Afghan Covert Opns in Balochistan

A recent news article provides some insight into the covert operations that the Afghans are running into Pakistan. Of course, it may not be an "official" Afghan intelligence operation" - but at least it is something! According to the article there is a covert war between Afghan intelligence agents and Taliban militants in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. The fight is between the Adozai supporters of General Abdul Raziq (the provincial chief of police for Kandahar province) and the Afghan Taliban who have sanctuary in Balochistan. Islamabad has always denied that the Afghan Taliban seek refuge in this area of Pakistan; but WE know they are there! Read more in "Pakistani Leader Says Covert War Destabilizing Province", Gandhera Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 2, 2014.

NATO Agrees to RSM

NATO foreign ministers agreed (formally) on Tuesday to launch the new training mission for Afghanistan called Resolute Support. The new mission has been highly publicized and coordinated over the past year so this conference was mostly window addressing in terms of the agreement. (Reuters, Dec 2, 2014).

Corruption Feeds Insurgencies

One of the well-known aspects of the Afghan conflict is that corruption is the number one issue that feeds support and recruits to the insurgency. However, ISAF and the United States has been slow to reduce the corruption; instead, concentrating on military solutions combined with generous amounts of foreign aid for governance and development. However, a good portion of that foreign aid is siphoned off by government, police, and military leaders and officials - thereby reducing the effect of all that aid money. In addition, the excess of aid money without adequate oversight and controls, further fuels the corruption. Read an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times by Doyle McManus entitled "How the U.S. can fight corruption abroad: start by collecting intelligence" (December 1, 2014).

Interview with UK Soldier - "Kajaki"

A new movie being released in the UK is about the time spent on tour in Helmand province by some UK soldiers. Watch an interview about the movie in "British Soldier and Actor on Filming "Kajaki"", Forces TV, December 1, 2014.

Women in Nangarhar Want Schooling

The women in the eastern province of Nangarhar are demanding more access to education and have brought their complaints to the local government officials. Nangarhar has almost 900,000 boys and girls enrolled in nearly 900 schools - which demonstrates a significant growth in the Afghan education system. However, the women of the province want to see girls education expanded as well as opportunities for women adult education. Read more in "Women in Eastern Afghanistan Demand Education", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 1, 2014.

China and Peace Talks

China has been stepping up of late on the economic and diplomatic front with Afghanistan. It appears that China is now willing to help with negotiations to start up a peace process with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Taliban. However it requires the earnest participation of Pakistan's military (and intelligence agency), the Taliban, and the Afghans. At the moment, China is waiting on a peace plan to be submitted by President Ghani. Read more in "Viewpoint: Can China bring peace to Afghanistan?", BBC News Asia, December 1, 2014.

DoDIG Assesses Intel Training

The U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoDIG) conducted an assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the DoD's intelligence training and education programs in relation to the fundamental competencies of the DoD intelligence workforce. The DoDIG found that the DoD Intelligence Enterprise lacks the program standards to address the basic training needs and essential skills required by the DoD intelligence workforce. The DoD does not have the structure, resources, or capability to provide an efficient DoD Joint Intelligence Training (JIT) program to professionalize the DoD intelligence workforce. Read more in Intelligence and Special Program Assessments Report, Office of the Inspector General, 31 October 2014.
www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=6034

Tribute to 453 UK Troops

The Telegraph, one of the UK's leading newspapers has posted an online memorial to the 453 UK lives that were lost in the Afghan War. The site is called "We will remember them: Afghanistan 2001-2014" at this link. A staff member of The Telegraph, Alice Audley, provides a heart-breaking story of how she helped research the backgrounds of those who died to assist in the establishment of the site. Read her story here in "Afghanistan 2001-2014: Creating The Telegraph's tribute" (December 1, 2104).

Guide to U.S. Military Casualties

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a CRS report entitled "A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics" dated November 20, 2014. It covers the conflicts of Inherent Resolve, Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. The report includes statistics on PTSD, TBI, amputations, evacuations, and the demographics of casualties. Read more in "Document: Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics", USNI News, December 1, 2014.

Afghan War Daily News Snippets

News about the NATO Conference. NATO has released a statement (Dec 2, 2014) about the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO and 14 partner countries where it was decided to launch the Resolute Support mission.
www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_115564.htm

News about the London Conference. A political analyst and historian, Helena Malikyar, provides us with her analysis of the London Conference receiving so much press coverage. She disputes the "feel good" press releases of the U.S. military, ISAF, NATO and other international agencies touting "metrics" that laud significant progress in security, health care, education, etc. Malikyar points out that there is a difference between quality and quantity. Read her article in Aljazeera posted on the Yahoo! News website (December 3, 2014) entitled "Afghanistan conference won't rock the boat".

Watch a video of President Ghani's remarks at a press conference with the President of the European Union (Donald Tusk) that took place on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Published on YouTube by the Presidential Palace Directorate of Communications (5 Mins).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNC5r2OZY8

Congress has approved the White House and Pentagon's requests to cut benefits for members of the military - although not to the extent that was wanted. Troops will see smaller pay raises, reduced housing allowance, and increased co-payments for health care. Pay raises are capped at 1 percent. Meanwhile very expensive F-35 is fully funded and entitlement programs such as welfare are untouched. The 1% of the population that serves the country is penalized. I am not sure our high-ranking generals and admirals are serving us well. Read more in "Budget deal calls for troop benefit cuts next year", Stars and Stripes, December 2, 2014.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a report stating that Afghanistan's 2014 economic performance has been hurt by political and security uncertainties. The IMF has recommended the restarting of the sale of the New Kabul Bank and the establishment of a nine-month long Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) to assist Afghan authorities on macroeconomic policies and a reform agenda. (UK News Yahoo, December 3, 2014.

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade's pathfinder company - Company F, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion located at Bagram Air Field - is tasked with recovering downed pilots and unmanned vehicles, setting up landing zones for helicopters, and helping ship out equipment from closing bases. Read more in "82nd Airborne pathfinders on call to move quickly in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, December 2, 2014.

New Secretary of Defense. Now that it is known that Ash Carter will be the new secretary of defense folks are looking into his capabilities. He is known as a technocrat with a deep knowledge about advanced weapon systems and the budget; however, he never served with the military and has never led troops in combat. Read more in "New defense secretary would inherit old tensions", The Washington Post, December 3, 2014.

The monthly average of mine blast victims for 2014 is 37. According to the Mine Action Coordination Center of Afghanistan (MACCA) more than 350 people have been killed or disabled as a result of mine blasts. (Tolo News, Dec 2, 2014).

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is supporting initiatives to provide legal aid to those accused of crimes or imprisoned in Helmand province. The Afghan judiciary system is horribly corrupt and most criminal cases are not resolved until a bribe is paid. Read more in a news release by the UNDP (Dec 3, 2014).

The construction of a new bridge in the Kharoti area of Garam district has cut down the travel time by half for residents bringing produce to market, attending school, seeking medical care, and more. The new bridge over the canal was funded by Japan and supported by the National Area Based Development Programme. Read an UNDP news release (Dec 3, 2014).

The Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) is a battalion-sized unit which is part of the secretive Joint Task Force 2 and has been active in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Read more in "CSOR - Canada's Special Operations Regiment", Special Ops, August 3, 2014.

A recent posting of The Long War Journal (Dec 3, 2014) states that the US has conducted airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan to target Pakistani Taliban. The "Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan" operates on both sides of the border (Afghanistan and Pakistan) but is postured to attack Pakistan government forces. So these recent strikes by the U.S. are certainly welcomed by Pakistan. Now if we can only get the Pakistanis to bomb the Haqqani Network.

Reuters reports (Dec 3, 2014) that there are over 760,000 Afghan refugees that risk deportation from Iran. Many Afghans work in Iran (legally and illegally) to provide an income for their families.

A news report, penned by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, entitled "How Afghans Feel About the Direction of Their Country" is posted on the Defense One website (Dec 2, 2104).

The David Webb Show interviews LTC Michael Waltz (a Special Forces officer) about Afghanistan. Waltz is the author of Warrior Diplomat. Waltz is worried about the current administration's policy, ability of the ANSF to hold off the Taliban, and ability of President Ghani to move the country ahead. Waltz is high on Ghani but has concerns on ethnic tensions and warlords with the withdrawal of the U.S. and the resulting diminishing influence and leverage. (An audio sound bite, Dec 3, 2014).

Vanquish Worldwide has announced that it received a $145 million trucking contract to assist in the retrograde operations of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Read a news release (Dec 2, 2014).

The 59th Forward Engineer Support Team - Advanced (FEST-A) is completing their Afghan tour. The unit performed a variety of missions in support of RCs South, Southwest, and West. Read more in "59th Forward Engineer Support Team prepares for return to Tulsa", DVIDS, December 2, 2014.

Guest Bloggers Welcomed

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Get a Jump on the News

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request 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, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

A-10 Retirement? Not Quite Yet!

Congress is fighting hard to save the highly valued (by ground troops if not the Air Force) A-10 Warthog. This close air support aircraft is considered by many to be the best ground support platform available - especially in a counterinsurgency fight. The Tactical Air Control Party Association has sent a letter to SECDEF Hagel stating that the ". . . F-15s, F-16s, and B-1s cannot replicate the CAS capabilities of the A-10 . . ." The Air Force wants to scrap almost 300 of the A-10s to save money to buy advanced fighter jets like the F-35. Unfortunately the F-35 comes out on the short end when you analyze the "quality vs. quanity" argument. Some A-10s are still in service in Afghanistan and recently A-10s deployed to the Middle East to engage in the fight against ISIS. Read more in "A-10 Warthog retirement debated after replacements role in 'friendly fire' deaths", The Washington Times, November 30, 2014.

Paper - "ISAF IJC 2014: The Year of Change"

Anderson, LTG Joseph and MAJ Matthew McCreary. “International Security Assistance Force Joint Command 2014: The Year of Change”, Military Review, January-February 2015, pages 16-25. This paper describes the transition from SFA to FbSFA and the ‘thinning up’ of the advisory effort with the ANSF taking place at the same time that a significant retrograde of personnel, equipment and closing of bases was happening. The article is essentially correct but takes too much credit for transition that had already transpired in 2013 – such as thinning up, move to Functionally-based Security Force Assistance, and advising at the higher echelons vice district center and kandak level. This editors’ opinion is that 50% of the credit taken in the paper was for work already completed in 2013. But . . .  the paper by the commander of IJC is a good historical document for those who want background info or who are writing academic papers or books on the advisory effort in the Afghan conflict.

www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/IJC2014MRJan15.pdf

Saffron - Hope for Afghanistan

A group of military veterans who are also students at Harvard University are hoping that a business venture associated with the Harvard Innovation Lab will produce beneficial results for the Afghan economy. Rumi Spice is a venture that launched earlier this year (2014) and which provides quality saffron from Afghan farmers. If the venture takes off it is hoped to move Afghan farmers away from the drug trade and into an economic alternative crop. This would reduce money going to warlords, corrupt government officials, and the Taliban as well as cut down on the amount of drugs going into the international market. Read more in "Harvard students help rebuild Afghanistan with one ingredient: Saffron", Boston Business Journal, November 30, 2014. Visit the website of Rumi Spice to order your products in time for Christmas. www.rumispice.com/

Year of Change (Afghanistan)

Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, U.S. Army and Maj. Matthew M. McCreary, U.S. Army have wrote an article entitled "International Security Assistance Joint Command 2014: The Year of Change", Military Review, pages 16-25, January-February 2015.

Assessment of ANSF

Jason Campbell, a researcher for the RAND Corporation, recently finished a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan. He has wrote several pieces on his trip. His most recent is an assessment of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) - "What's The Plan? The Afghan National Security Forces", War on the Rocks, December 2, 2014. Read more assessments on the ANSF.

Afghan Interpreters - "No One Left Behind"

An organization calling itself "No One Left Behind" has been established to assist Iraqi and Afghan interpreters. The mission of the organization is to assist Iraqi and Afghan combat interpreters who have received Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) with resettlement in the United States. The charity focuses solely on Afghan and Iraqi SIVs recipients who served honorably alongside US forces in combat. The goal of the charity is to provide targeted, short term housing and cultural adaptation aid and to quickly transition them to self-sufficiency through various employment programs. Learn more about "No One Left Behind" here - www.nooneleft.org.

Ghani's Remarks at NATO HQs (1 Dec 14)

President Ghani and CEO Abdullah visited NATO headquarters in Belguim and made some remarks at a joint press conference. His spokesman posted a video on YouTube with his comments in English. (December 2, 2014, 2 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YSCVqrxh1Y

Night Raids and Counterbureaucracy

The loosened up rules for the conduct of night raids will go a long way to strengthen the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency fight. The targeting of al Qaeda and Taliban leaders can increase and hopefully provide some good results that will improve the overall security situation in Afghanistan. This is especially true given the recent resurgence of the Taliban and demonstrated ability and will to continue attacks well beyond the end of the traditional fighting season. So President Ghani's enlightened approach to night raids is refreshing. Now if we can just get the ISAF (and the U.S. headquarters) bureaucracy to cooperate we will be on the right track. Read one experienced Special Forces officer's frustration with the "excessive bureaucracy that has hobbled our ability to conduct effective night raids" in "Back to Night Raids: Counterinsurgency or Counterbureaucracy?", War on the Rocks, December 1, 2014.

Troop Drawdown is Evident

A correspondent for the Fayetteville Observer,  Drew Brooks, writes about the evident drawdown of troops from the once bustling military bases in Afghanistan. He comments of the ghost town that once was the military side of Kabul International Airport (KIA) and Kandahar Air Field (KAF).  Read more in "Troop drawdown is evident at Afghanistan bases" (November 30, 2014).

Mongolia Stays on the Team

From 2003 to 2014 Mongolia has deployed over 3,000 trips in ten rotations. Mongolia will continue to be a troop contributing nation during the Resolute Support mission starting in 2015. Read more in "Mongolia to deploy 120 servicemen in the second stage of "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan", InfoMongolia.com, November 30, 2014.

Video - Taliban Rehearsed for Bastion Attack

The recent attack by the Taliban against Camp Bastion (the former British base in Helmand province vacated last month) was well rehearsed. The rehearsal was captured on video and posted to the Internet. It can be viewed here: "Taliban video shows training and planning for Camp Bastion attacke", The Threat Matrix - Blog of the Long War Journal, November 29, 2014.

Critic - "We Can't Defeat the Taliban"

A critic of the war and author of a recent book on the conflict, Jack Fairweather, has penned an opinion piece stating that we have ignored the Pushtun tribes in the east and south to our detriment. He states that the Taliban support within the tribes is well-entrenched and is not going to go away. And neither are the Taliban. He believes that the United States needs to learn to live with the tribes to prepare Afghanistan for long-term stability. Read more in "Stop trying to destroy the Taliban", New York Daily News, November 30, 2014.

Afghan Daily News Snippets

According to a study by the Civil and Liberal Initiative for Peace (CLIP) the Afghan tradition known as baad has tremendously decreased since 2001. Baad is the giving away of a girl or woman in marriage as blood price to settle a conflict or debt. Read more in "Decrease in the Tradition of Baad", Tolo News (AF), December 1, 2014.

An editorial by The Guardian on December 1, 2014 states that the western nations should remain committed to the security and development of Afghanistan. It says that western policy should not be short-sighted and there should be no dashing to the door.

The Afghan cabinet was supposed to be formed weeks ago but there are some small step being taken by President Ghani. See "Afghan Fires His Cabinet; Police Chief Offers to Quit", The New York Times,  November 30, 2014.

A war correspondent writes about her relationship with the military and the "embed" program. Read "Ground Wars End, and So Does a Chapter in Military-Press Relationships", The New York Times, November 30, 2104.

Provincial governors to be changed out? A news report says that the Afghan president reportedly has plans to purge some provincial leaders. Ghani feels that there is a need for a change of leadership in government and the military at the provincial level (he is absolutely correct in my view). Changes are likely in five provinces - Kunduz, Baghdis, Ghazni, Nangarhar, and Helmand. (Fox News, December 1, 2014). The Associated Press reports that the Afghan president plans to overhaul security (December 1, 2014).

The country of Iran has spoken out against the ratification of the Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO SOFA. See a news report in Khaama Press, December 1, 2014.

Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Pakistan's top military commander. Kerry says that the meeting was "productive". Perhaps that means Pakistan will stop supporting the Haqqani Network? (probably not). (Radio Free Europe, December 1, 2014).

A left of center columnist, Murray Polner, laments Obama's "expansion" of the Afghan conflict in "Deja Vu, Afghans: We're BA-A-A-A-CK!", History News Network (HNN), November 26, 2014.

A new film has come out depicting the British forces time in Helmand province. Named "Kajaki" after the Kajaki Dam - it certainly cannot be described as a recruiting film with its depiction of real live curcumstances. Read more in "Dam and blast", The Economist, November 29, 2014.

The aid group that recently was attacked in Kabul is closing up shop. The Partnership in Academics and Development (PAD) stated on Monday that it closed its Kabul office where the office's director and his two teenage children were killed. In addition, two Afghan citizens were also killed. Werner Groenewald, a 46-year-old South African, led the group's charitable activities in Kabul. Three militants stormed the small office - one with a suicide vest and two with guns. All were killed in the attack.. PAD, with an office in Redlands, CA, has operated in Afghanistan since 2002. (ABC News, December 1, 2014).

Six Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack in western Badghis province. There is suspicion that it might be an insider attack. (Khaama Press, December 2, 2014).

Land ownership is a problem in Afghanistan. One aspect of the problem is the legal ownership. Between bad record keeping and corruption there is a lot of uncertainty as to who owns what. Nathan Hodge reports on this in The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2014. (subscription required).

The new Afghan leaders (Ghani and Abdullah) have met with the NATO chief in Brussels. Read more in Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe (December 2, 2014).

China, Central Asia, and Afghanistan. "Can China and the US Work Together on Counterterrorism?" This topic is explored by Kevin Peters in The Diplomat, (December 2, 2014). Another article posted on Radio Free Europe and penned by Bruce Pannier explores "China's Limits in Central Asia" (November 30, 2014). And while we are looking at China we should note that members of the Afghan House of Representatives are urging the government to move foward with plans to exploit the Aynak copper mine to increase government revenues and improve the economy. (China has the rights to the mining of the copper mine). Speaking of mining operations the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has published (Dec 1, 2014) an article by William A. Byrd and Javed Noorani entitled "Exploitation of Mineral Resources in Afghanistan".

The London Conference is taking place this week where pledges of support by the international community for Afghanistan will be expressed. President Ghani and others from Afghanistan are attending. Read "Return of the Goodwill? London conference as symbol of a new start", by Christine Roehers, posted on Afghanistan Analysts Network  on December 1, 2014. Australia is taking part in the London Conference and will be represented by the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Alexander Downer. (The West Australian, Dec 2, 2014). There is an expectation that Afghanistan will outline its future strategy to fight corruption and improve the human rights situation in the country (Radio Free Europe, Dec 2, 2014). Visit the UK page on the London Conference.

The drug problem in Afghanistan has reached new heights. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has released a new report citing the failure of the war against drugs in Afghanistan. One commentator believes that we should look at legal medical uses for opium and strive to get Afghanistan to become engaged in the worldwide opiate medical field in an effort to decrease the illegal drug trade. Read the thoughts of Sohrab Rahmaty on this topic in "A Solution for Afghanistan's Opium Crisis?", The Diplomat, December 2, 2014. On another related story see "Documenting Drug Addiction in Kabul", Time.com, December 2, 2014.

The U.S. Army has recently published a new version of ATP 3-93, Theater Army Operations, November 2014. It is available to read online or download at:
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_93.pdf

A new counterintelligence unit has been established by the Director of National Intelligence (James Clapper). The National Counterintelligence and Security Center combines the functions of government security programs (background checks, investigations, countering spies, etc.).

The 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) commemorated the culmination of their mission in Afghanistan in a ceremony on December 1, 2014 at Bagram Air field. The 3rd ESC was responsible for a good part of the retrograde operation (DVIDS, Dec 1, 2014).

The Army has published TC 7-102, Operational Environment and Army Learning, November 2014.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/tc7_102.pdf

The War is Boring website has posted a new story entitled "Clash of Strykers and Taliban: Armored vehicles versus guerrillas in Afghanistan's Arghandab Valley." (December 2, 2014).

A posting by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting entitled "Afghan Raisin Producers Hope for Sweeter Future" (December 2, 2014).

Contribute to Afghan War News Blog

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

Afghan News and Coffee at Five

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request 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, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

ANP Training Responsibilities Transferred

"The development and approval of Afghan National Police (ANP) training courses are now under Afghan ownership as of 26 November 2014. Under the framework of the recurring Professional Development Board (PDB) a memorandum of understanding was signed by representatives of EUPOL, German Police Project Team (GPPT), NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A), and ANP General Training Command (GTC). With this memorandum the international community handed over the responsibility and decision making about ANP training course to Afghan authorities. The international representatives of the PDB will now take the role of advising and support towards the Afghan authorities in their work to provide adequate training courses to the police. In the PDB the Afghan authorities will now decide about newly designed and developed training courses and give official approval to them. The approved courses can then be taught across the country according to the same standards." (Text above taken from EUPOL news release, November 2014).

"Four Corners" of Resolute Support

The Resolute Support mission begins in January 2015 with a total of 9,800 (plus or minus) troops from the United States and a contingent of Europeans and other contributing nations (probably a few thousand). The mission is going to be mostly Security Force Assistance (SFA) with a little bit of counter-terrorism. The SFA mission will concentrate at the ministry, institutional, and corps level. Only four of the six Afghan National Army Corps will be covered down by advisors. The areas to be covered are referred to as the "Four Corners" - Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. The four corners is depicted on the map below.

Map depicting the "Four Corners" of Resolute Support
(map from NATO video, Dec 1, 2014)

Suicide Bomber Attacks Funeral in Baghlan

A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in Baghlan province killing two police officers and a number of civilians (7?). The incident took place in Burqa district on December 1st. At least 18 people were wounded in the attack. The attack occurred during a funeral ceremony for a Baghlan tribal leader; Read more in "Suicide Attack at Afghan Funeral Kills Nine", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, December 1, 2014.

Book - "Worth Dying For"

Terry Gould, an investigative reporter from Canada, has wrote a book entitled "Worth Dying For". The book is about a unit of the Canadian police who work overseas as civilian police advisors. The program is run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Thousands of Canadian police have worked overseas in areas such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Palestine, etc. helping to advise and support local police departments in conflict prone areas. The author views these police trainers as humanitarian idealists who believe in their mission to mentor police in the universal principles of civilized law enforcement. Read the book review in "B.C. journalist Terry Gould offers an intimate portrait of idealism amid war and devastation", The Vancouver Sun, November 28, 2014. The book is available on Amazon.com.

Opium - A Binding Aspect of Afghanistan

The fight against the drug trade in Afghanistan, although expensive, has been futile. The opium economy undercuts progress in security, rule of law, and the economy. 90 % of the world's opium comes from Afghanistan. More than a million Afghans are drug dependent. Almost all aspects of Afghan society is complicit in the drug trade to include government, police, and the army. Read more in "Opium: Tragic tie that binds Afghanistan's government, Taliban, warlords and people", World Tribune,  November 30, 2014.

Two Interpreters Finally Make it to U.S.

Afghan interpreters, who risked their lives to assist the U.S. military, are finding it difficult to get to the United States on a visa. Two interpreters finally did complete their journey but it was not easy. The two interpreters, with their families, have re-located to Alexandria, Virginia. But getting to the United States was a four-year-long ordeal. Read more in "Two Afghan interpreters, targeted for helping the US military, finally make it to America", Public Radio International, November 29, 2014.

News Reporting by DoD on Afghanistan

Every once in a while we take a look at the news reporting by the U.S. Department of Defense on Afghanistan by looking at their DoD News Release site. There were about 173 news articles in the month of November 2014 on this site (listed chronologically). Of the 173, 28 were on ISIL/Iraq, 13 on Ebola, 6 were about Native Americans in the military, 5 on a snow storm in upper New York, and 3 were about Afghanistan. Sort of puts things into perspective about what DoD is concentrating on.

Domestic Violence in Afghanistan

There is concern that domestic violence against women in Afghanistan is rising. Learn more in a report by The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) published on November 20, 2014 entitled "Shame and Impunity: Is domestic violence becoming more brutal?"

Photos of Old Kabul

A professor at Arizona State University spent some time in Kabul with UNESCO teaching at the Higher Teachers College. While there he took some photos of Kabul in the late 1960s. Interesting contrast from Kabul of today! View the photos at this link on Radio Free Europe (November 29, 2014).

Afghan Daily News Snippets

On November 29, 2014 several General Officers of the ISAF staff (General John Campbell, MG Ed Reeder of SOJTF-A, and others) visited the Ahmed Shah Massoud Mausoleum in the Panjshir Valley. View pictures from the visit on Facebook.

While Americans enjoyed the holiday weekend their allies in Afghanistan grew increasingly weakened. Read more in "The Drumsticks of War", Time.com, November 30, 2104.

Many Afghans see corruption as the enduring legacy of President Karzai. Read more in "Afghans See Corruption as Enduring Legacy", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, November 30, 2014.

The international donor conference for Afghanistan will soon be held (early December 14) in London. Ahead of the London conference, concern is growing that the world could forget Afghanistan - and the country could forget its commitments to women's rights. Read more in "Afghanistan: what will happen when the troops - and their dollars - depart?", The Guardian, November 27, 2014. Also see "Return of the Goodwill? London conference as symbol of new start", Afghanistan Analysts Network, December 1, 2014. It appears that both Ghani and Abdullah will attend the meeting.

John Kerry, Secretary of State, congratulated the people of Albania on their 102nd Independence Day held on November 28, 2014. He stated that Albania was a strong and reliable NATO ally and thanked the Albanians for their support of the ISAF and Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.

A recent news article laments the plight of Afghan interpreters who thought they could immigrate to the United States but instead have been abandoned. Read more in "Left to the mercy of the Taliban", BBC News, November 26, 2014.

The Pentagon plans to impose strict standards of private security firms that provide support in war zones in the future. (The Washington Post, November 26, 2014).

Members of the 21st "Mountain" Brigade of the Polish Army have arrived at FOB Gamberi in Laghman province to provide security and force protection to the Train Advise Assist Command - East (TAAC-E). Many of them will be used in the "Guardian Angel" role. (DVIDS, November 24, 2014).

Paul D. Miller writes a comprehensive article saying that America should stay the course in Afghanistan - extending its support and commitment for years to come. Read more in "America, Don't Give Up on Afghanistan", The New Republic, November 30, 2014.

A paper entitled "Revisiting the Social Movement Approach to Unconventional Warfare", wrote by Doowan Lee and Glenn W. Johnson has been posted to Small Wars Journal (December 1, 2014).

A recent news report says Afghan roads are too expensive to maintain. While the growth of roads in Afghanistan is commendable the bottom line is there is no money in the budget to maintain the roads so they deteriorate rather quickly. (Tolo News, December 1, 2014).

John Nagl, a retired Army officer who served in the first two Iraq wars and an author, has penned an opinion piece for The New York Times entitled "The President Needs a Secretary of War" (November 30, 2014).

President Ghani is reportedly conducting backdoor talks with the Taliban according to Tolo News (Dec 1, 2014). See "Ghani Resumes Backdoor Talks with Taliban".

The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published an online post entitled Ten Years of Afghan Constitution: Why Dialogue is Important (December 1, 2014).

Kabul Police Chief to Stay. It appears that President Ghani has rejected the resignation of the Kabul police chief and that he will stay on the job. See "Kabul police chief to stay on job after resignation rejected", Stars and Stripes, December 1, 2014. Other news reports say that the police chief will stay on the job until a successor is appointed.

A Special Forces officer, Thomas Doherty, has penned a paper entitled "Letting Them Scrape a Knee: Advising for Third Order Effects", Small Wars Journal, December 1, 2014. He writes on advising the ANSF in Afghanistan and how helping with logistics can actually hurt.

Some international aid agencies are sending some of their foreign staff out of country due to the security situation in Kabul. So far in 2014 36 aid workers have been killed and 95 wounded throughout Afghanistan (according to the Aid Worker Security Database).  Read more in a recent news article by The New York Times (December 1, 2014).

A U.S. Army officer, LTC Daniel L. Davis, writes a piece on counterinsurgency for The American Conservative entitled "COIN Is a Proven Failure" based on his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The relationship between Afghanistan and NATO has improved significantly with the replacement of "Karzai the Crook" with the new President Ghani. The new president is hoping that the new phase will bring peace and stability to the country. (Stars and Stripes, December 1, 2014).

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that Afghanistan will face more violence but that the local Afghan forces are capable. (Yahoo! News, December 1, 2014).

Develop Your Writing Skills!

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

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You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request 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, forms to fill out, or passwords needed. It is also easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.

AAF - Tucano Plane Under Fire

The United States is providing twenty close air support aircraft - the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano - to the Afghan Air Force. The aircraft are being made at the Embraer facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The program will cost over $429 million and there is concern that the money will be wasted. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) thinks that the Afghans don't know how to operate and maintain the plane. This conclusion is based on previous programs to assist the Afghan Air Force that have ended badly. Read more in "Tucano attack plane built in Jacksonville's Embraer plant comes under scrutiny", The Forida Times-Union, November 29, 2014.

Ranger School Open for Women

Women are slowly breaking down the barriers in the U.S. military. It appears that female soldiers will now be able to attend Ranger school. This 8 week course is a premier school and one of the hardest to successfully pass. Of the students that begin the course less than 50% will earn the right to wear the Ranger Tab. Of concern to many Rangers is the fear that the course will be "watered down" to allow women to graduate. The same "watering down" process took place in the U.S. Army when co-ed basic training was introduced. Learn more in "Ranger School PT Test May Be Top Obstacle for Females", Military.com, November 28, 2014.

Kabul Police Chief Replaced

Kabul has seen a string of high-profile attacks in the past two weeks. It is apparent that the Taliban are ignoring the traditional end of fighting season routine as they have stepped up the attacks quite a bit. The Kabul police chief, General Zahir, has resigned (or maybe he was fired). The new police chief is General Abdul Rahman Rahimi, who was the Balkh Provincial Chief of Police (PCoP). This will surely change the political landscape of Balkh province! Read news reports on the Kabul Police Chief: Gandhara Blog, Radio Free Europe, NBC News, Reuters.

ANSF Ill Equipped to Fight Taliban

ISAF keeps pumping out the positive feel good messages about how the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have "overmatched" the Taliban in 2014 but the situation on the ground seems to indicate otherwise. Some districts controlled by the government forces amount to the district center (a few buildings with a wall around the compound) in the control of the police but the remaining 99% of the district land area is controlled by the Taliban. The last few months of the fighting season (actually, it seems not to have ended yet) have seen the Coalition provide increased close air support to the ANSF to turn the tide of some of the battles. The Afghan Air Force is not yet able to provide the air support needed to the degree necessary. Read more in "Afghan forces ill equipped to fight Taliban without NATO", Reuters, November 30, 2014.

Corruption Number One Issue in Afghanistan

A columnist, Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times, argues that corruption is the number one recruiting tool for the Taliban. Government corruption ". . . makes it easier for insurgent movements to win support among aggrieved citizens". Relatively few Afghans support the Taliban, according to opinion polls, yet the Taliban is still able to attract recruits every year. Read more in "How corruption abroad threatens U.S. national security" (Nov 30, 2014).

Mefloquine and Mental Health

A recent news article about Mefloquine (Lariam) calls into question the medication used to fight malarial. According to UK studies Soldiers given Mefloquine are four times as likely to suffer from mental health problems. Lariam was developed by the US Army in the 1970s for preventing and treating malaria. In April 2013, prompted by the risks of psychosis and suicide, the US labeled it a drug of last resort. The United States Special Operations Command banned its use over a year ago. However, British soldiers are still given the drug. Read more in "Soldiers still suffering serious mental illness linked to controversial anti-malarial drug Lariam", The Independent, November 28, 2014.

Video on History of Drones

A video about drones is available for viewing on the Popular Science website. The video (9 mins) is a brief film (animated) that highlights the century-long evolution of unmanned aircraft. Topics include early drones up to the CIA's targeted killing program in Pakistan and elsewhere. View The History of the Drone in 9 Minutes:
www.popsci.com/watch-brief-history-drone

Ambassador Cunningham Says "Goodbye"

The United States Ambassador to Afghanistan, James B. Cunningham, is saying "Goodbye". He has spent 3 1/2 years here in Afghanistan - having been posted to Kabul in the summer of 2011. Read the transcript of his departure speech in an embassy press release (November 29, 2014) "Ambassador James B. Cunningham's Remarks at Official Farewell Reception".

Daily News Snippets

According to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) the Kabul guest house attacked on Friday night belonged to a family working for "Partnership in Academics & Development (PAD). Originally it was reported in the press that they worked for a group called "PATH". The victims are reported to be South Africans - a man, his son, and his daughter as well as one Afghan. The family lived in Afghanistan for over 12 years. The father worked for charity organizations and the mother is a doctor. The son, 17 years old, was applying to U.S. universities. The daughter was 14 years old. The organization is reportedly based in Redlands, California.
www.padaf.org
www.purecharity.com/pad
WBTV.com news report

Over 100 members of the Arkansas National Guard have returned home. They just completed a six-month rotation to Afghanistan. The 216th Military Police Company left for Afghanistan in May. The 1038th Horizontal Construction Company of the Arkansas National Guard is still deployed in Afghanistan. See article in Army Times (Nov 28, 2014).

The Army plans to return to "full-spectrum training" is being hampered by budget cuts. Despite the fact the Army will most likely face hybrid or asymmetric threats in the future it feels compelled to know how to fight the "big battles" as well; and switching over to that type of training takes time and money. Read more in a news article by Stars and Stripes (Nov 2, 2014).

The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), an independent non-profit research organization based in Kabul, has been tracking women's issues in Afghanistan for several years. The AAN offers online a "thematic dossier" on Women Rights and Politics. Available here (30 Nov 14).

The attack at Camp Bastion in Helmand province is finally over. The attack against the (now) ANA base recently vacated by the British occurred on Friday. It appears that some of the Taliban were holding out over the past few days but were finally killed/captured on Sunday. Some critics have pointed out the attack as evidence that the ANA are not ready to take the lead for security in Helmand province. On a good note: apparently no Harrier jump jets were lost in the attack.

Afghan Cabinet. Although the cabinet ministers have not been announced it appears that the Deputy Ministers will take over for the time being. President Ghani has dismissed most ministers in the government (The New York Times, November 30, 2014).

President Ghani ratified the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and NATO SOFA that the two houses of the Afghan Parliament recently approved.

President Ghani signed two additional pieces of legislation. One dealing with a national census (which should help in the establishment of national ID cards) and another with protection of information.

A recent news story (see NBC News and UPI) circulating websites and Twitter was about an endangered bird (bustard) that was shot down by Afghan Security Forces for having a GPS and VHF transmitter. Some news reports indicated that the bird also was carrying explosives. Now it appears the mystery is solved. (On Twitter @KateClark66 pointed us to a news story entitled "2,000 endangered bustards released in Kazakhstan", Yahoo! News India, May 7, 2014. The story outlines a conservation effort to increase the wild population of bustards. The GPS and VHF transmitter were providing data to scientists of the migratory patterns of bustards; no explosives though. Score one victory for the ANSF and one loss for science.

The Washington Post writes about how the Taliban is bringing the war to Kabul threatening stability and endangering foreigners. (November 30, 2014).

Guest Bloggers Wanted

The Afghan War News Blog and the Afghan War News website are constantly striving to keep its blog, daily newsletter, and website factual, current, and relevant. If you have a link to a website or document you feel should be shared with the greater community then please send it to us. In addition, we are looking for individuals with some knowledge, experience, and expertise in Afghanistan on a wide range of topics to contribute blog posts and articles to our blog and add content to our website. And naturally, if you see errors, outdated information, or broken links please let us know.

staff@afghanwarnews.info

News with Your Coffee in the Morning

You can receive the Afghan War News Daily Newsletter each day. It should arrive in your e-mail inbox at 5:00 am Eastern Standard Time. It is easy to subscribe. Send an e-mail to staff@afghanwarnews.info or go to www.afghanwarnews.blogspot.com and submit your subscription request in the "Follow by Email" dialogue box in the top of the right hand column. It is easy to unsubscribe. At the bottom of the newsletter click "unsubscribe" and you will be automatically unsubscribed.