Afghan War Blog

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Movies, Books, and Videos about Afghanistan

A State Built on Sand: How Opium Undermined Afghanistan, SOAS University of London, September 7, 2017. The lecture is given by Dr. David Mansfield, at the Centre of Contemporary Central Asia & The Caucasus. The role of rural communities in Afghanistan is explored as well as how local politics shape the political terrain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=foWqSptszPs

Podcast - Johnny Walsh on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan, United States Institute for Peace (USIP), March 14, 2018. An 'Afghan expert' provides his perspective on the current attempts to establish a peace negotiation process in Afghanistan. Walsh has a lot of experience with Afghanistan to include time spent with the U.S. Department of State.
www.usip.org/publications/2018/03/johnny-walsh-us-strategy-afghanistan

Women are Making a Change in Afghan Media, Resolute Support, March 16, 2018. A one-minute long video features a media analyst at the Bayan Media Center in Mazar-e-Sharif.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IsFutH88H4

Wpns Training for Mobile Strike Force, Resolute Support, February 28, 2018. (2 mins).
www.dvidshub.net/video/589506/afghans-graduate-mounted-heavy-machine-gun-course-ready-teach-their-soldiers

SFAB - "Everyone is an Expert in Their Field". Colonel Scott Jackson, 1st SFAB Cdr, is interviewed about his unit and their upcoming Afghan mission. (US Army Facebook, Mar 14, 2018, 2 mins).
www.facebook.com/USarmy/videos/10155766554323558/

AAF Strike Story for AFN, Resolute Support, March 6, 2018, 1-min long.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/588948/aaf-strike-story-afn

Security Force Assistance Brigade Buzz, U.S. Army, March 11, 2018 (1 min). SFABs are specialized conventional units built to train, advise, assist, accompany, and enable our multinational partners.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlJdAzUxEL8

Collaboration and Professionalism at Bayan Media Center. Afghan media professionals work closely with advisors from the Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North in supporting the ANDSF in their mission for a secure and stable environment for northern Afghanistan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwo_qRtU6wA

View a list of videos about Afghanistan.

Internet References for Afghan Conflict

Afghan War News Site Map
www.afghanwarnews.info/sitemap.htm

Glossary of Terminology Used in Afghanistan
www.afghanwarnews.info/glossary/afghanglossary.htm

Afghanistan: Annotated Bibliography for Resolute Support
www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

Guest Writers Welcomed

The Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter encourages those who have an opinion or story to tell about Afghanistan to share it with our audience. Topics can be wide-ranging as long as it relates to Afghanistan. Writings on issues concerning security, governance, politics, development, gender, culture, history, society, peace negotiations, corruption, and more are welcomed. Our newsletter subscribers are a varied group of individuals from around the world with an association with many different organizations to include the military, government, NGOs, and academia. Our editorial staff will work with you to polish up your article should your writing or English skills need some assistance. Send your ideas to staff@afghanwarnews.info.

Stay Current on Afghanistan

You can receive the Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter by email. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 0500 U.S. East coast time or just after lunch (1330) in Kabul every Sunday. It is easy to subscribe. To submit your subscription request go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and enter your email in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box at the top of the right hand column. The only info needed is your email. No personal data, no forms to fill out, and no passwords needed. You will receive a confirmation email asking you if you want to subscribe. Just confirm and you are done. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

"Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter" - March 11, 2018

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.

SIGAR Report - District Control

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) January 2018 Quarterly Report to the United States Congress was heavily edited by Resolute Support Headquarters which resulted in key data relating to security in Afghanistan being deleted from the report. Resolute Support and the U.S. Department of Defense took a considerable amount of 'heat' over the omission and this was quickly reversed.

A new 17-page addendum to the latest quarterly report has now been published that includes data originally missing. For the most part this addendum includes information on territorial and population control. One of the metrics used in assessing the success or failure of the Resolute Support Mission and that of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) is to measure that percentage of population under the control of the government and the amount of territory under the control of the government.

It is a little bit more complicated than that - as different criteria are used. For instance a district can be under insurgent control or influence. A district can be contested. Or a district can be under government control or influence. And it matters on whether you are measuring population or territory. Much of the Afghan population lives in district capitals, provincial capitals, major cities, and Kabul. Most of these major towns and cities are firmly under the control of the Afghan security forces. So using a percentage of the population as a measurement is probably (from the Afghan government or RS viewpoint) better than the number of districts (as many districts are in rural areas). USFOR-A and RS use a RS District Assessment Methodology that is described in the SIGAR report.

The RS methodology has some built in faults. For instance for a district to be under insurgent influence there has to be no government or security presence in the district center. A district center is usually a walled compound with 3 to 8 buildings where the district governor (DGov), district chief of police (DCoP), and other government representatives (MRRD, MAIL, etc.) have offices. By this criteria, even if the security forces cannot venture out of the gates of the compound, the DGov (and other government ministry representatives are not present - and who determines whether they report to work or not), and the district center is resupplied by helicopter with fuel, food, ammunition, and more; the district is considered not under insurgent influence. The insurgents may roam freely throughout the district with firm control of the roads, market, and outlying areas but they still do not have district influence. A more accurate picture of district control is provided by the Long War Journal.

Learn more about district control.
www.afghanwarnews.info/districts/district-control.htm

Read the SIGAR addendum.
www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Addendum_2018-01-30qr.pdf

TA3E - The Security Force Assistance Mission

Advisors using translation kits

(photo by Afghan GMIC July 13, 2017)

Reporting on the 'Train, Advise, and Assist' Mission. The renewed emphasis and modest increase in the advisory effort with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will not win the war; however, it is an important component of the U.S. and NATO strategy for Afghanistan. For that reason, the Afghan War Blog will continue to report on Security Force Assistance efforts by NATO and other Coalition / Partner nations.

NODs and the ANDSF. One one of the more important pieces of equipment when trying to 'own the night' is access to night observation devices (night vision goggles or night vision goggles). Attempts in the past to equip Afghan forces with NODs were half-hearted and lacking accountability. At one time, the issue of NODs was suspended because the ANDSF couldn't track the whereabouts of the NODs. The fear was that they had fallen into the hands of insurgents. In addition to the accountability problem (halting the provision of NODs) there is the bureaucracy and cost involved. So the simple solution of "Just give them NODs" is actually very complicated. Read more in an article by Sunny Petzinger - a member of the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce detailed to the Army to work as a Political and Civil Affairs Advisor based in Kandahar from 2016-2017. Read "When Made-in-the-USA isn't Afghan-Good-Enough", Small Wars Journal, March 5, 2018.

"Temporareality" and Advising. Greg Kleponis, is a retired USAF Colonel who has served in advisory capacities in both Iraq and Afghanistan during the last 10 years. His most recent post was as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Interior (Afghanistan) where he served as an advisor on security, anti-terror, and rule of law programs. Read his very interesting article entitled "Temporareality: Permanent Contingency Operations and the Pervasive Influence it Has on Military Operations & Culture and the Afghan Perceptions of Commitment", Small Wars Journal, March 7, 2018.

News & Info about the 1st SFAB

Video about 1st SFAB. On March 5, 2018 the U.S. Army published a video about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - now on deployment to Afghanistan.
www.sof.news/video/video-1st-sfab/

References

Read more about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

Read recent news reports about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

Read about the Army's newly established Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA).

Commentary on Afghanistan

General Nicholson - In Too Deep? Wesley Morgan, a defense journalist, examines the RS Cdr's track record over the past two years and wonders if the commander is 'sugar coating' how well the Afghan security forces are doing. Read "Is the top general in Afghanistan in too deep?", Politico, March 5, 2018. See also (posted in last weeks newsletter) "General John Nicholson - Two Years as RS Commander", SOF News, March 2, 2018.

Catch 22. One writer's perspective on Afghanistan sees the global war on terror which began in 2001 heading nowhere. "Afghanistan's Catch-22", Indian Defence Review, March 2, 2018.

"For Afghanistan, there is nothing different about the year that has just begun except that there is more violence, increasing political fragmentation, a slowing economy, and rising discontent amongst the domestic population".

Protracted Stalemate. Ali Wyne, a policy analyst at RAND Corporation, provides his perspective on the current security situation in Afghanistan. He believes that the ANDSF won't be 'turning the corner' any time soon and the Afghan government will only stay in power so long as the U.S. and its allies remain in Afghanistan. (The RAND Blog, Feb 26, 2018).

More Dialogue Needed. Adam Weinstein writes that "An end to the war in Afghanistan lies in dialogue and if Washington doesn't adapt it will soon get left behind". Weinstein is a veteran of the Afghan conflict, a former Marine, writer on national security issues. See his article in "Dialogue With Taliban the Only Way Out of Afghanistan", The American Conservative, March 5, 2018.

Afghan Security News

Afghan Soldiers at the Artillery School Working on D-30

(photo DVIDS, December 2010)

German National Captured with Taliban 'Red Unit'. On February 27th Afghan special operations forces captured a German national who was acting as an advisor to the Taliban's 'special forces'. (Long War Journal, March 6, 2018).

Afghan Commandos Suffer Casualties. Initial news reports in Afghan media say that Afghan SOF endured some heavy losses in Farah province (western Afghanistan). The province has seen a rapid deterioration in security over the past two years and a growth of the insurgency's strength. According to one news report a Commando element was in an engagement where it suffered 35 KIA and 17 WIA on / about March 10th. Over the past several days ASSF have conducted a number of offensive operations against the Taliban, Tehrik-I Taliban, ISIS-K, and Haqqani. Read a recent new release by Maj Anthony Mayne of NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (NSOCC-A) in "Afghan SOF raids and U.S. airstrikes target weapons facilitators", DVIDS, March 9, 2018.

Afghan SOF Aviation Host Conference. The Afghan Special Mission Wing (SMW) recently held a two-day ISR conference in Kabul to improve ISR procedures within the ANDSF. (RS HQs, Mar 9, 2018)

Female Police Officers. Read the story of a women who works as a police officer in southern Afghanistan. When her husband, a police officer, was killed by the Taliban she needed a way to support her family (four small children). Read "Female police officers help security on Afghan front line", Reuters, March 8, 2018.

"Great Northern Council". Local Afghan leaders in and around the Bagram Air Field area have joined together with Resolute Support representatives to enhance cooperation and security. (DVIDS, Mar 1, 2018).

Afghan Women in ASSF. The Afghan SOF are recruiting and training women to join the Afghan elite units of the MoI and MoD. Read "Afghan Special Security Forces Women: Pushing boundaries, Breaking barriers", by Martha Schaeffer, NSOCC-A Gender Advisor, March 8, 2018.

USAF Guardian Angel Team. The 93rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron stages Guardian Angel teams - consisting of pararescuemen and combat rescue officers - to conduct personnel recovery in Afghanistan. Read how they work with U.S. Army Chinook helicopters to accomplish their mission. "Joint Air Force, Army team enhances Afghanistan rescue mission", DVIDS, March 9, 2018.

Germany's Long Hard Slog. A new government report on military and civilian engagement in Afghanistan makes no mention of progress. The worsening security situation is severely hampering German efforts to assist the ANDSF and provide for reconstruction aid. (Deutsche Welle, Mar 6, 2018).

Germany to Raise Troop Level. The German cabinet approved plans to expand Germany's mission in Afghanistan - bringing the total number of troops to 1,300. Germany is the lead nation for the Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North (TAAC North). (Reuters, Mar 7, 2018).

US Granted Access to Kazakhstan Ports. Government officials of Kazakhstan say that the U.S. can ship material and equipment across the Caspian Sea to ports in their country. From there the goods can be shipped by rail or truck through Uzbekistan and then into northern Afghanistan. This will partially relieve the pressure of dealing with either the Russians, Pakistanis, or Iranians to ship material and equipment to support the war effort in Afghanistan. Using this route will provide relief from the problematic northern distribution network used in the past. (Tolo News, Mar 8, 2018).

Government and Politics

Political Crisis of NUG. Murid Partaw, an academic writer and researcher, writes about the continuing political crisis of the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG). He calls for the implementation of electoral reforms that can ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in 2019. Partaw served as the AFG senior National Representative (SNR) to the US Central Command for four years. Read "Afghanistan Braces for Its Next Political Crisis", The National Interest, March 1, 2018.

Development and Economic News about Afghanistan

Fiber-Optic Line. The Afghan Ministry of Communication and IT (MCIT) says that a fiber optic cable line streaming an Internet connection from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan is expected to run alongside the TAPI pipeline. (Tolo News, Mar 5, 2018).

India, Development, and Afghanistan. India has played a responsible role in Afghan economic development according to Alice Wells - the Acting Assistant Secretary of State of South and Central Asian Affairs. (The New Indian Express, Mar 10, 2018).

JHOC Taught by USAID. The United State Agency for International Development held a two-day course for U.S. military members at Bagram AF in January. The Joint Humanitarian Operations Course (JHOC) helps prepare military leaders and planners to work collaboratively with civilian agencies during international disaster relief and humanitarian assistance operations. Read "On Standby: Preparing the U.S. military in Afghanistan for humanitarian operations", Resolute Support, March 2018.

News Snippets

More Signal Resources Needed for Increase in Troops. The South Asia Strategy outlined by the Department of Defense over the past several months means more troops, vehicles, equipment, and logistics is required in Afghanistan. Included in this variety of material is signal equipment for the new aviation units (ISR, A-10s, etc.) and ground units (like the 1st SFAB). Read how the 355th Signal Command (T) Provisional is getting that equipment into Afghanistan. "U.S. Army Signaleers Vital to New Strategy in Afghanistan", DVIDS, March 6, 2018.

Cooperation between China and US is Needed. A recent 12-page report by David Rank, a 27 year veteran of the U.S. Department of State contends that meaningful cooperation between the U.S. and China is urgently needed to repair the frayed regional consensus on Afghanistan and set the country on a path to reconciliation and stability. (United States Institute for Peace, March 6, 2018).

Report - Insecurity in Helmand Province. According to one academic there are three important drivers of the conflict in Helmand - the influence of warlords, the factor of agricultural land rights, and the drug trade. He also offers some policy recommendations in his 16-page paper entitled Local Drivers of War in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. (By Qayoom Suroush, OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Policy Brief #47, March 2018).

Assessment of Norway's Engagement in Afghanistan. In 2014 the government of Norway completed an intensive study on Norway's commitment to the country of Afghanistan during the years 2001 to 2014. The study highlights three areas: the PRT in Faryab province, the combined effort of the Norwegian special forces and intelligence service, and Norwegian peace diplomacy. Read "A Good Ally: Norway in Afghanistan 2001-2014", Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2014, 238 pages.

Camp Buehring - Theater Gateway. Are you in the U.S. military and heading to Afghanistan soon? Odds are your unit will pass through Kuwait. Camp Buehring exists to streamline the deployment of units into Afghanistan as well as into other areas in the CENTCOM AOR. Read more in "Theater Gateway Now Open at Camp Buehring", DVIDS, March 8, 2018.

Books, Movies, and Videos on Afghanistan

Book Review - Blindsided by the Taliban. Steve Leonard, a former senior military strategist and now a writer on national security, has reviewed Carmen Gentile's book Blindsided by the Taliban: a Journalist's Story of War, Trauma, Love, and Loss. This non-fiction book is the story of a war journalist hit in the head with an RPG in Kunar province and of his subsequent recovery from physical and emotional injuries. Read the review in "The Moments That Make a War", Modern War Institute, March 6, 2018.

TAAC-W Visited by SACEUR and US Rep to NATO. A 3-min long video features two high-level U.S. officials that visit Herat. (DVIDS, Feb 24, 2018).

Book - Caravan of Martyrs: Sacrifice and Suicide Bombing in Afghanistan. David B. Edwards, a Professor of Anthropology at Williams College in Massachusetts, has written a book about Afghanistan (University of California Press, 2017) based on his previous life experience in Afghanistan and his continual specialization in the country. Edwards states that we need to understand the rise of suicide bombing in relation to the cultural beliefs and ritual practises associated with sacrifice. Read more about the book (or order online).
www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520294790

View a list of videos about Afghanistan.

Internet Resources for Afghan Conflict

Guest Writers Welcomed

Keep Current on Events in Afghanistan

Sunday, March 4, 2018

"Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter" - March 4, 2018

Peace Package Offered to Taliban

President Ghani proposed a detailed peace package to the Taliban during the Kabul Process meeting. His offer follows the Taliban's call to the United States to reopen a peace dialogue working through the Taliban's Qatar office. The Afghan president's proposal is broad and sweeping. He offers shelter, security, and the release of Taliban prisoners. But more important is the offer to recognize the Taliban as a political party, and amendment of the Afghan constitution, and talks without preconditions.

Abdul Rahman Rahmani, a guest contributor to this blog, provides his perspective on President Ghani's peace initiative. He offers some suggestions for the implementation and some steps to be taken in the future. Read his article entitled Peace Package Offered to Taliban; What Next?, posted on Afghan War News, March 3, 2018.

www.afghanwarnews.info/articles/20180303-peace-package-offer-by-ghani.html

Abdul Rahman Rahmani has a bachelor of sociology and philosophy from Kabul University, is an Afghan Army aviation pilot, and author of the book Afghanistan: A Collection of Stories. He currently is a student at the Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia.

Kabul Process

Peace Is In The Air. A few weeks back the Taliban addressed a letter to the people of the United States to open up peace talks. This past week President Ghani presided over the Kabul Process held in Kabul. The event, attended by over 25 countries and various international organizations, was an attempt to discover ways to resolve the Afghan conflict. In his 30-minute long opening remarks Ghani offered to negotiate with the Taliban "without preconditions". Links to various news reports, analysis, and commentary about the Kabul Process are provided below:

Taliban Calls for Peace Talks. The insurgent group is urging the United States to begin talks to end the war in Afghanistan. The group says it wants a peaceful resolution. Evidently it is seeking direct Taliban to U.S. talks; bypassing the government of Afghanistan. Read "Afghan Taliban renew call for dialogue with U.S. to end war", Reuters, February 26, 2018.

"Afghanistan's Ghani Offers Talks with Taliban 'without preconditions'", Reuters, February 28, 2018. Ghani offered recognition of the Taliban as a political group as part of a proposed political process that would lead to talks to end the 16 years of war. His comments are regarded as a significant shift for the Afghan president.

"Afghan government offers genuine, lasting peace mechanism", Pajhwok News, February 28, 2018. The government suggested seven different building blocks for peace-making.

"Ghani Offers Unconditional Talks, Legitimacy to Afghan Taliban", Voice of America, February 28, 2018. "The peace process will be held in three stages of negotiations, approval, and implementation".

"An Open Letter to the Taliban". Several weeks back the Taliban leadership sent an 'open letter' to the people of the United States expressing their desire for peace talks to resume. This, at the same time that the insurgents are conducting large-scale suicide bombings in Kabul and other large cities in Afghanistan. Barnett Rubin, an American and scholar on Afghanistan, has responded with "An Open Letter to the Taliban". (The New Yorker, February 27, 2018).

The Way to Peace. Barnett R. Rubin of the Center on International Cooperation (and Afghan 'expert') thinks the way to peace in Afghanistan is through infrastructure investment and connecting to the Chinese and Indian mega-economies. See "Theses on Peacemaking in Afghanistan: A Manifesto", War on the Rocks, February 23, 2018.

"Scant Success of Past Efforts". Carmen Gentile, book author and war correspondent, provides his take on the latest rounds of peace talk initiatives by the Afghan government and the Taliban in "Is Peace Possible in Afghanistan?", Atlantic Council, February 28, 2018.

"A Diplomatic Perspective". Richard Olson - a former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and 'expert' on Afghanistan, provides his thoughts on the prospects for peace in "Ending the War in Afghanistan: a Diplomatic Perspective", Center for Strategic & International Studies, February 28, 2018.

TA3E - "Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, & Enable"

207th Corps - Afghan National Army

Reporting on the 'Train, Advise, and Assist' Mission. The renewed emphasis and modest increase in the advisory effort with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will not win the war; however, it is an important component of the U.S. and NATO strategy for Afghanistan. For that reason, the Afghan War Blog will continue to report on Security Force Assistance efforts by NATO and other Coalition / Partner nations.

Training and Equipment Needs of ANDSF. Ahmad Murid Partaw writes on how the Afghan security forces must increase focus on training and equipment. Partaw is an alumnus of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. In addition, he is a former Afghan Army major and served as Afghanistan's senior national representative to U.S. Central Command. His article is posted in the CENTCOM quarterly periodical UNIPATH. Read "Aiding Afghanistan", February 2018.
http://unipath-magazine.com/aiding-afghanistan/

Updated Senior Advisor Training Requirements for RS. On February 15, 2018 the Commander of the Resolute Support Mission, General John Nicholson, approved updated senior advisor training requirements for uniformed personnel deploying in support of operations in Afghanistan. A pilot program to implement these training requirements begins in June of 2018.

Seminar on SFA. The primary mission of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance (SFA). Norway is hosting a seminar on the topic in March 2018.
www.prio.org/Events/Event/?x=8619

News & Info about the 1st SFAB

"Soldiers, With Empathy: U.S. Army Creates Dedicated Advisor Brigades", National Public Radio, February 27, 2018.

"On the Security Force Assistance Brigade", Partisan Source, March 2, 2018.

References

JCISFA Quarterly February 2018

The JCISFA Quarterly is now posted online. This February 2018 issue by the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance has a wealth of information about the Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission. Access to the newsletter requires login.

JCISFA is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) controlled activity that reports to the Joint Staff J7, Joint Force Development. JCISFA supports the integration of Security Force Assistance (SFA) capabilities into the current and future Joint Force in order to advance joint warfighting capability.

Some of the articles in this issue:

"Building the Ready Bench"
"JISFA Attends CENTCOM Training Conference"
"Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson Visits JCISFA"
"Aviation Security Cooperation Works to Advance Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power"
"Security Force Assistance in the 2017 National Security Strategy"
"Foreign Policy Advisor Visits JCISFA"

https://jcisfa.jcs.mil
https://www.facebook.com/JCISFA
https://twitter.com/JCISFA

Two Years as RS Commander - An Assessment

General John Nicholson has completed two years as the commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. He took on a challenging task at a time when resources available were minimal and the Taliban were experiencing a resurgence. His tour was marked with a deteriorating security situation - the Taliban today control or contest more territory than at any other time since they lost power in 2001. The Afghan government is experiencing a crisis with infighting between the camps of President Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah. Strong political figures like Dostum, Noor, and Raziq are challenging the legitimacy of the National Unity Government (NUG). The list of adverse conditions Nicholson faces is extensive.

However, he seems to have managed a difficult situation given the constraints he is working under. He and his staff - working with the Afghan government, CENTCOM, DoD, and NATO - have pushed forward a strategy that was approved by the presidential administration. This new strategy provides for greater authorities, more air support, advisors closer to the front lines, and a modest increase in troop levels. It may buy more time for the Afghan security forces to finally force the Taliban to the negotiating table.

Read more on General Nicholson's performance in
"General John Nicholson - Two Years as RS Commander"
SOF News, March 2, 2018.
www.sof.news/afghanistan/general-john-nicholson/

Commentary on Afghanistan

General Nicholson's Report Card. General John Nicholson has been in command of NATO's Resolute Support Mission for two years - as of March 2, 2018. He is very familiar with Afghanistan -having served as a brigade commander, RC deputy command, and operations officer for ISAF. So how has he done? Read "General John Nicholson - Two Years as RS Commander", SOF News, March 2, 2018.

Anthony Cordesman on Afghanistan. A scholar at the Center for Strategic & International Studies has penned an opinion piece about the lack of an overall U.S. strategy for much of the world in conflict. Along with many other trouble areas of the world he has some thoughts on Afghanistan (in quotes below). Found in "America's Chaos Strategy in the Middle East and South Asia", CSIS, February 26, 2018.

"America has made major improvement to its tactics and force development plans in Afghanistan, but done nothing to deal with civil and political stability. It not only faces a deteriorating security situation, it has no clear political, governance, or economic strategy to produce Afghan stability. It also ignores the fact that the central government seems to be shrinking back to becoming the government of 'Kabulistan'"

"Things Are No Better in Afghanistan". Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, says it is not too late for the administration to break the cycle of strategic folly that has categorized America's misadventure in Afghanistan. (Real Clear Defense, Feb 27, 2018).

Afghanistan Options for the U.S. Bing West, a military historian, provides us his thoughts on the future of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan in "Afghanistan Options: Leave, Increase, Stand Pat, or Cut Back", Strategika, Hoover Institution - Stanford University, February 26, 2018.

Winning the Drug War. M. Ashraf Haidari writes about "How America Can Win the Drug War in Afghanistan", National Interest, March 1, 2018.

Noor on Ghani. Dismissed Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor has penned an opinion piece about Ashraf Ghani. He says that President Ghani's authoritarian tendencies have failed the Afghan people. Read "Trump's South Asia Strategy and Afghanistan's Political Stalemate: A Way Forward", The Diplomat, February 27, 2018.

Afghan Security News

German advisor from TAAC-North conducting JTAC training.

(Photo RS HQs, July 2017)

UN: More ATACs. The United Nations recently said in a report that the Afghan Ministry of Defense needs to deploy more Afghan Tactical Air Controllers to lower the rate of civilian deaths during close air support missions. Read "UN Report: Afghan JTACs needed to curb civilian deaths", Military Times, February 23, 2018.

New Cdr for NSOCC-A / SOJTF-A. It appears that an Air Force two-star will be the next commander for the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan (SOJTF-A). Major General Albert Elton has been selected to command NSOCC-A/SOJTF-A - the organization that all U.S., NATO, and Coalition SOF falls under. Read his biography here.

German National Captured with Taliban. A German national is suspected of advising the Taliban - he was arrested by Afghan commandos in Helmand province on February 27, 2018. (VOA, Mar 1, 2018).

Two Australians Wounded. A car bomb detonated close to a convoy of vehicles in PD9 on Friday, March 2nd that injured two Australians. The incident occurred near the Australian Embassy. (Tolo News, Mar 3, 2018).

Operation Anaconda - March 2002. Quite a few years ago, one of the biggest battles of the early Afghan conflict took place. During this period the U.S. airlifted some 1,700 troops and accompanied over 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia forces to take on al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan in Operation Anaconda. (Special Operations.com, March 2, 2018).

RS HQs Denying ISIS in Afghanistan? Russia has accused the United States and Resolute Support of denying that the Islamic State has a presence in Afghanistan. Well, an examination of the public statements by RS HQs, DoD 1225 reports, SIGAR reports, and other documents say otherwise. Although the numbers game is often subject to questioning there is no doubt that there is an acknowledged threat from ISIS-K. (Polygraphy.info, Feb 26, 2018).

How the Taliban Survive & What to Do About It. The security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, the insurgency is increasing, and the international community and Afghan government lacks clear direction. So says an editorial entitled "How to Tackle the Taliban", Daily Outlook Afghanistan, March 4, 2018.

District Control in Jawzjan Province. It is always interesting to contrast the statements of the Government of Afghanistan and Resolute Support Headquarters about who 'controls' and 'contests' district across Afghanistan. For instance, there are a couple of districts in Jawzjan province in northern Afghanistan where the district center flies the Afghan flag and a handful of Afghan National Police guard the district center walls; but where insurgents (and militias) freely roam the entirety of the district outside of those walls. For a peak at what 'district control' looks like on the ground check out "Precarious Consolidation: Qari Hekmat's IS-affiliated 'island' survives another Taleban onslaught", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), March 4, 2018.

An Insurgent's Perspective. The story of Hajji Amanullah is one of a long-time insurgent based in eastern Afghanistan. "US Drone Strike, Political Betrayal Drove Aging Afghan Militant Closer to Islamic State", Eurasia Review, March 2, 2018.

Khakrez District - Controlled by Taliban. The FDD's Long War Journal has assessed a northern district of Kandahar province as controlled by the Taliban. The district of Khakrez is a rural agrarian community of about 20,000 people. Read "Taliban flaunts apparent control in Kandahar district", LWJ, February 28, 2018.

NY ANG Unit Heading to Afghanistan. Members of the New York Army National Guard's 501st Ordnance Battalion is mobilizing, will head to Fort Bliss, Texas for pre-deployment training, and then will spend 9 months in Afghanistan. (Times Union, February 25, 2018).

Government and Politics in Afghanistan

Ghani vs. the Strongmen. President Ghani has met obstacle after obstacle in his efforts to establish an efficient, corruption free Afghan government. He has tried to thwart the efforts of the power elite in Afghan society but is meeting fierce resistance. Read more in "Afghanistan's fragile government picks a dangerous fight", The Economist, March 1, 2018.

Recognizing the Realities of Afghan Society. "It is time for Afghanistan to become politically sustainable by decentralizing democracy outside of Kabul to the provinces". Abdul Waheed Ahmad, an Afghan Fulbright scholar at the State University of New York - Binghamton, provides a new direction to improve sub-national governance in Afghanistan. He previously worked with the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) and the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Read "A Weak State, but a Strong Society in Afghanistan", War on the Rocks, February 27, 2018.

Olson's Views on Pakistan. Richard G. Olson - a career diplomat, former ambassador to Pakistan, and special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department - is interviewed about the U.S. - Pakistan relationship and the future of Pakistan's support for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Read "Former Envoy Offers a Candid Appraisal of U.S. - Pakistan Ties", Gandhara, February 27, 2018.

The Debate on Alternative Political Systems in Afghanistan. The Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) are publishing a series of papers on changing aspects of the Afghan political system.
http://aiss.af/aiss/news_details/opinions/5a97d12ae3e25

Gov Noor's Big Rally Cancelled. The former governor of the northern Balkh province had planned a huge rally for Kabul but now it appears that is on hold. Noor contends that the rally would interfere with the upcoming Kabul Process meeting. Read more in "Ata Mohammad Noor suspends major rally plan for Kabul city", Khaama Press, February 25, 2018.

Development and Economic News about Afghanistan

Lapis Lazuli Route. A planned transit corridor is expected to play a significant role in the growth of Afghanistan's economy. The Lapis Lazuli Route will connect Afghanistan with Central Asia and beyond into Turkey and Europe. (Tolo News, Feb 28, 2018).

Central Asian Railroad Could Benefit Afghanistan. Uzbekistan has repaired a section for railway that links it to southern Tajikistan. Rail service could resume in March 2018. In theory, this could also enable increased trade with Afghanistan. (Eurasia.net, Feb 28, 2018).

Greenhouses in Afghanistan. The use of plastic and bamboo can help an Afghan farmer transition from poppies to high-end cash crops like grapes, walnuts,apples and almonds. Read more in "How Greenhouses are Warming Afghanistan up to Peace", MSN News, March 2, 2018.

Mining in Afghanistan - It's Complicated. News reports indicate that a few American firms are looking at having a role in developing the coal mining industry in Afghanistan. This is seen by some observers as something that would bring benefits to the local community and that is an economic venture unlikely to be vulnerable to the Taliban. Catherine Putz looks at the history of mining and concludes that coal mining by Americans probably wouldn't work out so well. Read "Why the Americans Shouldn't Dig for Coal in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, February 28, 2018.

News Snippets about Afghanistan

The Panhandle of Afghanistan. The origins of the Wakhan Corridor located in the remote province of Badakhshan can be traced to "The Great Game". Read "How Afghanistan got its bizarre panhandle", We Are The Mighty, February 19, 2018.

New Books, Movies, and Videos about Afghanistan

Conversation on Afghanistan and Counterterrorism. General (ret) Stan McChrystal and former Secretary of State John Kerry discuss Afghanistan and counterterrorism in this 1 1/2 long video of a panel discussion held at Yale University on February 23, 2018. Kerry was instrumental in the formation of the National Unity Government (NUG) and McChrystal was the commander of the International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan (ISAF).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGA48Lb72_c

Hyena Road Reviewed. A blogger who reviews films, art, and literature about the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts has his way with Hyena Road - a movie about the Canadian Army building a road into the heart of Taliban country just outside of Kandahar. Read his review of the 2015 Canadian film in "Hyena Road: Bullets-and-Bodies or Hearts-and-Minds", Time Now, February 24, 2018.
https://acolytesofwar.com/2018/02/24/hyena-road-bullets-and-bodies-or-hearts-and-minds/

NSA Professor's Latest Book Details the Power of Narratives in Afghanistan. Dr. Thomas H. Johnson, Associate Professor in the Naval Post Graduate School (NPS) Department of National Security Affairs, speaks about his latest book - Taliban Narratives. Johnson says ". . . we have lost the war of the narrative" in this 3-min long video published February 6, 2018 by NPS.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajg9ZuLm1hI

Blindsided by The Taliban. A new book is now out by a journalist, Carmen Gentile, who was hit in the head with an RPG fired by Afghan insurgents. He ended up with a severe head injury - losing one eye. Once he recovered from his physical injuries he found that a deep depression had set in. Read his story on how a return to Afghanistan helped him on the road to recovery in Blindsided by the Taliban: A Journalist's Story of War, Truama, Love, and Loss, Amazon.com, March 2018.
www.amazon.com/Blindsided-Taliban-Journalists-Story-Trauma/dp/1510729682

The Breadwinner. National Public Radio reviews an animated film produced by Angelina Jolie - a story about an 11-year-old girl and her family who are struggling to survive in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. (NPR, Mar 3,2018).

ANDSF in the Lead. Resolute Support HQs media center has been quite busy the last several months - pumping out on average 2 to 3 short (1-3 minutes long) videos each week about how well things are going in Afghanistan. (Not that things are going well . . . but what are they supposed to say - "Things really are not so good"?). At any rate, one of the newer videos implies that the Afghan security forces are in the lead - so things must be better, right? Ummm. The Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) have been in the lead since 2014 if not earlier. "Afghans in the lead" has been a phrase in the headlines by ISAF and now RS for quite some time. But just in case you forgot . . .
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWiIc8jHFlU

View a list of videos about Afghanistan.

References on the Afghan Conflict

Stay up on the Afghan News!

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Afghan War Blog Weekly Newsletter - Feb 25, 2018

Fighting Daesh in Afghanistan - "It's Complicated"

Achin District, Nangarhar Province

Franz Marty, an independent journalist based in Kabul, examines a recent friendly fire / insider threat incident that took place on 11 January 2018 in Achin district, Nangarhar province. News reports about the event were in the headlines for a few days but in the absence of reporting from the remote location (and very brief comments from USFOR-A) the story soon died. What seems to have happened is that a skirmish ensued with one U.S. soldier being wounded and one or more Afghans (militia or ?) being killed. This was followed by an U.S. air strike on a compound that possibly killed more Afghans. The story is a bit sketchy.

U.S. special operations forces, along side their Afghan SOF counterparts, have been taking the fight to the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) insurgents based in southern Nangarhar for the past couple of years. These ground actions, along with a healthy dose of air support, have deeply hurt the ISKP fighters . . . however, they seem to have a robust replacement pipeline because the group is still very active.

Franz Marty traveled to the remote region to get clarity on the incident but comes away, through no fault of his own, with an incomplete explanation of what actually happened. However, his on the ground investigation reveals the tangled web of politics, militias, and various (and shifting) allegiances found on the ground in local communities of that region of Afghanistan. It also reveals the obstacles in the path of U.S. military members who attempt to understand what is truly happening on the ground.

Fighting Daesh in Afghanistan "It's Complicated", by Franz Marty, February 10, 2018
www.afghanwarnews.info/articles/20180210-fighting-daesh.html

Pragmatic Influence and Afghanistan

A member of an Agricultural Development Team (ADT) from the Kansas
Army National Guard talks with an Afghan farmer. (Photo U.S. Army)

RJ Hampsey writes in this short article published February 2018 about how we need to ". . . influence the Afghans to partner with us to achieve not only our objective but theirs as well". He presents two simple theories that might assist us in understanding the situation on the ground and help us re-gain a partnership with the majority of the Afghan people. He provides a 'different' perspective on what is important to Afghans and believes we should align our interests with theirs - which in turn, will help ensure that foreign terrorists will no longer operate freely in Afghanistan.

About the author: RJ Hampsey joined the Counterinsurgency (COIN) Advise and Assist Team (CAAT) in November 2009 and was assigned to advise and assist the officers, NCOs, and Soldiers executing information operations, PSYOP, and Civil Affairs in support of Regional Command East. In total he spent 36 months as a member of the CAAT in RC-E and HQ-ISAF; and the Military Information Support Task Force (MISTF).

Realpolitik in Afghanistan: Pragmatic Influence Required
www.afghanwarnews.info/articles/afghanistan-pragmatic-influence.html

TA3E - Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable

Members of the TAAC-West Police Advisor Team (PAT) train female
police in Herat province. (photo by RS HQs, 10 July 2017).

Reporting on the 'Train, Advise, and Assist' Mission. The renewed emphasis and modest increase in the advisory effort with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will not win the war; however, it is an important component of the U.S. and NATO strategy for Afghanistan. For that reason, the Afghan War Blog will continue to report on Security Force Assistance efforts by NATO and other Coalition / Partner nations.

Seminar on SFA. The primary mission of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance (SFA). Norway is hosting a seminar on the topic in March 2018.
www.prio.org/Events/Event/?x=8619

Expeditionary Advising. Afghanistan is not Iraq; but advising is advising. 2nd Bn 101st Airborne Division (Task Force Strike) had a mission to advise the Iraq Security Forces (ISF) during the fight for Mosul. TF Strike had to rethink the way they conducted advise and assist operations. The brigade shifted from advising in static locations to "expeditionary advising". This model allowed advisors to have a persistent presence forward with their ISF counterparts. Eventually "expeditionary advising" gave way to "Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable" (A3E). An excellent article entitled "Expeditionary Advising: Enabling Iraqi Operations from the Gates of Baghdad through Eastern Mosul", Small Wars Journal, February 22, 2018.

NSOCC-A Reports Growth of Police NMUs. The NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan says that the General Command of Police Special Units (GCPSU) will grow from three to six National Mission Units (NMUs). (DVIDS, Feb 22, 2018).

IMET Programs. Every year U.S. International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs are used to train approximately 6,000 - 7,000 foreign officers from roughly 120 friendly and llied nations in US military schools alongside their US counterparts. Afghan officers of the MoD and MoI are included in these training programs. Learn more in "Normative Persuasion and the Impact of IMET Programs on U.S. National Security Goals", Georgetown Security Studies Review, February 22, 2018.

News & Info about the 1st SFAB

1st SFAB Arrives in Afghanistan. The new Army unit created to conduct the advise and assist mission on a permanent basis is now starting its first deployment in Afghanistan. The 1st SFAB leadership and advanced elements are now in Afghanistan. Soon around 36 advisor teams will spread out around the country to advise and assist the ANDSF at the brigade and kandak level. Read "First Troops Among Front-Line Advisor Brigade Arrive in Afghanistan", Military.com, February 22, 2018.

References

Commentary on Afghanistan

ANDSF Logistics is Key? Daniel Goure, a national security commentator, says that "An effective logistics enterprise is the key to a successful counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan". I don't entirely disagree with him. Okay, it is extremely important but . . . maybe "leadership" is the key. However, he presents a sound argument for increasing the ability of the ANDSF to maintain its fleet of vehicles. Read "The Key to Success in Afghanistan is Logisitics", Real Clear Defense, February 23, 2018.

The Way to Peace. Barnett R. Rubin of the Center on International Cooperation (and Afghan 'expert') thinks the way to peace in Afghanistan is through infrastructure investment and connecting to the Chinese and Indian mega-economies. See "Theses on Peacemaking in Afghanistan: A Manifesto", War on the Rocks, February 23, 2018.

Afghan Security News

ANP conduct training in Bamyan province (March 2012).

Origins of the AAF. The Afghan Air Force has been around for a long time. Read how the Afghan Air Force bought 16 Italian Ro. 37 Bis airplanes in 1937 in "The Airplane", Ambasciata d'Italia, February 2018.

Afghan Society Contributes to Insecurity. Nafay Choudhury, a research fellow at the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies in Kabul, says that structural conditions in Afghan society contribute to insecurity. Read more in "The Kabul Hotel Attack: Moving Beyond the Blame Game", The Diplomat, February 23, 2018.

SOJTF-A Cdr visits 7th SFGA. The commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan, Major General James Linder, visited 7th Special Forces Group to present medals of valor. The 7th SFGA has lost 45 soldiers in Afghanistan since 2001. Read "U.S. still faces 'long, hard fight' in Afghanistan", NWF Daily News, February 23, 2018.

New Militia Force. The Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) has announced the formation of a 36,000 man militia force. (VOA, Feb 22, 2018).

Lithuanian SOF Deploying to Afghanistan. Lithuania is increasing its contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission with the deployment of elements of its special operations forces.

20 ANA Killed Feb 23rd. The Taliban conducted a nighttime raid on an Afghan military base in Bala Baluk district in the western province of Farah killing more than 20 soldiers. The insurgents overran the base capturing weapons, vehicles, and equipment. Security in Farah province has deteriorated in the past two years. (FDD's Long War Journal, Feb 24, 2018).

NMU's Female Foundation Course. The Afghan General Command of Police Special Units (GCPSU) has established a special police course designed specifically for female police officers who will serve with the MoI's National Mission Units (NMU). Read more about this in "Female Foundation Course a milestone for Afghan Special Police", NSOCC-A, February 22, 2018.

New GCPSU Officers. There are now 35 newly qualified Afghan police officers who recently graduated from the 8-wk GCPSU Special Operators Course at the Special Police Training Center in Logar province, Afghanistan. Graduates heading to CRU 222, CF 333, & ATF 444 of ASSF.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/266466/afghanistan-grows-its-special-police-forces