian militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) and allied with a Taliban splinter group. The report, released on November 25, claims that a dissident Taliban commander (Mansoor Dadullah) based in southern Zabul has teamed up with a group of Central Asian fighters (most from Uzbekistan). The members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have been long-time fighters in the Afghan conflict - based in Pakistan and more recently in northern Afghanistan. ISIS is currently establishing itself in Nangarhar and Zabul provinces. Read more in "Afghan Taliban Detail Fight Against Uzbek IS Militants", Gandhara Blog, November 30, 2015.

Naray District - Under ISIS Control. The Islamic State is not about to displace Taliban to a large extent across Afghanistan but it is making inroads in some districts. IS recruits are paid about $500 a month - a healthy paycheck for a young unemployed Afghan in rural areas. The IS propaganda machine also sways the under crowd. Read an account of the IS influence in a district in Kunar province in "Islamic State: Why Afghanistan isn't panicking - yet", The Christian Science Monitor, December 3, 2015.

ISW - ISIS Report. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has released a paper that provides maps, history, current on the ground situation, and more on ISIS. See "ISIS in Afghanistan", December 3, 2015.

ISIS and Taliban Competing. The threat from ISIS or Daesh has been localized to the eastern and south western parts of Afghanistan according to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan. (Observer Research Foundation, Nov 30, 2015).

Intelligence News

Khost Protection Force & the CIA - Part 1. A regional counterterrorism pursuit team set up in Khost province by the CIA has been problematic due to human rights concerns and a lack of accountability. The CIA transferred the CPT to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) a few years back but still has some involvement. Western security officials maintain that the Khost pursuit team is one of the most effective elements fighting insurgents and terrorists in Afghanistan. David Jolly tells us more in "Civilian Deaths Raise Questions About C.I.A.-Trained Forces in Afghanistan", The New York Times, December 3, 2015.

Khost Protection Force & the CIA - Part II. More info on the CIA-run and supported (still?) Khost Protection Force. See "CIA runs shadow war with Afghan militia implicated in civilian killings", The Washington Post, December 3, 2015.

John Brennan Presentation. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recently (Nov 16) spoke at the Global Security Forum 2015 held by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). Topics include ISIS and global security. You can listen to his 48-minute address (video or audio) or download his transcript. http://csis.org/event/global-security-forum-2015-opening-session

Movie - "Central Intelligence". A new comedy about a U.S. intelligence agent is to be released in 2016 starring "The Rock". Watch the movie trailer (USA Today, Nov 20, 2015).

More Spies Against ISIS? It appears that the Defense Department is ready to beef up the intelligence gathering against the Islamic State. Read "U.S. Spies May be Back in Action Against ISIS", Newsweek, December 1, 2015.

CENTCOM's Intel Credibility. The changing of intelligence analysts reports at the highest level to satisfy political beliefs is still a problem even though the story has all but disappeared from the headlines. Read "Obama's Intel Scandal", The Weekly Standard, December 7, 2015.

Taliban Holding Secret U.S. Hostage? A news report suggests that the Taliban are holding an American in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. See "Secret U.S. Hostage Held by Taliban Allies", The Daily Beast, December 1, 2015.

IO News

MISO Training. The 1st Special Warfare Training Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina is responsible for training up the personnel who staff the U.S. Army's Military Information Support Operations (MISO) Teams. Read more about the training of the psychological operations Soldiers in "Good Luck, Charlie", www.army.mil, November 30, 2015.

Documentary - "Frame by Frame". Read this news article about a documentary on four photojournalists who work in Afghanistan. "The Beauty and the Peril of Being a Photojournalist in Afghanistan", Mother Jones, November 29, 2015.

DoS Counter-Messaging in Disarray. The State Department's efforts at producing content and posting items on Twitter, Facebook and other social media is lacking - so says an independent review of the DoS program by a panel of 'marketing experts'. The DoS has had the lead in this area of 'public diplomacy' but seems to be coming up short. Read "Panel casts doubt on U.S. propaganda efforts against ISIS", The Washington Post, by Greg Miller, December 2, 2015.

DoD Takes up the Slack! The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has been given more latitude in the conduct of 'messaging' in language contained in the FY2016 defense authorization bill signed into law by President Obama in November 2015. Section 1056, (a), (3) states that

". . . the Secretary of Defense should develop creative and agile concepts, technologies, and strategies across all available media to most effectively reach target audiences, to counter and degrade the ability of adversaries and potential adversaries to persuade, inspire, and recruit inside areas of hostilities or in other areas in direct support of the objectives of commander . . "

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1356/text

Social Media and Counterterrorism. A recent news report provides insight as to how counterterrorists can use social media to track down terrorists. Read "Speed, Social Media Shape Counterterrorism Probes", Voice of America, December 1, 2015.

Social Media Toolkit and Cubic. A new tool called the Social Media Replication Toolkit System is assisting Soldiers monitoring (and using?) social media in training during exercises. It is hoped that the toolkit will assist in getting forces to understand at the small unit level how social media can be a war fighting tool. Read more in "Cubic Looks to Train Soldiers to Use Social Media as Battlefield Tool", Defense News, December 3, 2015.

Afghan Security News

Foreign Troops Deploy to Kunar. Provincial security officials say that over 150 foreign troops have been deployed to the city of Assadabad in Kunar province in a bid to strengthen security in the province. If true this would be the first time that ISAF . . oops . . . RS forces have been in the province for a long period of time in over two years. See "Over 100 Foreign Troops Deployed to Kunar", Tolo News, November 28, 2015.

Mass Defections in Nuristan Province. According to some news reports (and Taliban statements) hundreds of security personnel and government officials have defected to the Taliban over the past few weeks in Nuristan province. (The Long War Journal, Dec 1, 2015).

40% of Released Prisoners Resume Fight. The Afghan Chief of Army Staff says that 40% of the Afghan insurgents detained and subsequently released from prison are back on the battlefield. (Tolo News, Dec 2, 2015).

Another U.S. Embassy Warning. The U.S. State Department has issued an updated warning to its citizens about possible attacks in Kabul. (Gandhara Blog, Nov 30, 2015).

U.S. Reaffirms Support to Afghanistan. The U.S.-led NATO coalition and the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to Afghanistan's security forces and said it will not leave the Afghan forces alone on the battlefield. Hmmmm. (Tolo News, Nov 29, 2015).

Pakistan Shelling Afghanistan. The Afghan ambassador to the United Nations detailed the attacks that Pakistan has conducted with its heavy artillery shelling from across the border into Afghanistan. He also noted that external support to the Taliban and other terrorist groups was primarily motivated by regional rivalry. Read more in "Pakistan accused of violating Afghanistan's sovereignty", Pajhwok Afghan News, December 1, 2015.

What of the IMU? Keeping track of the various groups of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) can be difficult but several observers recently gathered to provide their thoughts. Read "The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Comes Unraveled", Qishloq Ovozi Blog - Radio Free Europe, November 28, 2015.

Insecurity in Afghanistan and Militias. The Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) have had a difficult fighting season in 2015. The Taliban inflicted many casualties and solidified their hold on several districts throughout the country. In addition, some Taliban groups have rebranded themselves as ISIS - especially in Nangarhar and Zabul provinces.The country has also seen an increase in private militias - some funded by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and others funded by local or regional strongmen (powerbrokers or warlords). Read more in "Afghanistan's precarious security has officials pointing fingers", by Ali M. Latifi and Mohammaed Aharun Arsalai, Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

Climate Change in Afghanistan. This past week the leaders of the world converged in Paris to attend the climate conference. President Ghani attended as well. Read up on the problems of climate change in Afghanistan in "Before the Paris Conference: The state of Afghanistan's climate and its adaption capability", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), November 30, 2015.

New MoD HQs Building. The Afghan military has a very new and large Ministry of Defense headquarters building in Kabul. (RS News, Nov 1, 2015).

RS HQs Dining Facility Named. The dining facility has been named after the late senior enlisted advisor of the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) - SGM Wardell Turner. He was killed in Afghanistan in an improvised explosive device attack on November 24, 2014. (RS News, November 24, 2015).

Air Evacuation of Casualties Harmful? A recent news report suggests that the air evacuation of casualties with traumatic brain injury might cause additional damage to the patients. Read "Study: Air evacuating casualties might do more harm than good", The Washington Post, November 30, 2015.

Russia Helping Out . . . With 10,000 AKs. The Russian Federation has promised 10,000 Kalashnikov AK-47s to Kabul. They are expected to arrive before the end of the year. (Khaama Press, Nov 28, 2015).

'Heart of Asia'. A conference will soon be held to promote regional cooperation in South and Central Asia. The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process has 14 member nations in the region. Read more in "Security Stability in Afghanistan, the 'Heart of Asia'", The Diplomat, December 2, 2015.

Poetry and Afghanistan. Lots of books are being published about the history of the U.S. military deployment during OEF to Afghanistan. But not many of them are about poetry. Randy Brown has penned Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems From Inside the Wire. Read about this new book in "The poetry of an Afghan deployment", Foreign Policy - The Best Defense Blog, November 30, 2015.

Germany Accepting Refugees . . . Not So Much. The majority of the 140,000 Afghans who have fled Afghanistan this year have ended up in Germany. Why not - it is a nice place to live, there are some jobs available, and the social safety net is way better than the one found in Afghanistan. However, there is just one sticking point. The welcome mat is no longer on the doorstep. Read more in "Merkel: We will have to return people to Afghanistan", Deutsche Welle, December 2, 2015.

Guantanamo Bay Prisoner - "Oops, Sorry About That". Looks like we had the wrong guy. A prisoner locked up for 13 years in Cuba was not the fellow we thought he was. Read more in "Guantanamo Bay prisoner victim of mistaken identity, says US", BBC News, December 2, 2015.

Afghanistan Looking to Central Asia for Internet Options. The Internet continues to see expanding usage in Afghanistan and the country is looking north for increased services at reduced prices. Read "Internet Draws Central Asia, Afghanistan Closer", Silk Road Reporters, December 2, 2015.

World Vision and WASH. UNOCHA provides funding for a project that installs water pumps. Watch 2-min video that provides insight to this program in Badghis province. (UNOCHA, Nov 30, 2015).

Photos of Afghanistan - Cultural in Kabul. Kabul's rich cultural landscape is sometimes overlooked with the news of constant danger. Have a look at some photos by Tyrell Mayfield in "Kabul: A Different View", The Diplomat, November 30, 2015.

More Photos of Afghanistan - Commerce in Kabul. A couple of photojournalists provides us with photos of life, labor and commerce in Kabul. (Bloomberg, Dec 1, 2015).

Political Economy of a District. War is continually present in many of Afghanistan's districts. This is especially true of Andar district in Ghazni province - and the economy suffers from this constant threat. Learn more in "Finding Business Opportunity in Conflict: Shopkeepers, Taleban, and the political economy of Andar district", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), by Fazal Muzhary, December 2, 2015.

'Russian Taliban' Gets Life. A former military tank commander has been sentenced to life in prison for leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Khost province, Afghanistan in 2009. He was a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan who stayed and joined the Haqqani Network. (Gandara Blog, Dec 4, 2015).

Plight of Deported Afghan Minors. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is reporting on the plight of Afghan teenagers who are smuggled across the border into Iran to seek employment. While making that journey they are often victimized and end up in unfavorable situations during their employment. Read more in "IOM Highlights Needs of Deported Afghan Minors", IOM, December 4, 2015.

More Female Afghan Lawyers Needed. Women held in detention face a troubling future. Their ability to seek justice is hampered by a lack of female lawyers. (RefWorld, Dec 3, 2015).

MEC Losing International Funding? USAID and other donors are threatening to stop funding the operations of the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) due to corrupt activities such as illegal salary increases, travel payment abuses, and other shady goings-on. Hmmm.

UN Address by Afg Ambassador. H.E. Mahmoud Saikal, the Afghan ambassador to the United Nations, made a presentation on November 30th about the situation in Afghanistan. (YouTube, UNAfghanistan, 20 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qJ1PX55iqo

Marine Forced Out - Had Warned of Insider Attack. A Marine officer is being forced out of the service because he disseminated classified information about the possibility of an insider attack in Afghanistan. He tried to warn other Marines about an insider attack that could occur because a corrupt Afghan police chief who was sexually abusing children. One of the child victims subsequently took possession of an AK-47 and killed three U.S. Marines. Read more in "Decision to force out Marine who sent warning ahead of insider attack upheld", The Washington Post, November 30, 2015.

Video - U.S. Army's Human Dimension Strategy. The Army needs a concerted effort in the implementation of a comprehensive human dimension strategy - to include development of agile and adaptive leaders, realistic training, and institutional agility. U.S. Army Center for Combat Arms, November 30, 2015. (YouTube, 5 mins).

Former Detainee Now DGov in Nangarhar. A detainee held by the Americans at Guantanamo Bay is now back in the fight; but working for the Afghan government. Read "Once in Guantanamo, Afghan Now Leads War Against Taliban and ISIS", The New York Times, November 27, 2015.

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Moldovan Chopper Crashes in Faryab Province

A Moldovan contract Mi-17 helicopter crashed-landed in a Taliban-held area of Faryab province. Two Afghan soldiers and a Moldovan flight engineer were killed in an initial firefight shortly after the crash. Another 13 ANA were taken hostage. Reports state there were two foreigners captured as well; believed to be Moldovan crew. The aircraft was privately owned by the Valan ICC company in Moldova and had been chartered to fly for the Afghan security forces. The Afghan National Army is attempting to rescue the captured personnel. Read more in "Afghan army launches operation to rescue hostages held by Taliban", The Guardian, November 25, 2015. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) do not have a personnel recovery capability so prospects for the recovery of personnel from downed aircraft in situations like this are dim. As the personnel are already captured recovery efforts become more complicated and will likely fall to the Special Operations Kandak (SOK) stationed in the north (with its complement of SOF advisors) or to one of the Afghan national mission police units based in Kabul. As of Saturday the Afghan security forces were still trying to determine the location of the captives (VOA News, Nov 28, 2015).

U.S. Report on Kunduz Trauma Center Attack

Special Operations AC-130 Gunship

A report by the U.S. military on the aerial attack by a Special Operations AC-130 gunship on a Doctors Without Borders medical facility in Kunduz City is due out soon. The report was vetted by General John Campbell (Commander of U.S. and Resolute Support forces in Afghanistan) as well as Pentagon officials to ensure classified information was not released. Read more in a news report by Reuters, November 20, 2015. Some initial observations about the report are contained in this news story - "Multiple Errors Cited in U.S. Airstrike on Doctors Without Borders Hospital", The New York Times, November 24, 2015. Medecins Sans Frontierres published an online memoriam on the 14 members of the medical staff killed during the attack. General Campbell presented a press statement about the investigation on November 25th (watch 15 mins video posted by DVIDS).