Afghan War Blog

Sunday, January 24, 2016

SOF News

Special Forces More Active in Afg? A recent news report says the U.S. Special Forces could be playing a larger role in Afghanistan. The recent death of an SF NCO in Marjah district, Helmand province highlighted the tactical deployment of SF teams advising the Afghan National Army (ANA) Special Operations Kandaks (SOKs). Read more in "US Special Forces in Afghanistan Poised to Assume More Active Role", Voice of America, January 19, 2016.

A SEAL Casualty of War. In December 2012 the commander of a SEAL Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) in Afghanistan was found dead in his room of a gunshot wound. He had experienced a rough deployment with several members of his command killed in combat. The stress of command was certainly having an effect on him Read more in "A Deadly Deployment, a Navy SEAL's Despair", The New York Times, January 19, 2016.

Wife of Fallen Green Beret Shares Her Story. SSG Matthew McClintock was killed in early January 2016 in Marjah district, Helmand province. He leaves behind a wife and three-month old son. His wife, Alexandra, shares her story of her fallen Green Beret in "Wife of fallen Green Beret shares their love story", Army Times, January 20, 2016.

SF Officer Remembers Bergdahl Recovery Effort. Former Special Forces commander Mike Waltz commanded seven Special Forces operational detachments in the operational area where Bowe Bergdahl went missing. He redirected his ODAs from their primary mission to join the intensive and dangerous search for Bergdahl. Listen to a podcast as he remembers the events of that frustrating period of time posted by Task & Purpose (Jan 19, 2016).

JSOC Connections. Howard Altman writes on the ascendancy of JSOC general officers to key positions in the fight against ISIS. Read "Likely leaders in the battle against Islamic State will have JSOC connections", The Tampa Tribune, January 18, 2016.

Video on Robin Sage. The culminating event of U.S. Army's Special Forces Training is Robin Sage. Watch a 13-min long video of Robin Sage by Alex Quade published on YouTube.com in Nov 2015.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSBGXY6GkZM

SOF in Libya? "The next battleground in the war on ISIS is forming in the sands of Tripoli. The U.S. Special Operations Command is spending more time and attention on Libya, trying to keep the Islamic State from growing more powerful there . . ." Read "Here's What Special Operators Want to Do in Libya", Defense One, January 20, 2016.

Navy SEAL Ignored Lawyers. The author of "No Easy Day" about the Osama bin Laden mission in Pakistan is suing his legal representatives for bad advice. (Military Times, Jan 20, 2016).

Former SEAL to Lead Counter-ISIS Messaging Center. A current Defense Department official, Michael Lumpkin, will be the lead to revamp the federal government's effort to counter ISIS and other group's recruitment propaganda. (National Defense Magazine, Jan 20, 2016).

SOF in Syria. The Secretary of Defense Ash Carter recently alluded to activities of special operators in Syria. Read more in "Special Ops forces in Syria doing more than raids, Ash Carter says", CNN Politics, January 20, 2016.

SOCOM Seeking High Technology. General Votel spoke at the National Defense Industrial Association's special operations conference in Washington, D.C. on January 20th. His message was that key capabilities provided by advanced technology helps special operators maintain an edge over potential adversaries in challenging environmental conditions. See "U.S. SOCOM Officials Lay OUt Technology Challenges", National Defense Magazine, January 20, 2016.

10th SFGA and SIGINT Training w/ 173rd. Members of the 10th Special Force Group and the 173rd Bde recently conducted signal intercept training in Germany. Read more in "Special operations intelligence specialists refine skills in combined training", Army.mil, January 22, 2016.

Indian SF Command. A ". . . lack of agreement on who would control a separate Indian Special Forces Command (SFC) has stymied creation of the unit despite the military's urgent desire for one." There appears to be rivalry among the Army, Navy, and Air Force over which would take command. In addition, the civilians in the military bureaucracy are weighing in with their vision of who commands the SFC. Read more in "Control Issue Stymies Creation of Indian Spec Ops Command", Defense News, January 17, 2016.

Spanish SOF Grows. The Spanish Army is increasing the size of its Special Operations Force - Grupo de Operaciones Especiales (MOE). The MOE has been deployed in multinational training missions in Mali, CAR, and Iraq in the past few years. Currently the MOE is deployed in Taji and Baghdad, Iraq. Read more in "Spanish Army Bolsters Special Forces Against Jihadism", Defense News, January 17, 2016.

Peace Talks

Afghan High Peace Council. The organization set up by the Afghan government to coordinate the reconciliation and reintegration of the Taliban leadership and fighter ranks has come under criticism. The High Peace Council has been in existence for several years but its progress in its mission has been slow or non-existent according to some critics. Read "Afghanistan's High Peace Council: Five Years On", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, January 2016.

Opening Speech by Rabbani. Rabbani opened up the Kabul peace talk meetings held on Monday, January 18, 2016 with a nine-minute long speech urging the Taliban to join the peace process. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ReXNklPuIw

Red Lines. The Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salahuddin Rabbani, stated that that the Afghan government would not support an open-ended process without some tangible results. See "Afghanistan Wants 'Red Lines' in Peace Process", Voice of America, January 18, 2016. Rabbani also stated that all Taleban factions should join the peace talks. (Radio Free Europe, Jan 18, 2016).

5 Myths on Peace Talks. Christopher Kolenda writes about "Five Myths to Dispel on An Afghan Peace", Gandhara Blog, January 21, 2016.

Unofficial Talks in Qatar? Some news reports indicate that a possible two-day meeting between the Taliban and Afghan officials could take place in the gulf state of Qatar. Read "Afghan, Taliban Envoys Expected to Meet in Qatar", Voice of America, January 22, 2016.

Next Scheduled Talks. So the talking will go on. The next meeting will be on February 6, 2016 in Islamabad to finalize peace talks road map and mechanisms. The ultimate goal of these current talks are to get the representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban into direct negotiations. At the moment, it would appear the Taliban will likely not enter the talks - as they have the Afghan security forces on the defense and they are fighting through the winter season (usually a break in the fighting).

ISIS and Afghanistan

ISIS - "An Existential Threat". The Islamic State is attempting to establish footholds in a number of countries - in addition to that hold on territory that it currently enjoy in Syria and Iraq. ISIS is in competition with al-Qaeda in many of these areas. Afghanistan is one of those newly developed areas of endeavor for ISIS. Of course, Afghanistan and bordering areas of Pakistan has long been a sanctuary for al-Qaeda as well. Many foreign policy observers think we need to counter ISIS's growth anywhere they try to establish themselves (including Afghanistan). Read a report on ISIS and al Qaeda entitled Al Qaeda and ISIS: Existential Threats to the U.S. and Europe, Institute for the Study of War (ISW), January 2016.
http://understandingwar.org/report/al-qaeda-and-isis-existential-threats-us-and-europe

Stepping up the Fight against ISIS (or is it ISIL?). Ash Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has penned an opinion piece on the fight against the Islamic State. Read "Ash Carter: It's Time to Accelerate the ISIL Fight", Politico, January 22, 2016. He says the fight should take place in three forms 1) eliminating the centers of ISIS power in Raqqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq, 2) protecting the homeland, and 3) fighting ISIS where it is started to establish footholds - such as Afghanistan and Libya. Glad he is now on board!

ISIS Radio Station in Nangarhar. The Islamic State used the Internet and social media platforms to spread its message in Iraq, Syria, Libya and around the world. But in the impoverished country of Afghanistan most people have access to radio broadcasts but little access to the Internet. For that reason the Islamic State is using radio broadcasts to spread its message. Read "IS radio beams propaganda, threats across rural Afghanistan", Fox News, January 21, 2016.

Intelligence News

Intelligence and U3 Information. The world of conflict has changed but some people think the intelligence world has not kept up. In past years (as in the Cold War) collection was the prime emphasis - learning everything possible about the Soviet Union (and others). The new age of Hybrid Warfare has changed up the intelligence world. Some think that less collection needs to be done and more analysis has to take place in the intelligence community. Today's world is seeing the growth of 'open source' collection of 'ubiquitous, useful, and unclassified' information. Read more in an article by Josh Kerbel - Chief Analytic Methodologist at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) - "The U.S. Intelligence Community Wants Disruptive Change as Long as it's Not Disruptive", War on the Rocks, January 20, 2016.

CTC Sentinel. The most recent issue of "CTC Sentinel" published by the Combating Terrorism Center focuses on terrorism threats we will likely face in 2016.
www.ctc.usma.edu/publications/sentinel

Book Review. A new book is out about the Central Intelligence Agency. Mark Stout provides an analysis of the book for us in "The CIA's Constant Battle Between Secrecy and Effectiveness", War on the Rocks, January 22, 2016.

Clinton Emails. "The intelligence community believes that at least several dozen of the emails sent and received by Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of State contained classified material, including intelligence material classified at the highest levels, according to a new letter by the inspector general". The IG of the intelligence community says that the information is "Top Secret" and "Special Access Program" (SAP) information. The emails were received and sent (and stored) on a private server installed at Hillary Clinton's suburban New York home. Read "Intelligence community watchdog reconfirms that dozens of Clinton emails were classified", The Washington Post, January 19, 2016.

Airpower

Airpower and COIN. Much of the focus on combating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been the heavy use of airpower by the United States and its coalition partners. Some critics believe that air strikes are not enough and 'boots on the ground' are required. Others see a need for more special operations forces to train and advise the moderate Syrian rebels and the Iraqi military forces along with targeted strikes against ISIS leaders. Certainly what has become apparent is that ISIS will not be degraded or defeated by just airpower. One observer is Christoper A. Lawrence - the Executive Director and President of the Dupuy Institute. He has penned an article entitled "Airpower: Just Part of the Counterinsurgency Equation", Small Wars Journal, January 18, 2016.

His viewpoint is that there is no concrete evidence that airpower has destroyed an insurgency. I agree with the author that airpower is limited in its ability to counter an insurgency; but am troubled with comparing the Islamic State to an insurgency; I think they past the stage of insurgency in Iraq and Syria - at the moment. ISIS controls territory and masses forces to both gain and defend territory. Once an insurgency moves to a more conventional phase they start to present targets. Of course, more than just airpower is needed to defeat ISIS - advisors and ground forces are needed; but not necessarily U.S. ground troops.

A-29s Arrive in Kabul. The U.S. Air Force delivered four A-29 Super Tucanos to the Afghan Air Force in January 2016. Read more in "Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29s", U.S. Air Force News, January 19, 2016.

India's Mi-35 Helicopters. The four helicopters recently provided by India to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) are almost operational and may soon see combat in Helmand province. Read "India's Mi-35 Helicopters Ready for First Battle in Afghanistan", NDTV, January 21, 2016.

More C-208B Aircraft? The U.S. DoD has approved a new contract for 18 additional C-208B aircraft for the Afghan Air Force. The contract is worth about $55 million. (Airforce-techology.com, Jan 22, 2016).

A-10 Retirement Delayed. "After trying to retire the battle-tested A-10 Warthog for the past two years, Air Force officials concede that the plane is key to the war on ISIS", Read "Air Force to Delay A-10 Retirement, Thanks to ISIS", Defense One, January 13, 2016.

Video - 25 Years of Bombing. The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has produced a 5-minute long video entitled 25 Years of Bombing Iraq published on YouTube.com on January 14, 2016. The narrator provides a brief history of airpower and analyzes the contributions and limitations of airpower. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUttCk0L8Zw

Commentary

New Years Resolutions for Terrorism. Anthony H. Cordesman offers us some advice on how to contain terrorism. Read "New Year's Resolutions on Terrorism: Panic, Politics, and the Prospects for Honesty in 2016", Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), December 28, 2015.

General Milley and "AABs" and "SFABs". The Army Chief of Staff recently indicated that the the future Army force structure should have light brigades whose primary mission is to conduct Security Force Assistance (SFA). These brigades would be similar to the "Advise and Assist Brigades" deployed to Iraq and the "Security Force Assistance Brigades" deployed to Afghanistan. Two recent news articles provide more info 1) "Top Army general outlines plans for new brigades, new technologies", Army Times, January 21, 2016. 2) "Learning From Our Mistakes in Selection and Training of Military Advisors", SOFREP, January 14, 2016.

Stable Afghanistan Needed. A top advisor to the Afghan President was recently interviewed by Ashish Kumar Sen of the Atlantic Council. He states that Afghanistan plays a pivotal role in the economic prosperity of the greater region and the neighboring nations would benefit from a stable Afghanistan. Read "Security and Economic Development are Two Sides of the Same Coin", The Atlanticist, January 12, 2016.

Governance

RoL and Terrorist Detention Decree. "A recent decree by President Ghani on how to deal with terrorist crimes has introduced the prospect of detaining, without trial, Afghans (and foreigners in Afghanistan) suspected of planning acts of terrorism". Read "Casting a Very Wide Net: Did Ghani just authorise interning Afghans without trial?", by Lenny Linke and Kate Clark, Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), January 21, 2016.

Parliamentary Elections - October 2016. "Afghanistan's top election official says the country's long-delayed parliamentary elections have been scheduled for October 15." The Afghan legislature's 5 year term ended in June 2015 but elections were postponed because of security concerns and the rampart corruption of the 2015 presidential elections. Read more in "Afghan Election Officials Schedule Parliamentary Ballot for October 15", Radio Free Europe, January 18, 2016.

Security News

Instructor from 8th SOK on rifle range

Desertions and High Turnover Hurting ANDSF. Every year 1/3 of the Afghan National Army is replaced - soldiers exit the army replaced by recruits with 3 months of initial training. In addition, the army and the national police are suffering high desertion rates from posts where supplies, ammo, food, and pay are scarce. Read more in "Desertions deplete Afghan forces, adding to security worries", Reuters, January 18, 2016.

Helmand Province Update. Afghan forces are fighting to hold off the Taliban in three Helmand districts. (Reuters, Jan 19, 2016). In the meantime, General Phil Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, visited Helmand province and met with the newly appointed command team of the 215th Afghan National Army Corps. He had kind words to say about the new ANA commander; very little to say about the bleak security situation in the 215th Corps's area of operations. Read "Making a difference: ANA 215th Corps command team lead the way", NATO, January 20, 2016.

Insider Attack. Nine Afghan police officers were killed in an insider attack in the southern Urozgan province on Monday, January 18th.

U.S. Targeting ISIS. According to a recent news report the White House has given the Pentagon the legal authority to target the Islamic State in Afghanistan. (The Wall Street Journal, Jan 19, 2016). See also a report by Military Times, Jan 20, 2016.

Suicide Attack in Kabul on Wed. A suicide car bomb (or motorbike) went off on Darul Aman road near the Russian embassy. At least seven killed and twenty wounded. A minibus carrying staffers of Kabul Tolo TV may have been the intended target. Read "Kabul car bomb near Russia embassy", BBC News, January 20, 2016.

Organization of a Terrorist Movement

Daniel M. Gerstein, of the RAND Corporation and formerly of the Department of Homeland Security, says that " . . . strategies to deal with terrorism should be created based on an understanding of the nature of the terrorist threat and the structure of terrorist organizations." Gerstein says that there are four distinct elements of a terrorist organization organized in concentric circles - the leaders in the very center, the operational elements, operational supporters, and in the fourth and outside ring are the sympathizers. He further posits that each of the four elements much be addressed differently by security and police forces - ranging from 'capture kill' to 'outreach and education'. Read more in "Solving the Geometrical Problem of Terrorism", U.S. News & World Report, January 12, 2016.

Women Integrated into Combat

Sec Navy Pushing Gender Neutrality. Navy Secretary Pushing Obama's Social Engineering of Military. President Obama has a steadfast ally in the fight to fully integrate women into all aspects of the military. Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, has pressured the Navy and Marine Corps to lead the other services in gender neutral uniforms, terminology, and much more. Mabus was a leading figure in the Obama presidential campaign in Mississippi and was rewarded by given the Navy post. Read "Navy secretary builds legacy, one controversial brick at a time", Marine Corps Times, January 17, 2016.

First Females Opt for Marine Special Ops. The Marine Corps' Special Operations Command (MARSOC) has had its first female applicants. There have been several requests by women to enter the assessment and selection pipeline to become a critical skills operator. Read more in "First Female Marines Apply to MARSOC", Military.com, January 20, 2016.

Afghan War News Snippets

Emotional Reactions to Bergdahl. Welton Chang explores the robust explanations for the strength of the near-involuntary reactions to any mention of Bergdahl (the U.S. Army deserter) and his actions. Read "The Psychology Behind Strong Emotional Reactions to Bergdahl", Task & Purpose, January 18, 2016.

Petraeus to be Demoted? It appears that SECDEF Carter is going to weigh in on the General Petraeus case. It appears that he is leaning toward a demotion. Evidently it is okay to pass thousands of emails containing classified information over an unclassified non-government email server using your private email account while Secretary of State; but you can't pass a few small notebooks with your notes in them to an officer (LTC) in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps with a Top Secret clearance (who happens to be your biographer). Hrrrrummmmppph. See "Exclusive: Pentagon May Demote David Petraeus", The Daily Beast, January 18, 2016.

SIGAR Report on TFBSO. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) testified before Congress on January 20, 2016 on the failures of the DoD Task Force for Business and Stability Operations in Afghanistan (TFBSO). The preliminary results show serious management and oversight problems. You can read a transcript of the testimony posted on the website of SIGAR.

TFBSO and Goats for Afghanistan. Read "How the US Blew Millions of Dollars, Airlifting Cashmere Goats to Afghanistan", Mother Jones, January 21, 2016.

GPS Data and USAID Medical Centers. "The geospatial coordinates for a number of Afghanistan medical clinics are incorrect in data shared between the U.S. and allies in the region. In a report published earlier this month by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), some 10 of the 32 medical clinics set up by the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Kabul region have incorrect GPS coordinates . . . " Read "GPS data failing USAID hospitals in Afghanistan", C4ISR & Networks, January 19, 2016.

Taliban Telecom Tax. Looks like the Taliban have continued their practice of running a 'protection racket' for operators of Afghan telephone companies and tower operators. Read "Afghan Taliban flex muscles with new telecom tax", Yahoo! News, by Anuj Chopra, January 18, 2016.

Periodical - Military Officer. The January 2016 edition of the magazine by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is available online. Good interview of General Colin Powell (retired) on the 25th anniversary of Desert Storm.

PM Australia Commits More Troops. The prime minister for Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, has committed an extra 20 troops to the mission in Afghanistan to assist in the training of Afghan troops. He met with service members at Qarga - the Afghan national army's officer training academy. (The Chronicle, Jan 18, 2016).

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Sunday, January 17, 2016

Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter - Jan 17, 2016

Welcome to the Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter. Articles are posted online on the blog and sent out via email newsletter on Sunday morning. We welcome comments, ideas for stories, contributions, and guest writers! Visit our website at www.afghanwarnews.info, follow us on Twitter at @AfghanWarBlog, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/afghan-war-news.

Tajikistan's Security Woes

Map of Tajikistan - CIA

Tajikistan's Downward Spiral. Afghanistan shares a border area with Tajikistan in the northeast and this poses problems for Tajikistan. The border security organizations have been compromised with bribes from smugglers and drug traffickers. In addition, the re-emergence of Central Asian jihadist groups in northern Afghanistan, establishment of militants aligned with the Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan and elsewhere in the country, as well as the overall deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan does not bode well for Tajikistan. Internally, Tajikistan faces political turmoil and economic decline; surefire feeding grounds for the growth of militant jihadist groups. Learn more in a recent (Jan 11, 2016) by the Crisis Group entitled Tajikistan Early Warning: Internal Pressures, External Threats.

Islamic State a Threat to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. "Neither country has a military force capable of resisting incursions by the Islamic State (IS), the Taliban or other militant forces emanating from Afghanistan." (The Jamestown Foundation, Jan 12, 2016).

News Article on Crisis Group Report. Catherine Putz has penned an analysis of the Crisis Group's report. She says that the report points to opposition crackdowns as indicative of an unstable state. Read more in "Report Warns of Instability in Tajikistan", The Diplomat, January 12, 2016.

SOF News

JSOC Officers Moving Up. It appears that the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) crowd is doing well in the U.S. Army. General Votel, the current commander of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is likely to be nominated to head up Central Command - he formally commanded JSOC. LTG Tony Thomas will probably head to command USSOCOM - he commands JSOC and is also a former commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan. MG Scottie Miller, currently at Fort Benning and instrumental in overseeing the successful integration of women in Ranger School during 2015 has been mentioned for command of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Miller is a long-time Ranger Regiment and JSOC officer. He was a former commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A) and of the SOJTF-A.

New SOCKOR Cdr. The current deputy commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan - BG Tony D. Bauernfeind - is heading to Special Operations Command Korea. See "General Officer Assignments", DoD News Release, January 12, 2016.

SEALs Under Investigation. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is - once again - investigating allegations that Navy SEALs beat detainees in Afghanistan in 2012. Read more in "Investigation of SEAL conduct in Afghanistan is Reopened", The New York Times, January 14, 2016.

Webcast Event - "Acquisition for SOF". USSOCOM performs a variety of functions - one of those is the acquisition of services, products, and equipment for the SOF units and organizations of the four services. Mr. James F. Geurts, Acquisition Executive at USSOCOM, will be discussing the challenge of planning and executing acquisitions to equip our forces' most elite warriors. The event (webcast) is hosted by the Atlantic Council on Tuesday, January 19th at 4:30 pm EST.

SOF and the "Gray Zone". Terminology is constantly evolving in the military. New buzzwords make their debut, stick around for a while, and then fade away. One of the newest terms to enter the special operations community vocabulary is the "Gray Zone". This, according to some reports, is the space or area between peace and war. Read more in "Special Operations and the Challenge of Working in the Gray Zone", SOFREP, January 14, 2016.

Wanted: Foreign SOF to fight ISIS. "Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Thursday that the United States has asked more countries to send Special Operations troops to join the fight against the Islamic State, and not just typical partners like Britain and Australia." These countries probably include Jordan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Jordanian and UAE SOF units have long worked with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan and the relationships between the SOF units are strong. Read more in "Wanted: Foreign Special Operations troops to join the U.S. in targeting the Islamic State", The Washington Post, January 15, 2016.

US SOF Deploys to Iraq. Additional Special Operations Forces have arrived in Iraq to assist Iraqi troops with better coordinating and targeting for coalition airstrikes. While the President contends there are no 'boots on the ground'; what is certainly clear is a bunch of guys wearing sneakers or hikers are running around Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and a lot of other places around the world. In addition to the deployment of special operators key leaders with a SOF background being put into important positions with the military, state and elsewhere. Read "U.S. Special Operations Forces Deploy to Iraq", Foreign Policy Report, January 14, 2016.

Obama and SOF. Kim Dozier writes on how President Obama is turning to special operations forces to help manage hot spots in the world. Read "Obama Turns to Special Ops to Salvage His Legacy", The Daily Beast, January 15, 2016.

SOCEUR Cdr Visits Slovak SOF. The commander of Special Operations Command Europe visited the Slovak 5th Special Forces Regiment in Zilina on January 12th. The Slovak SOF have worked alongside U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan for a number of years. (The Slovak Spectator, Jan 15, 2016).

"Generation Kill vs Generation Cupcake". Dan O'Shea, a former Navy SEAL, writes on 'safe spaces' on college campuses and lack of 'safe spaces' in combat zones. (The Tampa Tribune, January 16, 2016.

ISIS Threatens UFC Fighter. Tim Kennedy, a UFC fighter who is also a Green Beret with time in 7th and 19th Special Forces Group, is on the receiving end of threats from the Islamic State. (Army Times, Jan 13, 2016).

Multi-Intel Drones for SOF. "Army aviation special operators want new unmanned aircraft systems that can carry multiple sensors to collect vital intelligence from the battlefield . . . " Currently special operations forces have a variety of small and mid-sized drones that can do many different things. SOF wants and 'all in one' platform. Read more in "Army Special Operations Want Multi-Intelligence UAVs.", Defense News, January 14, 2016.

SO/LIC Director Lumpkin to State. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operation and Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC), Mike Lumpkin, is in the mix for running the State Department's new Center for Global Engagement. He is a former U.S. Navy SEAL.

Four New A-29 Super Tucanos for AAF

Photo: Resolute Support HQs, Jan 15, 2016

Four A-29 Super Tucanos touched down at Kabul's international airport in mid-January 2016. It has taken a long time (years) to get to this stage but Afghanistan has finally got some fixed-wing aircraft so that the Afghan Air Force (AAF) can provide air support in its counterinsurgency fight against the Taliban. The A-29 is a light-support aircraft capable of conducting close air support, aerial escort, armed overwatch, and aerial interdiction. The first Afghan A-29 pilots completed over 300 days of flight training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, (U.S.) in December 2015. The pilots and their aircraft should be combat-ready in April. The AAF is expected to receive 20 a-29s in the next few years. Watch a short video (1 min) posted by Resolute Support hqs on YouTube.com on January 16, 2016 entitled The Afghan National Airforce gets four new A29s.

On a related note, one of the two missing Afghan airmen who disappeared in the United States in December 2015 has been located. The two were part of a group of 14 undergoing maintenance training for the A-29 aircraft at Moody AFB. One of the men was an AAF lietuenant while the other was a senior master sergeant. They went missing one week prior to their scheduled graduation and return to Afghanistan. (ABC News, Jan 14, 2016).

Women in Combat

Photo by Micaiah Anthony USAF

Selective Service for Women? With the new policy of opening up all combat arms jobs (to include special operations and aviation) to women some commentators are broaching the topic of mandating selective service registration for women. After all, the argument goes, along with opportunity and equal rights comes equal responsibility! However, there are some (Carl Forsling is one) that feel the Selective Service system is an antiquated relic of a bygone era and should be eliminated for all Americans. Read more in "Including Women Is Not the Right Next Step for Selective Service", Task & Purpose, January 5, 2016.

Women and Special Operations Forces. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced in December 2015 that women are now eligible to enter combat units, training, and occupations - including special operations forces. The success of three females in graduating from the U.S. Army Ranger School helped (in part) to pave the way for leadership decisions to allow women into the special operations community. Read more in "Integration of Women in SOF Units", SOFREP, January 14, 2016.

Article - "Truth about Women in Combat". One veteran, Daniel L. Davis, of both Iraq and Afghanistan says there are good reasons not to fully integrate women into combat units. Read "The Truth About Women in Ground Combat Roles", National Interest, January 14, 2016.

Panel Discussion - "Women Soldiers on the Battlefield". The Hoover Institution's National Security, Technology, and Law Working Group will be holding a discussion on the growing role of women soldiers in special operations and beyond in America's post-9/11 wars. The author of Ashley's War, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, will be present during the event. Event takes place in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, January 19th.

Intelligence News

Article - Presidential Intelligence. Samuel F. Rascoff has penned an article concerning the role of the President and the National Security Council in overseeing foreign intelligence collection. Rascoff is a Professor of Law as well as Faculty Director for the Center on Law and Security at the New York University Law School. Several responses to his article are also available. Read the article and responses in Harvard Law Review.

Commentary

Long-Term U.S. Commitment needed. "Can Americans - and their next president - see past short-term campaign promises to save Afghanistan?" Currently there are 9,800 U.S. military serving in Afghanistan. This number should stay constant for the remainder of this year. But a new president will soon take the reins and with that change will come new policies. Read more in "Building Afghan Security Requires a Long-Term U.S. Commitment", Defense One, January 11, 2016.

Time for a Permanent Advisory Unit? The odds are that the U.S. is going to be deploying advisors to Afghanistan and Iraq for a long time. In addition, the "Building Partnership Capacity (BPC)" mission to many areas of the world will require service members who know how to train, mentor, and advise. Perhaps the time has come to consider a full-time and permanent unit similar to the Advise and Assist Brigades (AABs) deployed to Iraq or the Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) deployed to Afghanistan? Read more in "Learning From Our Mistakes in Selection and Training of Military Advisors", SOFREP, January 14, 2016.

Podcast on Afghan War. One war correspondent with lots of time in Afghanistan is interviewed about his thoughts on the war and the upcoming year. Listen to Franz-Stefan Gady in Can the Afghan War Be Won in 2016?, The Diplomat, January 14, 2016.

Obama SOTU Address: Not Much to Say on Afg. In his annual State of the Union address President Barack Obama did not have much to say about the never-ending conflict in Afghanistan. But, then again, why bring up bad news when you are trying to paint a rosy picture about your presidency? Read more in "Afghan war grinds on, but it's mostly absent from Obama's final State of the Union", by Missy Ryan, The Washington Post, January 12, 2016.

Worries on Cutting Defense Spending. David A. Ochmanek, a senior defense analyst at RAND Corporation, is concerned about defense cuts. Read "If We Keep Cutting Defense Spending, We Must Do Less", RAND Corporation, January 2016.

Veteran Expresses Perspective on Continued Fighting. A Marine veteran, who served with the infantry in Afghanistan, reflects on the 15th year of the Afghan War. (Task & Purpose, Jan 14, 2016).

2015 Fighting Season. Jason Lyall, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, has posted a map depicting districts in Afghanistan that saw over 100 plus Taliban fighters gather to mount an attack on the Afghan security forces. See "Here are the five things you need to know about the 2015 fighting season in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, January 12, 2016.

Security News

Northern Afghanistan at Risk. Over the past few years the security situation in northern Afghanistan has slowly deteriorated. This area used to be fairly secure when compared to the rest of the country. However the re-establishment of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and emergence of significant pockets of Taliban groups has made this part of Afghanistan very dangerous. Not only is this a problem for Afghanistan but the growth of foreign fighter groups pose security difficulties for Central Asian states as well. Learn more in an essay by Abubakar Siddique entitled "Unrest in Northern Afghanistan Heralds Regional Threats", The Jamestown Foundation, January 7, 2016.

Darqad District Recaptured. After being held by the Taliban for over 75 days a district in northern Afghanistan has been re-captured by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Darqad district of northern Takhar province was taken by government forces on early Sunday, January 10th. Read more in "Security Forces Re-Take Takhar's Darqad District After Nearly 3 Months", Tolo News, January 10, 2016.

Embassy Emergency Msg. On Sunday, January 10th, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued an emergency message that said an unidentified group of militants planned to kidnap members of an NGO based in Nangarhar province. See the warning, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), January 10, 2016.

Senator Reed - "Conditions Based Withdrawal". Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has just returned from a visit to Afghanistan and says a few things have happened that require a re-look at the withdrawal plan for U.S. troops - the growth of ISIS in Afghanistan and the Taliban fighting through the winter season. Read "Senate Dem suggest Obama should shift Afghan plan", The Hill, January 15, 2016.

ANA - "Mission Incapable"? A secret NATO report seen by Der Speigel, a German magazine, says that the Afghan National Army (ANA) remains an entity hardly capable of carrying out the functions of a military force. Of its 101 infantry units only one has been characterized as effectively battle-ready, 38 are having massive problems, and ten battalions are not operational. High combat losses have reduced unit strength and readiness. Desertions has increased dramatically also reducing combat effectiveness. The Taliban enjoy unlimited movement in many provinces of Afghanistan; especially Helmand, Kandahar, Kunduz, and Badakhshan. Read more in "NATO Report Slams Afghan Army As Mission Incapable", Tolo News, January 10, 2016.

"Ghost Soldiers". A contributing factor to the ineffectiveness of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are the numerous "ghost soldiers" or "ghost policemen". A ghost soldier or policeman is one who is on the books, gets paid, but doesn't show up for work. Another type of "ghost" is one who has been killed or has left the security forces but whose paycheck goes to his commanding officer or some other corrupt official. Some estimates say that 40 percent of the police and army forces simply don't exist. Read more in "Ghost troops slowing down Afghanistan's military", CBS News, January 10, 2016.

"Community Policing". The Police-e Mardume Department of the Afghan Ministry of Interior has organized meetings between the police and citizens in the provinces. "Brigadier General Humayoon Aineed stated that the relationship between the people and the police has changed positively and the people trust the police". (His words, not mine). Read more in "Community Policing: Meetings with citizens result in cooperation and trust", European Union External Action, January 2016.

AAF to Receive MD-530F Choppers. According to a recent news report the Afghan Air Force (AAF) will soon receive more helicopters. See "Afghan Air Force to receive 12 warrior helicopters from US", Khaama Press, January 12, 2016.

Urban Ops by Taliban. Despite years of manning the city checkpoints (called "The Ring of Steel") the Afghan security forces are still not able to prevent high-profile attacks by the Taliban. Read more in "Taliban Step Up Urban Assaults, Testing the Mettle of Afghan Forces", The New York Times, January 9, 2016.

Most Dangerous City in the World? Ummm, yep. Kabul. Read more in "Top 7 World's Most Dangerous Cities", PPCorn, December 28, 2015.

Opium & Drug Addiction in Afghanistan

Camp Phoenix - Now Drug Rehab Center. Afghanistan has a serious drug addiction problem. Many of its addicts go to Kabul to seek cheap drugs and employment. They often find themselves living under the city's bridges over the Kabul River. In an effort to held drug addicts (and also to remove the public eyesore of addicts along the river bank) the Afghans have converted Camp Phoenix (located on the outskirts of Kabul on the Jalalabad Road) to a drug rehabilitation center where addicts receive medical assistance, meals, and a bed to sleep in. Read more in "From Under Kabul's Briges, Addicts Get Help at Old U.S. Base", The New York Times, January 10, 2016.

Cultural History of Opium. Over the last few decades Afghanistan has become the largest opium producer in the world. However, its early beginnings are found to be from outside Afghanistan. Read more in "On the Cultural History of Opium - and how poppy came to Afghanistan", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), January 11, 2016.

Helmand Province Update

Battle for Helmand. Much of the province is in the hands of the insurgents. The provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, remains secure but its citizens are worried. The district centers may be under the control of the government forces; but this usually means the government troops and police occupy a small compound of several buildings where the district government offices are located. Typically the district governor (DGov) and other government officials (MAIL, MRRD, etc.) are located in the provincial capital. Read more in "Afghanistan Taliban: Mistrust and fear in battle for Helmand", BBC News, January 13, 2016.

ICRC in Helmand Province. Watch a short video (2 mins) about the International Committee of the Red Cross activities in this very troubled province. Facebook, January 7, 2016.

Helmand Casualties. More than 700 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured in the last nine months in Helmand province. (Radio Free Europe, Jan 14, 2016).

Air Power

Should We Unleash America's Airpower in Afghanistan? David Petraeus (former ISAF commander and CIA Director) and Michael O'Hanlon (a cheerleader for a deeper involvement of U.S. forces in Afghanistan) combined in this opinion piece to argue that we need to increase the air strikes in Afghanistan to help the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces until such time that their air force can get up to speed. They argue that while the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coalition partners are conducting daily strikes to defeat (or degrade) the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria much less is being done in Afghanistan. Read more in "It's time to unleash America's airpower in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, January 14, 2016.

RoE for Air Support Too Restrictive? Eli Lake, a columnist who writes on foreign affairs and national security, shares his view on tight Rules of Engagement (ROE) for use of airpower in Afghanistan in "U.S. Forces Tied by Old Rules in Afghanistan", Bloomberg View, January 12, 2016.

Information Operations (IO) & Social Media

"Once again the Obama administration is revising its programs to counter and defeat the self-styled Islamic State, particularly on the battlefield of ideas. With no apparent decline in supporters flocking to the movement nor any shortage of unhinged murderers inspired by it, State Department officials announced that they were creating a new "Global Engagement Center" to combat the Islamic State online. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama me with social media-savvy representatives from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to convince them to join the effort". - - - -

This is yet one more attempt by the United States to attempt to win the social media battle against the Islamic State. Read more in "Why the U.S. Is Losing the War of Ideas Against Transnational Extremism", by Steven Metz, World Politics Review, January 15, 2016.

Governance

Report - Provincial Governors in Afghan Politics. When the current government of Afghanistan got its start post 9/11 the European powers put into place (with the agreement of some representatives of segments of Afghan society) a strong central government structure. This provided the executive branch - the President of Afghanistan - with the ability to appoint the 34 provincial governors. The presidency of Hamid Karzai was expected to usher in a new age of democracy and governance to Afghanistan - but it fell short. One of the areas where it failed was in sub-national governance and much of this failure is placed on the selection of the provincial governors of the Karzai period of rule. Read more in Provincial Governors in Afghan Politics, by Dipali Mukhopadha, United States Institute of Peace (USIP), January 8, 2016.

Ghazni Jailbreak of Sep 15 & Govt Failure. In September 2015 Taleban fighters broke into a jail in the province of Ghazni and feed hundreds of inmates. It was thoroughly planned and and lots of fighters participating. Read how it happened in "Ghazni Jailbreak: Where the government failed and its enemy succeeded", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), January 15, 2016.

Education in Afghanistan. Many observers and critics of the Afghan conflict wonder if the effort in lives and money has been worth it. U.S. government and military officials tend to provide information that would indicate the sacrifice has not been in vain. Many times they point to advances in medical services, the economy, and education as proof that things are much better than the years prior to 2002 under the Taliban regime. However, the news is not as rosy as we would be led to believe - especially in education. "An estimated 40 percent of Afghanistan's children are not in school." Read more in "Measuring Afghanistan's Education Problem", The Diplomat, January 13, 2016.

Talking about Peace Talks

On Monday, January 11th, the countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States and China gathered to discuss negotiations for future peace talks with the Taliban. These talks and a second round of talks to be held in Kabul on January 18th will lay the groundwork for future talks with the Taliban. Pakistan offered up a list of Taliban leaders who they say are willing to take part in peace negotiations. Any progress made will depend on Pakistan - as they support the Afghan Taliban and provide the group with sanctuaries from which to train, rest, refit, and plan operations. It is unknown what real progress has been made but the world is hopeful. One important person not attending the current round of peace talks is Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the current leader of the Afghan Taliban. (See article on Mansour by The Washington Post, Jan 10, 2016). The Embassy of Afghanistan (in D.C.) issued a joint press release about the outcome of the peace talks held in Islamabad on January 11th, 2016.

Key to Successful Peace Talks. The road to resolving the Afghan conflict through negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government lies with Pakistan's intentions. Is Pakistan sincere in wanting to bring stability and security to Afghanistan or are they more concerned with 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan and countering India's influence in the region. Read "The Key to Successful Afghan Peace Talks", SOFREP, January 14, 2016.

Involve Women in Peace Process. The Human Rights Watch organization wants the four countries engaged in talks to advance peace negotiations between the Taliban and Afghanistan to include women in the peace process. Read more in "Afghanistan: Set Out Concrete Plan to Involve Women", Human Rights Watch, January 12, 2016.

Differences an Obstacle to Talks. Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan are publicly airing their differences even amidst the latest round of peace talks.(Voice of America, Jan 11, 2016).

ISIS in Afghanistan

ISIS in Afghanistan - Meeting Some Challenges. In early 2015 it became apparent that the Islamic State was once again attempting to expand its reach across the globe. Now the target was Wilayat Khorasan - a territory encompassing Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it hasn't been smooth riding thus far as the Taliban are taking issue with the encroaching jihadist movement - and the Taliban has some significant advantages. but the fight isn't over yet. Read "The Graveyard of Caliphates", by Nathaniel Barr and Bridget Moreng, Foreign Affairs, January 13, 2016.

ISIS now Terrorist Group. The U.S. government has designated the Khorasan branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - sometimes referred to as ISIL-K - as a terrorist organization. The group currently operates in some of the remote parts of the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. (Khaama Press, Jan 14, 2016).

ISIS attack on Pakistani Consulate. The Pakistani's consulate in Jalalabad was attacked resulting in seven Afghan security personnel killed and ten civilians wounded. None of the consulate staff were wounded or killed. IS claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack was initiated with a suicide bomber targeting a police vehicle outside the consulate followed by two assailants entering a building next to the compound. (The Washington Post, Jan 13, 2016).

Consulate Attack an Expansion of IS Activities. Observers see an escalation by the Islamic State group in Afghanistan that should be worrying to the Afghan government. Read "Islamic State claim signals escalation by group in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, January 14, 2016.

ISIS: Shave Your Beard, Wear a Cross. ISIS is advising supporters, fighters, and recruits in the West to pretend to be Christians, shave their beards, and wear a cross in order to be successful in their "lone wolf attacks". (Voice of America, Jan 12, 2016).

U.S. Drone Strike Targets ISIS. News reports say that a U.S. drone launched a missile attack against Islamic State militants in eastern Nangarhar province on January 8th (Friday). Up to 20 militants are reported dead.(Reuters, Jan 10, 2016).

Desert Storm - 25 Years

Operation Desert Storm kicked off 25 years ago. In 100 hours the United States and its Coalition allies dislodged Iraqi military forces from Kuwait and forced their retreat towards Baghdad. (Photo from DoD).

Afghan War News Snippets

Flying the Flag. Troops overseas are counseled about flying the U.S. flag in combat zones. Typically, the directives state that the flag should only be flown alongside partner nations (Iraq, Afghanistan, NATO countries, etc.). However, sometimes units operating at small fire bases or on patrols have trouble containing their patriotism. During a recent battle in Helmand province a Special Forces detachment took time out to briefly fly the American flag on top of a building. The SF team had suffered one death and two wounded during an intense firefight engagement with the Taliban. Read more on this topic in "This patriotic photo of Green Berets in Afghanistan is circulating after this week's deadly attack", by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, January 8, 2016.

Canadian Hostage Released by Taliban? A Canadian has been freed from captivity in Afghanistan after being taken hostage by the Taliban five years ago. Read more in "Canadian freed five years after Taliban kidnapping", Yahoo! News, January 11, 2016.

SACEUR Visit to Kabul. The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) recently visited Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul and met with senior RS officers. See "SACEUR visits HQ RS", January 11, 2016.

Russia and TAPI. The gas pipeline that will (hopefully) run from Turkmenistan to India (crossing Afghanistan) is proceeding in its construction. The completion of TAPI is certainly not in Russia's interests and it is proposing several alternatives. Read "Russia and the TAPI Pipeline", The Jamestown Foundation, December 18, 2015.

Russia Supplying Wpns to Afg? More and more news reports say that Russia will possibly start providing weapons to Afghanistan. Russia is concerned about the increasing instability of Afghanistan and the possibility that jihadist groups will turn their eyes northward from Afghanistan towards the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Read more in "Russia to Supply Small Arms to Afghanistan", Associated Press, January 13, 2016.

MoH Recipient Interview. Captain (Ret) Flo Groberg received the Medal of Honor for his actions in saving fellow servicemen during an attack in February 2012. Read an interview by Mike Kelvington posted on The Havoc Journal, January 15, 2016.

Doctors Absent from Rural Areas. Medical centres tend to be concentrated in urban areas, leaving villagers little access to care. Read more in "More Doctors Needed in Afghan Districts", Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), January 2016.

New Book - "The Lovers". Rod Nordland, an author and correspondent for The New York Times, has wrote a book about a young Afghan couple who risked everything for love. Read more about the book at Harper Collins Publishers.

RS HQs Video. This 1-minute long video posted by Resolute Support HQs provides a brief explanation of the "Train, Advise, and Assist" mission of NATO in Afghanistan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbt1R4DfASs

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter - January 10, 2016

U.S. Special Forces Soldier KIA in Marjar, Helmand

Matthew McClintock
U.S. Army Photo

A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier was killed during fighting in Marja district of Helmand province on January 5, 2016. SSG Matthew Q. McClintock, age 30, of 1st Battalion 19th Special Forces Group was killed by small arms fire. His SFODA was accompanying an Afghan SOF unit in an advisory capacity when it encountered insurgents. Two other SF Soldiers were wounded in the engagement. One rescue helicopter was waved off due to enemy fire and another rescue helicopter was grounded with its crew in the vicinity of the attack due to fire received or a mechanical issue. Four Afghan Special Ops personnel were also wounded. News reports indicate it took several hours to evacuate the wounded special operators due to the intense fighting. McClintock was on his third combat tour. He had previously served with the 1st Cavalry Division and the 1st Special Forces Group. He leaves behind a wife and infant son.

News Reports on the incident:

"Casualty Report", USFOR-A News Release, January 5, 2016.

"Afghanistan conflict: US casualties on special forces mission", BBC News, January 5, 2016.

"DoD Identifies Army Casualty", DoD News Release, January 6, 2016.

"DoD identifies Special Forces soldier killed in Afghanistan", Army Times, January 6, 2016.

"Pentagon identifies Army Special Forces soldier killed in Afghanistan", The Washington Post, January 6, 2015.

Helmand Province at Risk

Map WikipediA - Creative Commons

The Taliban have passed on their usual winter break in Helmand province. Usually the TB fighters head to their homes or cross the border to their sanctuaries in Pakistan - returning in the spring for the start of the new fighting season in the April or May time frame. This year has been different. Many of the districts of Helmand province are under the control of the Taliban. Although the Afghan government claims to control some of the districts - this control is usually just the district center . . . a group of government buildings within a walled compound with 30 to 60 Afghan National Police (ANP) protecting it. The roads and countryside outside of the district center is a no-go area for government troops and police unless in large convoys. Helmand province is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of the Taliban. There are many observers who see the fight in Helmand as one between tribes over control of the drug trade and not so much as one between insurgents and government forces. Listed below are a number of recent news stories about the current security situation in Helmand province.

"Utah soldiers under fire in latest Afghanistan fighting", The Salt Lake Tribune, January 7, 2016. Teams from the Army National Guard's Special Forces are in Afghanistan. The death of an SF Soldier prompts questions on the U.S. role in Afghanistan. Are they doing "Train, Advise, and Assist" or conducting combat. The Pentagon says that the troops are in a 'combat situation' but not 'a combat role'. Read more in "Pentagon: US troops in 'combat situation' in Afghanistan", The Hill Blog, January 7, 2016.

"Washington Policy Leaves Special Forces Soldiers Flapping in the Breeze in Marjah, Afghanistan", SOFREP, January 7, 2016. Questions surface about the air support and quick reaction forces timeliness to relieve the surrounded SF team in Marjah district. See also "Congressman questions if Army Special Forces denied rescue force, fire support", The Washington Post, January 7, 2016. And, of course, the official party line is provided in "CENTCOM: AC-130 'absolutely did fire' in Marjah battle against Taliban", Stars and Stripes, January 8, 2016.

"Bagram F-16s Support Helmand Province Operations", DVIDS Video (2 mins), January 6, 2016. Aircraft based at Bagram Air Field provide CAS across the country.

Losing Marjah District to the Taliban. In 2010, the U.S. Marines, supported by other services and Coalition members mounted a huge offensive - called Operation Moshtarak - to take Marjah district, Helmand province from the Taliban. The Taliban fought but were defeated and moved on to other sanctuaries to continue the fight. The attempt to establish governance by the Afghan government in Marjah district - which the U.S. was calling 'governance in a box' - failed miserably. A misunderstanding of Afghan ideology is key to the coalition's failure to maintain control of the district. After the pullout of the U.S. Marines a few years back the Taliban returned. Read more in "A look at how the US-led coalition lost Afghanistan's Marjah district to the Taliban", by Heath Druzin, Stars and Stripes, January 16, 2016.

"A critical Afghan town, once secure, is now a Taliban hotbed again", by Max Boot, Business Insider, January 6, 2016. Max reports on a place that was hard-fought for by the Marines and others. See also "Much Sacrifice, Little Progress", by Max Boot, Commentary, January 6, 2016.

"Taliban Tactics Hinder Special Operations Forces", by Mark Moyer, Military History in the News, Hoover Institution of Stanford University, January 7, 2016. Moyer explains how the irregular tactics of the Taliban have confounded U.S. security forces.