State Department Bungles Visas for Afghan Interpreters

The U.S. State Department has not covered itself with glory on the issue surrounding the lack of visas processed for Afghan interpreters under the Special Immigrant Visa program. If you read the State Department website you would think everything is under control and proceeding nicely.

"Across the U.S. government, every effort is being made to ensure qualified applicants are processed in a timely fashion before the Afghan program's scheduled end date." 

That is just a bucket full of HORSE MANURE!

Read a recent news column on how well (or badly) the State Department is doing with the processing of visas for Afghan interpreters and translators in "Support Afghans who helped U.S. soldiers", USA Today, January 3, 2014. The quote above comes from a statement on the State Department website found at the following link. http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3738.html. Perhaps the bureaucrats working on the approval committee for visas at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul should visit the website and read the above statement.

Afghan Interpreters Before Syrian Refugees

The refugees of Syria have gained international attention and worldwide support yet Afghan interpreters who loyally aided American military forces during the Afghan conflict are left at risk in their own country. Why? Why doesn't our State Department do the right thing? Where are our high-ranking military leaders? I don't hear them speaking out. Read more in "Forget the Syrian refugees. American needs to bring its Afghan and Iraqi interpreters here first", by Dane Bowker, The Washington Post, September 17, 2015.

A Promise to Afghan Interpreters

The United States has some unfinished business to attend to in regards to Afghanistan. That is the fair treatment of the many Afghan interpreters who risked their lives helping the United States military conduct their operations. Many are now unemployed after years of working with the U.S. military; some are under constant threat from the Taliban because of their long-time association with the Coalition forces. We need to do more to ensure that these Afghan interpreters acquire the necessary Special Immigrant Visa so they can come to the United States to live if that is their desire. That we owe them. Read more in "Keeping a Promise to Afghans", editorial by The New York Times, January 13, 2015.

Afghan Refugees & Interpreters

Afghan Refugees. Afghanistan is once again experiencing a huge departure of its citizens. Many are seeking to escape the ongoing (and increasing) violence, some are fearful of a return of the Taliban regime, while others are seeking a greater economic opportunity. Afghan refugees are the second largest group of refugees entering Europe (next to Syrian refugees). The refugee crisis in Europe is at a crisis level and the initial tide of 'reception' is quickly turning to 'rejection' - especially in light of the recent terrorist events in Paris. Some nations are tightening up its refugee policies (Finland, Norway, Germany, etc.). Read more in "Berlin To Fast-Track Deportation of Afghan Economic Refugees", Tolo News, November 16, 2015. See also "Germany launches campaign to deter refugees leaving Afghanistan", Khaama Press, November 15, 2015. See also "German Campaign Asks Afghans to Think Twice Before They Go", Gandhara Blog, November 20, 2015.

Pak Police Not So Friendly to Afghan Refugees. The Human Rights Watch has alleged that police abuses against Afghan refugees in Pakistan have increased significantly during the past year. (Voice of America, Nov 18, 2015). See also "Pakistan: Police Abusing Afghans", Human Rights Watch, November 18, 2015.

Afghan Interpreters. Currently the world is engaged in a debate about what to do with the Syrian refugees. Some want to cut the amount of Syrian refugees entering their countries - citing economic and security reasons. Others want to open the doors to refugees. But there is another group of people that may be more deserving of refuge in Europe and the United States. Read more in "Forget the Syrian refugees. America needs to bring its Afghan and Iraqi interpreters her first", The Washington Post, November 17, 2015.

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Afghan Daily News Snippets

On November 29, 2014 the Taliban attacked the office of an organization that provides aid and services in Afghanistan. The attack took place near the Afghan parliament. The organization, PATH, operates around the world. www.path.org. IT APPEARS THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS "PARNERSHIP IN ACADEMICS & DEVELOPMENT (PAD)". Initial reports indicate that hostages were taken but then the CRU conducted an assault and rescued them. The Taliban claimed that it was a Christianity center and also used for intelligence gathering with many Australians attending a meeting. It was the 11th attack in Kabul in just two weeks. Read more in a news report by The Washington Post (November 29, 2014). See also a news report by Stars and Stripes.

The Mail Online (UK) has posted an article (28 Nov 14) about how Afghan interpreters have been left to the mercy of the Taliban. The news is that the Taliban are targeting interpreters who worked with US forces and that the interpreters live in constant fear of attack. Although a few have been fortunate to be able to get visas to immigrate to the U.S. many more have been denied visas for apparently trivial reasons.

President Ghani appears to be taking a different approach with his countries foreign policy by maintaining relations with international and regional players. Regional politics in South Asia and in greater Asia is complex and this article tries to explain some of it. Read more in "Signs of change in Afghanistan's foreign policy", DW.de, November 29, 2014.

A news report details the death of a British special forces officer, a member of the Special Boat Service (SBS), in a raid against the Taliban in December 2013. Read more in "Special Forces soldier died in perilous raid on Taliban haven", The Telegraph, November 27, 2014.

A correspondent with time in Afghanistan writes a discouraging piece on the prospects of success for Afghanistan. He provides a long detailed explanation of all that is wrong with Afghanistan and why the future seems dim. Read "So long, good luck", The Economist, November 29, 2014.

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan is a bitter sweet time of the year for Americans. (I know having spent 7 Thanksgivings away from my family in the past 12 years in places like Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan). The break from the routine and the good meal served up by the dining facilities is a welcome event; but realizing your not with your family is a letdown. However, the military does try to make it a good day for all. Read how TAAC-S and the 1st Cav spent their Thanksgiving (DVIDS, November 28, 2014).

Kabul has seen a dramatic increase in attacks in 2014. Read more in a Stars and Stripes report (November 27, 2014) entitled "2 attacks in Kabul target foreigners".

The United States, despite overwhelming odds against success, is continuing its efforts to reduce the narcotics trade in Afghanistan. CACI International has been awarded a $62 million contract to support counter narco-terrorism for U.S. Central Command to include work to be done in Afghanistan. Read a press release by CACI (November 25, 2014) for more information. 

Afghanistan's music culture is slowly taking shape. Read more in "Afghan band: We use love songs to make a statement", The Times of India, November 29, 2014.

Radio Free Europe has posted an article about Rula Ghani and her very open support of women's rights in Afghanistan. See "Afghanistan's First Lady Seeks to Blaze New Trail" (November 28, 2014).

The RAND Corporation recently conducted a survey and published a paper that reveals basic training 2014 to be much easier than training in earlier years. Apparently this trend is across all three services; although the report acknowledges that basic training for the Air Force was "always easy". Read more in "Survey: Basic Training Now Easier Than When You Were There", Duffel Blog, November, 28, 2014.

Commentary

Rethinking Afghanistan - Pakistan. Seema Sirohi believes the U.S. needs to do an analysis of its relationship with Pakistan. Read "Afghanistan-Pakistan: Obama Needs to Urgently Rethink", Eurasia Review, February 12, 2016.

Unworthy Ally. C.Christine Fair says it is time to cut Pakistan loose in "An Unworthy Ally", Foreign Affairs, February 12, 2016.

Durand Line, India, and Pakistan. One commentator says there are two outstanding issues the stand in the way of peace in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's recognition of the Durand Line and India - Pakistan relations. Until those are resolved, Pakistan will continue to support the Afghan Taliban. Read more in "A Solution to the Afghanistan-Taliban Conflict?", The World Post, February 11, 2016.

CSIS Report on Afghanistan. Anthony Cordesman provides us with an updated report containing his astute analysis of the security situation in Afghanistan. Read "Afghanistan: The Uncertain Impact of a Year of Transition", Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), February 11, 2016.

Germany and Afghanistan. Dr. Gale A. Mattox, Director of the AICGS's Foreign & Domestic Policy Program and a Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Naval Academy examines Germany's role in post-2014 Afghanistan and offers recommendations for continued engagement. Read Afghanistan: A Difficult Year Ahead, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), February 10, 2016.

Stay the Course. Gary Anderson, a retired Marine colonel and former member of the Defense Adaptive Red Team, says we should maintain our status quo in Afghanistan until the next president takes office and sets the agenda for the future. Read "In Afghanistan, how about trying this?: Don't just do something, stand there", Best Defense Blog of Foreign Policy, February 11, 2016.

Stay the Course (Part II). Claude Rakisists, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, says we need to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan until it can fully defend itself - something that might not be achievable until 2024. (Way past my retirement age - I'm out!). Read "Letter from Washington: Afghanistan and the changing of the American guard", The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), February 11, 2016.

Unpaid Debt to Interpreters. Just when you thought the State Department had turned the corner on the abhorrent treatment towards Afghan interpreters you find that they are up to their same dirty tricks once again. Read more in "An Unpaid Debt to Afghan Interpreters", The New York Times, February 4, 2016.

Military Career Management. One writer, Colin Griffin - a field artillery officer, writes that the military could do a much better job in assigning newly-minted officers in their career field. I totally agree. Read more in "Who's Out of Control?", Small Wars Journal, February 6, 2016.

HTS Analysis. Christopher Sims writes about the life and death of the Human Terrain System (HTS) in "Academics in Foxholes", Foreign Affairs, February 4, 2016.

Population-Centric COIN. Afghanistan has been fighting an insurgency since 2002 when the Taliban regrouped after being toppled from power. As in most insurgencies the Afghan conflict is lasting a long time. There are different ways to conduct counterinsurgency and military commentators attempt to classify the different methods. One is population-centric counterinsurgency. General McCrystral, then ISAF commander, introduced this type of COIN to Afghanistan in 2009. The author of this paper examines certain conditions that affect the likelihood of success for a population-centric approach to counterinsurgency. Read more in "On Winning Hearts and Minds: Key Conditions for Population-Centric COIN", by Gregory D. Miller, Small Wars Journal, February 8, 2016.

Future of Army - Missed Opportunities. Nadia Schadlow thinks that the National Commission on the Future of the Army missed out on some key observations. Some of these include pulling its punches on end strength needs, lack of content on stability operations (key to the ability to close out a COIN war and consolidate combat gains), less than robust attention on modernization needs, need for forces in Europe, and an inability of the Obama administration to identify threats by name (movement vs. organizations). Schadlow is a senior program officer at the Smith Richardson Foundation who writes on defense and foreign-policy related issues. Read "Squeezing Water From a Stone: Five Missed Opportunities in Planning the Future of the U.S. Army", War on the Rocks, February 8, 2016.

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Commentator on "Right Thing to Do"

Captain Robert Newson, a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officer has penned an article about "doing the right thing" for our Afghan allies. Specifically, the Afghan interpreters who risked their lives assisting the U.S. military during combat operations. He calls for the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive visa legislation to increase the number of authorized visas for Afghan interpreters, expanding the application window, and to fully fund its execution to include rapid processing and resettlement. He also proposes new legislation to enhance the "Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI). MAVNI is a program that would benefit the former interpreters (gives them a job) and provides the U.S. military with talented personnel useful in counterinsurgency environments (insurgencies are NOT going away). Read more in "In the Last Days of Afghanistan, To Many Shadows of Vietnam", Defense in Depth Blog, Council on Foreign Relations, December 17, 2014.

Afghan War News Snippets

Let's Talk about Afghanistan Again. Michael Kugelman examines why news about Afghanistan has dropped off the radar screen over the past few years but then provides us with four valid reasons why we must still pay attention to Afghanistan in "Bringing Afghanistan Back Into the Spotlight", Foreign Policy, August 10, 2015.

Think Tanks and Afghanistan. While many think tanks are leaving the topic of Afghanistan behind and moving on to more current events (Russia, Ukraine, ISIS, Pacific, etc.) one is helping to keep Afghanistan in the news. The Atlantic Council has started an initiative to help solidify support for Afghanistan with efforts to clarify issues and policy options, generate public and political support for continued investment, and to sustain and accelerate the momentum required to generate important change in the country. I wish them well in that endeavor! Read more in "Afghanistan Rising".

Preserving COIN Expertise. As the U.S. conducts its pivot to the vast Pacific area and other international concerns (leaving Afghanistan in the dust) it is important that the experience garnered in counterinsurgency operations is not squandered (as it was in the post-Vietnam period). Read an article on this topic entitled "Rapid Regeneration of Irregular Warfare Capacity", Joint Force Quarterly,  78, July 1, 2015.

Book Review - In a Land Far From Home. In 1948 a visiting Indian wrote a book about Afghanistan in the 1920s. Jolyon Leslie has penned a review of this book and recommends it as reading for those foreigners who are working in Afghanistan as a way to understand Afghan culture, society, and culture. Read the book review posted on the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN).

HTS - Turnaround Story. The U.S. Army's Human Terrain System (HTS) started out shaky but quickly gain momentum as a valuable contribution to the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clifton Green provides us a look at the HTS and how came to become an effective organization in "Turnaround: The Untold Story of the Human Terrain System", Joint Force Quarterly, July 1, 2015.

UN Peace Operations. The United Nations has a website that shows where all the UN Peace Operations are being conducted. That includes the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan or UNAMA.

Afghans Need Passports to Flee Country. There are many factors that lead Afghans to want to leave their country - insecurity, violence, poverty, and unemployment are a few. But passports are sometimes difficult to acquire. Read more in "Afghans Queue for Passports to Flee Country", Tolo News, August 11, 2015.

Afghan Interpreters Left Behind by French. Afghan interpreters put their lives at risk performing services for the international armies that have occupied Afghanistan over the past decade and more. Now that these coalition troops have left the need for Afghan interpreters has diminished significantly. In addition, many are being targeted by the Taliban because of their service to the international community. Read more in a news report by France 24, August 14, 2015.

Afghan History of a Better Time. Learn about the "Johnny Appleseed of Afghanistan" in Afghanistan's Better History, With Lessons for Today, August 13, 2015 by United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Chayes and Corruption. Sarah Chayes is a leading voice in the battle against state corruption - not only in Afghanistan but in other parts of the world as well. Read more in a news report by The Christian Science Monitor (Aug 13, 2015).

Women Imprisoned. Gabriela Maj, a Polish-Canadian photojournalist, writes about women and prisons in "Afghan women imprisoned by their culture", The Washington Post, August 14, 2015.

Canadian Envoy - Deborah Lyons. The Canadian Embassy in Kabul has been in the forefront of women's issues in the country. (The Star, August 14, 2015).

2-300th FA Battalion Heading to Afghanistan. A Battery is at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming honing their field artillery skills in preparation for an Afghan deployment.  Read more in "2-300th FA Battalion prepares for historic deployment", DVIDS, July 6, 2015.

CT Scanner for BAF Hospital. The Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield recently received a new high tech computerized tomography scanner. The new CT scanner cost $1.2 million and replaces a 2006 model. Read more in a news release by DVIDS, August 8, 2015.

NYT on Law of War Manual. The New York Times has published an editorial slamming the Defense Department on the 2015 release of the Law of War Manual (June 2015). The document includes guidelines on the treatment of journalists covering armed conflicts and the Times is not happy with them. Read "The Pentagon's Dangerous Views on the Wartime Press", August 10, 2015.

IO and Conflict. Today's fight against terrorists and insurgents takes place on the battlefield but also in peoples minds. The increasing use of social media by terrorists and insurgents forces us (counterterrorists and counterinsurgents) to become more proficient and effective in the information operations arena. Read more in "A Foreign Diplomat Just Taught America How to Win the War of Ideas", by Kori Schake in War on the Rocks Blog, August 14, 2015.

Senate Caucus for Veterans. The United States Senate has launched the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Caucus in August with the goal of building a legislative force on veterans and military issues. There are 32 members of the House and Senate who served in the post-9/11 military - 26 of the deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. (Military Times, Aug 7, 2015).

U.S. Military Pay & Benefits Guide. Military Times has published its annual Benefits Guide - a one-stop resource on pay and benefits programs offered to active-duty and reserve component service members, retirees, veterans, and their families. The 76-page guide is available online. Read more in a news report by Military Times, August 10, 2015.

Earthquake. An earthquake took place in Afghanistan that was also felt in places like India on Monday, August 10th. It was measured as a 6.2 magnitude quake.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 14, 2015)

Parliament approval of the nominees for the Afghan cabinet will start next week when the lower house holds sessions for vote of confidence.

An explosion in Kabul killed one and wounded four in Kabul zone seven early on Tuesday morning. Witnesses say the attack was probably against a vehicle belonging to the Afghan intelligence however the bomb struck civilians. (LA Times, Jan 13, 2015).

A road side bomb killed three people in Zurmat district of Paktia province. 

Shawn Snow writes for The Diplomat about President Ghani and his plan to end corruption. He says the process of picking the cabinet has been slow and is hurting governance. Read his January 13, 2015 article in "Ashraf Ghani and a Game of Fiefdoms".

Massoumeh Torfeh writes in Al Jazeera about the picking of the new Afghan cabinet. Read the artilce "The new old cabinet in Afghanistan", January 13, 2015, posted on Yahoo! News. Torfeh is the former director of strategic communication at the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) and is currently a research associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

The State Department has taken a lot of heat for its inability to process Special Immigrant Visas for the Afghan interpreters that served the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Read a humorous poke about a deadly situation directed at DoS for its failure to do the right thing in "State Department Awards Immigration Visas to 1,000 Dead Interpreters", Duffel Blog, January 6, 2015.

An important aspect of advisory work in Afghanistan is Force Protection. Part of an advisor's Force Protection plan is the use of Guardian Angels (security detail) when appropriate. Read an account of how one GA detail performs their duties in "Major Isn't Sure Where His Security Detail Went", Duffel Blog, January 3, 2015. (caution . . humor attack). 

Afghan interpreters who were injured while working with British forces have won the right to argue before the high court a decision to restrict the numbers coming to Britain. (The Guardian, Jan 13, 2015).

The U.S. can't totally account for the $300 million it gives the Afghan National Police each year. (Business Insider,  January 12, 2015).

A news article provides us information on the operations of a Air National Guard unit that supports the drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mission. Read about the 162nd Wing of the Air National Guard in Arizona. (Tuscon News Now, January 13, 2015).

Ryan Goodman, an editor with the blog and website called Just Security has penned a piece entitled "A Turning Point in the Afghan War?" (Jan 12, 2015) where he reflects on the prospects of ending the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan in the future.

The Ukraine will continue to participate in the Afghan War mission under Resolute Support. Currently there are 10 Ukrainian soldiers in Afghanistan. Three are staff officers and seven are de-mining specialists. (SE Times, Jan 12,  2015).

Read an article about the Afghan National Police - where personnel management is wanting and corruption abounds - in "Afghanistan, Land of 157,000 National Police and 300,000 National Police ID Cards", National Review Online, January 12, 2015.

Polish advisors will continue to work in Afghanistan to train, advise, and assist the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Read more in "Polish advisers ready for Resolute Support in Afghanistan", The Daily Blog (New Zealand), January 13, 2015.

More Afghan War News Snippets

A writer discusses the lack of news awareness among the American public on Afghanistan; believing that it is consumed by the rapid rise of ISIS in the Middle East. He warns that this could lead to dire consequences - the U.S. taking its eye off the ball once again (as it did in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq). See "The Next ISIS Moment: Afghanistan's Impending Catastrophe", Brown Political Review, November 11, 2014.

The Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan interpreters expires in December 2014. Thousands of loyal Afghan interpreters are now going to be denied visas. Learn more in "Congress Helping Afghan Translator", Roll Call, November 10, 2014.

The Marines recently celebrated the U.S. Marine Corps' 239th birthday at a ceremony on Bagram Air Field. Check out the photo - looks like a lot of fun.

Canada has significantly downsized its forces in Afghanistan - but some stragglers who have not gotten the word still remain scattered among the various ISAF, IJC, and TAAC staffs. You can learn more about Canada's continued presence in Afghanistan at their Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/afghanistan.canada

The 3rd Infantry Division will soon send some troops to Afghanistan. Learn more in "3rd ID commander readies his troops for Afghanistan", Army Times, November 10, 2014.

The Special Forces of Australia has seen extensive service in Afghanistan. Learn more in "2nd Commando Regiment are the lesser-known warriors waging war on terror", news.com.au, November 9, 2014.

Sketches of war are provided by Richard Johnson of The Washington Post in "Drawing up the drawdown" (October 6, 2014).

Have you ever wondered what the average Afghan National Army soldier eats? You can see for yourself in "Afghan forces revert to more familiar menu on former US bases", Stars and Stripes, November 9, 2014. While food on an Afghan army base is most times delicious and abundant (guests almost always are treated to the best food) the kitchens are a sight to behold. If your going to eat - don't look at the kitchen. (Note: comments from personal experience; lots of it).

The IJC commander speaks on the importance of getting the Afghan leadership up to speed. See a video on this topic.

The Army is having problems reporting inventory losses in Afghanistan. A report entitled "The Army Needs to Improve the Processes for Inventory Losses in Afghanistan", Inspector General U.S. Department of Defense, October 30, 2014. provides more information. CAUTION: Document is located on the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), is classified FOUO, and may not be accessible because DoD doesn't want you to read it.
http://fas.org/man/eprint/losses.pdf

The author of Dispatches from the Kabul Cafe, Heidi Kingstone, writes on the future of women in Afghanistan in "Life in Kabul: Will Afghan women finally stop being seen as a freak show?", The Telegraph, November 7, 2014.

Photos of Afghanistan usually revolve around the war. But some photographers shoot photos about general life in Afghanistan away from the conflict. See "The beauty of everyday life in war-torn Afghanistan", The Week, November 6, 2014.

The 663rd Engineer Company (Horizontal Construction) recently returned from Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). They hail from Sheffield, Alabama and are an Army Reserve unit. Read more in "663rd Engineer Company returns with vast experience", DVIDS, November 6, 2014.

The British commitment in Afghanistan has been reduced considerably with its departure from Camp Bastion. Now is the time for some reflection on the mission and the cost in terms of money, energy, and blood. Read more in "Britain's Fourth Afghan War", Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), October 28, 2014.

Rebecca Frankel of Foreign Policy Magazine is interviewed by Peter Bergen of New America on her new book War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love. The interview is 42 minutes long. View the video at the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=URjWcIfRl9s

A short video about force protection being handed over to the Georgian Army at Bagram Air Field. See "Georgians take over security at Bagram", NATO TV, November 9, 2014.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVGEKOVjax0

There are lots of folks drawing parallels with the situation in Iraq (rise of ISIS) and the departure of ISAF in Afghanistan - worries about the collapse of the Afghan National Security Forces. One such commentator, Paul Shinkman, provides his thoughts in "What Afghanistan Must Learn From Iraq", U.S. News & World Report, November 12, 2014.

A UK human rights activist expresses her concerns about Afghanistan in this article in NEXUS.

The story of a female Afghan policewomen is highlighted in "The Real Sheriff in Afghanistan", The Huffington Post, November 12, 2014.

The Danish foreign minister visits Afghanistan meeting the country's new president (Ghani) and CEO (Abdullah) in preparation for the Denmark commitment of military assistance to NATO's Resolute Support mission that will provide non-combative assistance in a training and consulting role. (The Copenhagen Post, November 14, 2014).

A book review of Why We Lost by Daniel P. Bolger is provided by The Wall Street Journal (November 13, 2014.).

Many observers are tracking the words and deeds of the newly elected president. View "Ghani on path to fulfill campaign promises", Central Asia Online, November 14, 2014.

Despite all the gains made in the medical sector in Afghanistan over the past decade some work still remains in the field of malnutrition. Read "Afghan malnutrition - the search for solutions", IRIN, November 11, 2014.

The Telegraph reports (November 14, 2014) that around 100 British special forces and military intelligence experts will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Their primary mission will be to hunt for senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders. They will also stand by to conduct personnel recovery missions for British nationals and service members as well as force protection (Guardian Angel) duties. Three RAF Chinook helicopters will also provide transport. The SAS troops will likely be based at Bagram Air Base. A total of 500 Brits will remain in country after 2014.

The Russians are unhappy with the United States's inability to reduce the opium production of Afghanistan. Much of the drug finds its way to Russia. Read more in "Afghan opium inflames US-Russia tensions after failed drug war", Stars and Stripes, November 14, 2014.

Report - Special Immigrant Visa Programs

The United States Department of State (until 2014) did a horrible job of managing the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Since 2006 Congress has enacted a series of legislative provisions to enable Afghan nationals who worked as translators and interpreters to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States. These individuals face death from the Taliban once they have been identified as working for the U.S. The U.S. State Department has been roundly criticized for its inability to process applicants - the principal bottleneck was apparently the embassy staff in Kabul. Hopefully that person(s) has lost his/her job(s) for the disservice done to Afghan interpreters who laid their lives on the line for the U.S. military. Visa issuance under the SIV programs for Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government have fallen well below the statutory ceilings. Read more in Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs, CRS Report R43725, Congressional Research Service (CRS), by Andorra Bruno, September 12, 2014.

State Dept Blasted on Afghan Interpreter Issue

The State Department has done a horrible job in managing the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan interpreters. Congress has allocated by law thousands of visa quotas for Afghans who served as interpreters and translators for the U.S. military yet the State Department has been an obstacle to allowing Afghans who served the U.S. military who wish to re-locate to the United States. For instance, in 2011 there were 1,500 visas that could have been granted; yet the State Department issued only 3 visas. Appalling! John Oliver, of the "Last Week Tonight" show, provides us with a humorous yet very pointed look at how badly the State Department has performed its duties. View a video (16 minutes of pure laughs) on a description of the red tape an interpreter must make his way through in order to get a visa at this link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QplQL5eAxlY

Good News Story on an Afghan Interpreter

The Afghan interpreters that tried to get a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) over the past several years got screwed over (until 2014) by the U.S. State Department. Fortunately, for a few lucky ones anyway, some Afghan interpreters are finding their way to the United States . . . and they are being helped by a former U.S. Army Soldier and former Afghan interpreter who now lives in the United States. Read more in "Matt Zeller and Janis Shinwari Saved Each Other's Lives - and Now Help Others", People.com, February 19, 2015.

Afghan War News Snippets

Islamic State 'Psychological Warfare'. A former Afghan spy chief (National Directorate of Security) Amrullah Saleh says that the presence of the Islamic State amounts to propaganda and does not reflect reality on the ground. Read more in a news report by Gandhara (Radio Free Europe), April 14, 2015.

Ismail Khan on ISIS. In an interview the former warlord, governor, cabinet member, muhjahideen fighter, and "Lion of Herat" says that the Islamic State is a huge problem. (Yahoo! News, April 14, 2015).

IED in Kandahar. A road planted IED killed two civilians in Podena village of Arghandab district on April 15th. (@KandarharMedia, Twitter).

Kabul Hail Storm. Kabul saw some big chunks of hail fall on Wednesday.

Faryab Province Under Taliban Control? A member of the Afghan parliament representing northern Faryab province says that insurgents have much of the province under their control. He says that a prominent leader of the ANSF in the area is corrupt and he has sent his family to Canada and Sweden to live. He also says that clearing operations are ineffective - as soon as security forces depart a 'cleared area' the insurgents move back in. See news report. (Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, April 15, 2015).

Blackwater. The private military corporation known as Blackwater was in the news again. This company provided many security contractors (and other specialties) to the Iraq and Afghan conflicts over the years. Former employees involved in an incident in Baghdad years ago were just sentenced to lengthy prison sentences. James Risen and Matthew Rosenberg look into the history of Blackwater in their article "Blackwater's Legacy Goes Beyond Public View", The New York Times, April 14, 2015.

Afghan Cabinet. Some nominees for the cabinet are having difficulty with current or past dual citizenship status. Many are 'technocrats' with years of foreign work experience and residence but that is a hard sell for some conservative members of the Afghan parliament.

Soft Security Issues in Central Asia. Kazakhstan has taken regional leadership on soft security issues (water management, regulating migrations and refugees, disaster preparedness, etc.) in Central Asia. Read more in "Addressing Soft Security Challenges in Kazakhstan and Central Asia", Central Asia Program (CAP), February 15, 2014.

MARSOC and Glock 19. It appears that the Marines Special Operators will be using the 9mm Glock 19. Read a recent news report in the Daily Caller, April 145, 2015.

Women in Combat and the "Silent Majority". Those members of the military who favor the integration of women into infantry units and on Special Forces Operational Detachments (ODAs) usually will not be suffering the consequences - as they are far removed from those units activities on the battlefield or the training environment. On the other hand - there appears to be a majority that are keeping their opinions to themselves - worries about retaliation for not supporting the administration's efforts and because they are avoiding the label of 'chauvinist'. Read more in "Women in Ground Combat Units: Where's the Data?", by Anna Simons in War on the Rocks, April 15, 2015.

Women and Ranger School. The Washington Post has a news story about the women that are helping the Army with integrating women into Ranger School. (April 14, 2015).

F-35 Fighter's Maintenance System. The next-generation software system designed to detail maintenance problems and issues for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is having some debut issues. Read a news story in Air Force Times, April 15, 2015.

Pentagon Channel No More. The Defense Department's Pentagon Channel is being discontinued. Read more in Defense One, April 14, 2015.

Afghan Interpreters and the UK. There are some who say that the United Kingdom has let down the loyal Afghans who served as interpreters for British forces in Afghanistan. Read a news story on the topic (Express, April 15, 2015).

Afghan Interpreters: Trusted With a Gun but Not a Visa

Afghan interpreters who are seeking a U.S. visa continue to be stone-walled by the United States Department of State. Read more in "The US trusted them with a gun, but not a visa", Brisbane Times, February 4, 2014.

An Afghan Interpreter's New Life in the United States

An Afghan interpreter who worked for the U.S. military in northeastern Afghanistan for over ten years is now living in the United States. He is one of the few interpreters that the U.S. State Department has approved for a visa - the majority of those interpreters have their visa applications rejected. It took two years for him to be able to get his visa all the while under constant threat of retaliation by the Taliban for working for the U.S. military. Although he is happy that he and his family are now safe there are still some challenges in adjusting to the new country, its people and culture. Read more in "Escape from Afghanistan: A father's journey", WUSA, February 9, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Dec 16, 2014)

Some Afghan interpreters have been fortunate enough to obtain special immigrant visas for the United States. That is part of the struggle for these brave men to leave Afghanistan behind. The next part of the struggle is surviving in the United States. Adapting to a foreign culture, learning a skill or trade, and finding employment is difficult. Read more in "Afghan interpreters risked all for U.S., struggle in Omaha", Omaha.com, December 14, 2014.

There have been a lot of attacks by the Taliban across Afghanistan. Read more in "An Especially Deadly Day in Afghanistan", Defense One, December 14, 2014.

The Afghanistan War, the longest overseas conflict in United States history, has been expensive. The cost has been nearly $1 Trillion dollars and rising. However, that is just the costs that can be tracked. In reality the cost of the war is much higher; especially when taking into the consideration the lifelong medical costs of veterans who were injured or wounded. Read more in "$1tn cost of longest US war hastens retreat from military intervention", CNBC 25 News, December 15, 2014.

An agreement is likely to be concluded that will provide a contract mechanism for a Czech arms maker to provide spare parts and repair T-55 tanks for the Afghan National Army. Read more in "Czech firm may repair T-44 tanks of Afghanistan", Khaama Press, December 15, 2014.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah met in talks during a gathering of prime ministers at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana on December 15, 2014. (Gandhara Blog, Radio Free Europe, December 15, 2014).

Macedonia will provide 38 servicemen to serve in Afghanistan on the Resolute Support mission. The Macedonian parliament endorsed the action on Monday, December 15th. Macedonia has continued the mission in Afghanistan that started back in 2002 with its first deployment. The 38 Soldiers will consist of staff officers that will augment the German-led Train Advise and Assist Command in northern Afghanistan as well as the Turkish-led contingent conducting the TAA mission in Kabul (hmmm . . . Macedonia and Turkey  . . . ). The Macedonian Soldiers (quite often fondly referred to as the M . . .  Nuts) have provided expert and diligent force protection duties at ISAF HQs for the last several years. (Global Post, December 15, 2014).

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense stated that five more ANA soldiers were killed in an IED attack.  According to security officials the ANA is averaging 4 deaths a day; most from IED attacks.

Three post 9/11 veterans will serve on the Senate Armed Service Committee. Good to see we will have some military members with recent combat experience on that very important committee. (Defense One, December 15, 2014).

Kabul is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. People from rural areas flocking to Kabul are straining the infrastructure, overloading the municipal services, and having trouble finding employment. A news article in The Guardian (Dec 16, 2014) asks if Kabul can handle its growing pains. 

Comedian Taking Up Cause of Afghan Interpreters

A comedian has lambasted the United States Department of State for its inept handling of the Afghan interpreter Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Read more in "Why is a Comedian the Only One Talking About the Plight of Afghan Interpreters", Council on Foreign Affairs, October 23, 2014.

Afghan War News Snippets

More Visas for Interpreters. A U.S. Senate committee has approved 4,000 more Visas for Afghans who worked for the U.S. military as interpreters or support staff. The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program is designed to help Afghans who assisted the U.S. in the Afghan conflict to immigrate to the United States. See "U.S. Senate Committee Approves 4,000 More Special Visas for Afghans", Gandhara, June 29, 2017.

Key Leader Training for RS HQs Advisors. The Resolute Support Headquarters conducts a 4-day training course for those military personnel who are assigned to be advisors to the MoD or MoI. One day the 'newcomer's briefing day' - learning the aspects of living and working in Afghanistan on Camp RS in Kabul. A second day is Guardian Angel training - ensuring that you are aware of and know how to respond to an insider threat or green-on-blue incident. Two days is spent on learning how RS HQs conducts its Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission and how the RS HQs staff works within the 8 Essential Functions framework. Read more in "Resolute Support trains its people, improving advisor training", U.S. Central Command, June 26, 2017.

Logistics Advising in Afghanistan. The current coalition mission in Afghanistan is to train, advise, and assist (TAA) the Afghan police and military. From a logistics standpoint, creating a self-sustaining afghan military is an important step forward to ensure the Afghans can independently secure their borders and provide for internal security. A logistics advisor, to be effective, must understand that the Western military logistics framework and culture is not a good fit for Afghanistan's military or culture. Read more in "Moving forward with logistics advising in Afghanistan", Army.mil, May 1, 2017.

Report: Islamic State in Afghanistan. Abdul Basit has penned a 21-page article entitled "IS Penetration in Afghanistan-Pakistan: Assessment, Impact and Implications", Perspectives on Terrorism, Volume 11, No 3, June 2017. IS is now competing with al-Qaeda and the Taliban over recruitment, resources, and the loyalties of local militant groups. This has complicated the militant landscape, contributed to the Sunni-Shia conflict, and adds complexity to the effort of the Afghan government and its coalition partners.

Air Force Cross Awarded. An airman was awarded the Air Force Cross for heroism during the 2002 Operation Anaconda that took place in the Takur Gar area of Afghanistan. TSgt Keary Miller provided critical medical care to 10 wounded U.S. service members under dangerous conditions. Read more in "Survival on Takur Gar", Air Force Magazine, August 2017.

Bowe Bergdahl Trial Update. Bergdahl's long, drawn-out trial is proceeding ahead. A military judge made a key ruling saying that prosecutors can try the soldier on the charge of endangering his comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. See "Bowe Bergdahl case: Judge lets rare misbehavior charge proceed", Army Times, June 30, 2107.

BBC Podcast on Silk Road. This 40-minute long podcast is entitled "Silk Routes: Two Thousand Years of Trading". The economic highway from China, across Central Asia and Afghanistan, to Iran.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p056srhv

China's Silk Road in Afghanistan is a Bumpy Ride. The Chinese have made some important steps forward in providing investments in some key sectors of the Afghan - most notable is the mining sector. However, the return on investment is disappointing due to the deteriorating security situation. Read more in "Difficult Trek on Silk Road in Afghanistan", Asia Sentinel, June 29, 2017.

Afghans Fighting for Assad in Syria. Iran, over the past several years, has pressed into service citizens of Afghanistan to fight for the Assad regime in Syria. There are an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 Afghans fighting in the Syrian conflict. Read "How Iran Recruited Afghan Refugees to Fight Assad's War", The New York Times, June 30, 2017.

General Dunford Visits Afghanistan. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (and former ISAF commander) visited Kabul and Helmand province to gain ground truth on the Afghan conflict. See "Dunford arrives in Afghanistan as Marines work to rekindle relations in Helmand", Military Times, June 26,2017.

Video of Guardian Angel Training. Australian troops in Afghanistan are conducting the train, advise, and assist mission. This entails advisors and trainers visiting Afghan police and Army installations and garrisons. With the constant threat of insurgent attacks as well as the insider threat the need exists for a force protection element to accompany the advisors on their missions. Watch a short video about Australian soldiers assigned the "Guardian Angel" task of keeping their fellow Aussie soldiers safe in Guardian Angels Protecting Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan, Perth Now, June 27, 2017.

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Interpreter Describes Ordeal of U.S. Visa

A former Afghan interpreter who lived and worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan for years describes the terror he endured while waiting for a U.S. visa. It took him 3 1/2 years to get a visa to come to the United States. During that time, because he assisted the U.S. military, the Taliban kidnapped his father and killed him. They later kidnapped his little brother and held him for ransom; he was released when the interpreter paid a $35,000 ransom (a lot of money for an Afghan). The U.S. State Department has been extremely negligent in the processing of visas for interpreters. It is estimated that up to 80% of Afghan interpreters have been unable to acquire visas. One of the State Department's lame excuses is that that Afghan's are a security risk and that detailed background checks are required. This is questionable - for instance, when this specific interpreter finally received his visa his legal name on the visa was "FNU Mohammad". FNU stood for First Name Unknown. How thorough of a security investigation was conducted if the visa doesn't have the first name right? Read more in "Afghan Who Helped US Describes Sheer Terror of Being a Taliban Target", Business Insider, October 23, 2014.