Why a Dam in Afghanistan Might Set Back Peace

A $200 million dam project will divert water from Iran. Afghan officials say they have no plans to negotiate water rights with Iran.

Christian Science Monitor |Herat, Afghanistan - The water that grows western Afghanistan’s fresh produce, sprinkles its town parks with shade-giving trees, and slakes the thirst of war-weary Afghans, is becoming a point of tension with nearby Iran as a large dam under construction will constrict cross-border flow.

After nearly four decades of work, the Salma Dam – a $200 million project paid for and built by India, yet delayed by Afghanistan’s turbulent history of occupations, civil war, and insurgency – is slated to be finished by the end of 2014.

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Iran Condemns EU's Blacklisting of Hezbollah

War on Terror News | VOA News | July 23, 2013 | DUBAI — Iran condemned on Tuesday the European Union's decision to put the armed wing of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on its terrorism blacklist and said the move was “contrary to all political and legal norms, surprising and unacceptable.”

Hezbollah was set up with the help of Iranian funds and military advisers some three decades ago and, along with Syria, is still Tehran's most important ally in the region, positioned as it is on the “frontline” with Iran's sworn enemy Israel.

Pressed by Britain and the Netherlands, the European Union blacklisted Hezbollah's military wing on Monday over accusations it was involved in a bus bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israelis and their driver a year ago, and its deployment of thousands of fighters to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turn the tide of Syria's civil war.

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Syria Update 13-09: The Fall of al-Qusayr

Elizabeth O'Bagy | Institute for the Study of War |

 

With the help of thousands of fighters from Hezbollah, Iran, and Iraq, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has achieved one of his most important military victories in the past two years by forcing the withdrawal of opposition forces from the town of al-Qusayr. The town is located in Homs province, an area central to the success of Assad’s overall military strategy. It is located along the southern route from Damascus through Homs province to the coast, at a juncture where regime forces have struggled to maintain their grasp. Rebel control of al-Qusayr had disrupted the regime’s critical ground line of supply from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and allowed for the cross-border movement of arms to rebels. Control of al-Qusayr now secures the regime’s line of communication from Damascus to the coast. Al-Qusayr now also cuts off access to cross-border weapons supplies to the rebels from Lebanon and provides an important staging ground for future efforts by the regime to retake the north and east. 

 

The regime launched a major offensive against al-Qusayr in May 2013, culminating in the regime’s successful routing of rebel troops from the town in early June. The fall of al-Qusayr has thus effectively altered the balance of power on the ground and serves as a critical turning point in the civil war.  With control of al-Qusayr, the regime can now strengthen its position in Homs province overall and better position itself to retake areas in the north and the east. Moreover, this regime success demonstrates the degree to which the conflict is no longer limited to Syria, but instead has engulfed the entire region, with troops from neighboring countries, including Lebanese Hezbollah in large numbers, reinforcing the regime's effort, and other regional and foreign fighters supporting the opposition.  To this end, the engagement in al-Qusayr has escalated cross-border operations by both sides.

 

The regime has been fighting for control of Homs province since its major offensive in the city in February 2012. By early May 2012, following a U.N. brokered cease-fire, only sporadic street fighting and shelling occurred in Homs city and the surrounding area. During this time, the government controlled the majority of the city, with the opposition holding less than a fifth of Homs while fighting for control of a similar-sized area was still ongoing. [1]  By mid-December 2012, the Syrian army had regained control of nearly all of the remaining portions of Homs city, except the Old City, Deir Baalba, and Khalidiya districts where rebels continued to hold out under the army’s siege. By the end of the month, government forces had recaptured Deir Baalba as well and were making significant inroads against the remaining rebel-held districts. [2]  In March 2013, the Syrian government hoped to conclusively consolidate its control of the city and launched a major offensive into rebel-held territory. [3] However, thanks to opposition reinforcements that arrived from al-Qusayr, the rebels were able to push back government forces. By mid-March, they launched their own offensive into Bab Amr, attacking numerous government positions within the key district. Heavy fighting ensued. [4] Although it is uncertain how much of Bab Amr the rebels were able to recapture or continue to hold while under intense shelling by the Syrian regime, is was clear that government  forces were struggling to maintain their positions and were at the risk of suffering major setbacks.

 

It was at this time in March 2013 that rebel commanders began reporting increasing numbers of Hezbollah troops in al-Qusayr. Although this was not a new phenomenon, the density of Hezbollah forces openly operating in conjunction with Syrian military forces was unprecedented. The border around al-Qusayr has never officially been settled, and many Shi‘a living in farming villages on the Syrian side of the border hold Lebanese passports. This had initially allowed Hezbollah to justify its activities in the area, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah early on claimed that those fighting near al-Qusayr were individual members of Hezbollah, acting of their own volition and not under party orders. But by October 2012, with the death of a senior commander near al-Qusayr it had become clear that Hezbollah was openly operating in the area under command and control of its leadership.

 

 

Since this time, Hezbollah’s involvement has shifted dramatically. By the end of March and early April 2013, Government forces were in danger of losing critical territory in Homs city. They were only able to hold on and push back against rebel forces due to the support of Hezbollah moving fully into the territory to fight on behalf of the Syrian government with entire units from the Bekaa Valley and Hermel mobilized. Hezbollah forces attacked rebel positions in and around al-Qusayr and reportedly committed a number of massacres in surrounding villages, forcing rebels to send reinforcements to al-Qusayr and stalling their offensive in Homs city.  Hezbollah troops then squeezed rebel positions from the southwest, while the government regained territory in Homs city and pushed in on rebels from the northeast. Effectively, government forces and Hezbollah coordinated to place al-Qusayr under siege and isolate the rebels within the city. [5] Beginning in April, pro-regime forces managed to clear rebels from much of the countryside and isolate the town in order to prevent a rebel withdrawal. Once villages were secured, the surrounding area was subject to a build-up of government troops. Reinforcements for the fight were drawn from units in Daraa and Damascus.  This strategy prevented the arrival of rebel reinforcements, which failed to find a way into the besieged town.  The siege also barred the transfer of weapons to the area. 

 

From this enhanced position, the regime launched a major offensive against al-Qusayr in early May 2013. In this offensive, regime troops combined with guerrilla detachments of Hezbollah and the militia-like National Defense Force. Government forces deployed artillery and airpower against the town, enabling bombardments that weakened rebel positions. Many rebels feared that they would be quickly defeated in the wake of the government offensive. One commander from the opposition al-Haqq Brigade stated, “If we hold our positions through the week it will be a miracle.” [6] Nearly twenty different opposition brigades came together to organize operations and repel the offensive, including the Farouq Brigades, the al-Haqq Brigade, the Mughaweer Battalion, the Wadi Brigades, the Qassioun Battalion, and the Ayman Battalion.  Jabhat al-Nusra has also played a role, although their presence in al-Qusayr has largely been exaggerated in media reporting. In mid-May, it was reported that an important Jabhat al-Nusra commander, Abu Omar, had been killed along with a number of his subordinates. [7] It appears that other rebel groups benefited from the death of Abu Omar by asserting their own leadership, and Jabhat al-Nusra has since played a marginalized role in the fighting with other rebel groups taking the lead.

 

 

Initially, the rebels were able to hold their positions despite the relentless bombardment, and managed to push back Hezbollah troops who took heavy losses during the early stages of the offensive.  The rebel’s success was partly due to a surge in weapons and resources that were smuggled into the town from Lebanon. Commanders from a variety of units were reportedly sending men into Lebanon to stock up on weapons before sending them back through Homs and into the remaining rebel-held neighborhoods before reaching al-Qusayr. Throughout May, the opposition groups in al-Qusayr were aided by a surge in reinforcements, with rebel groups from as far away as Aleppo and al-Raqqa sending forces to aid in the battle.  These reinforcements amassed in areas around Rastan and Talbissa, two important rebel strongholds that have been used as launching points for attacks in Homs and al-Qusayr. Although these reinforcements were largely prevented from entering the town itself, they played a key role in targeting government convoys sending reinforcements and supplies to pro-regime forces. [8]

 

It was not until mid-May that their grasp began to slip on the city and, on May 19^th, Syrian forces stormed al-Qusayr. Although media reports stated that Syrian forces had gained control of al-Qusayr’s city center and managed to retake all but ten percent of the city, rebel commanders denied the reports.  Videos posted online confirmed that rebels continued to hold the city center and much of the northern areas of the city at that time. [9] Fighting continued unabated with both sides consolidating forces in and around the town through May. Rebel groups from across Syria sent units to bolster their defense of al-Qusayr, including the Tawhid Brigade from Aleppo, the Nasr Salahaddin Battalion from al-Raqqa, and the Usra Brigade from Deir al-Zour. In early June, video statements showed that at least some of these reinforcements had managed to enter the city and participate in clashes with regime troops. [10] On the government side, reinforcements from the 3^rd and 4^th Divisions and the Republican Guard were sent from Damascus to provide greater infantry support. Some Damascus activists described a lightened military presence in Damascus as regime troops were sent in greater numbers to al-Qusayr. [11]

 

With the help of Hezbollah troops moving into Hamidiyah, the regime was able to retake the Dabaa military base and gain considerable ground in the southern section of the city by the end of May. From that time, the regime slowly advanced on rebel positions in the city and managed to cut off the majority of rebel supply lines. While conditions were dire for the armed opposition besieged in al-Qusayr, the rebels managed to maintain their positions in the western and northern sections of the city, as well as in key areas of the city center. They also managed to open an important corridor into the city near Shamsin from which they were able to attack government positions.  The rebels proved to be well entrenched in al-Qusayr and aided through fortifications including tunnels.

 

On June 3, government forces heavily bombarded the rebel-controlled northern area of al-Qusayr, leveling row after row of buildings in order to deny rebels cover. Soon after, Hezbollah units carried out a ground assault against the remaining operational opposition forces. This combined attack proved to be the final assault necessary for the regime and Hezbollah forces to force a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters, who were running desperately low on weapons and ammunition. Opposition forces were allowed to withdraw from al-Qusayr along a narrow corridor of territory still under their control to reach the villages of Dabaa and Buwaydah al-Sharqiyah. While the Syrian government had formerly prevented the withdrawal of opposition fighters, a Lebanese-brokered agreement between opposition fighters and Hezbollah reportedly paved the way for a rebel withdrawal on the condition that opposition fighters be allowed to evacuate families and wounded people without being attacked. [12] However, fighting has again broken out in these areas along the northern edge of the town where opposition forces continue to retreat, and government forces have been conducting clearance operations to evict the remaining rebel forces. [13]

 

 

Although the regime success in al-Qusayr was quite slow, the well-coordinated offensive proved to be successful in defeating rebels in the town.  The regime demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt its military tactics and strategically evolve in ways that made them much more effective against the insurgency. To add to this, Hezbollah’s efforts shifted the local balance of forces in the area. In combination with regular and irregular regime elements, Hezbollah's contribution remains a key contributor to the rebel defeat. Hezbollah has proven to be much more effective in confronting rebel forces as they have better experience in guerrilla tactics, unlike the ranks of Syria’s conventional army. To this end, Hezbollah has played a key role in the regime's development of effective irregular forces. It reportedly provides training and advice to local militia groups, Popular Committee elements, and the National Defense Army, all of which are playing a growing role in the regime's defense. Many rebel commanders reported that fighting Hezbollah troops was much more difficult than fighting against regime troops because “they are better fighters” and “more professional” than the Syrian army. [14] For his part, Assad acknowledged his debt to the movement, expressing “very high confidence, great satisfaction and appreciation toward Hezbollah” and promising to “give them everything.” [15]

 

Fighting in al-Qusayr revealed a new regime approach to fighting its insurgency.  The Syrian government showed that it can use Hezbollah fighters, and possibly Iraqi and Iranian fighters, as a reliable infantry force alongside its own heavy weapons and airpower. The regime displayed a sophisticated level of operations which included heavy preparatory bombardment followed by the infiltration of irregular allied units, and finally armor-supported infantry attacks. The three phases of this strategy were jointly achieved through the coordination of separate chains of command, a difficult task under the best of circumstances. That the regime was able to cooperate so closely with Hezbollah leadership in combining regular, irregular, and allied units with separate functions speaks to the close nature of the relationship between the Syrian government and Hezbollah. The battle in al-Qusayr is unique in its proximity to Lebanon and the presence of so many Shi‘a Lebanese villages in the area, giving Hezbollah an edge in the fighting. Nevertheless, their increased involvement in battlefronts across Syria will be a critical boost to the regime.  Over time, the replenishment of the regime's forces could allow Assad to rest and redeploy some of his forces for operations elsewhere in Syria, including efforts to retake certain rebel-held areas in the north and the east. This would give the regime renewed offensive and defensive capabilities and greater resources.

 

However, it should be noted that mobilizing militia units drawn primarily from Alawi and Shi‘a populations has its drawbacks. Command and control of these irregular forces will likely become increasingly difficult, and the Syrian government’s ability to control them may deteriorate over time. Already, the fact that Hezbollah helped negotiate a withdrawal despite the regime’s initial decision to prevent one suggests the likelihood of future disagreements over strategy and objective. Moreover, while there are clear short-term benefits, this mobilization also produces greater sectarian polarization and thus threatens the support Assad receives by critical portions of the Sunni community. This type of strategy was avoided by former president Hafez al-Assad who was clearly aware of the dangers of relying solely on minority groups. He was careful to downplay sectarian rhetoric and sought to build cross-sectarian patronage networks as part of the regime’s embedded authoritarianism, which ultimately contributed to the regime’s staying power.   Losing Sunni support and relying on minority-drawn militias could put the regime in a vulnerable position, and it is unclear whether the government could then muster the manpower and support needed to reclaim lost territory.

 

As the conflict in Syria has protracted, the Assad regime has had time to reconsolidate and renew its offensive capability through an increased reliance on irregular forces and allied resources and support. This support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah has exceeded the amount of support going to the opposition, and has meant that the regime is far better resourced than its opponents.  As the regime has adapted its strategy to match changing conditions, rebel forces have been unable to effectively respond. This is partly due to command and organizational issues that make it difficult to concentrate and coordinate significant forces, but it is also due to the lack of supplies, including much-needed ammunition, as well as their inability to withstand airpower. Overall, the opposition simply lacks the means for more effective resistance in the face of heavy bombardment by regime air power and artillery. This vulnerability was evident in al-Qusayr, where air power impeded resupply efforts and inflicted losses on opposition forces.

 

Although al-Qusayr may not be the decisive battle for Syria, it should be seen as an important turning point. By reasserting its military superiority in al-Qusayr, the regime has gained momentum, and through the help of Hezbollah and Iranian forces, it will likely be able to consolidate its control over the areas it now holds. This includes Syria’s most populated and economically important districts. Control of these areas will facilitate their advance on areas north of Homs province and possibly allow them to reclaim important rebel-held areas in the north and the east. Moreover, the regime victory effectively cuts off an important supply route to the rebels which will leave the armed opposition in an ever more weakened position. As for now, the regime does not have the forces required to move on from al-Qusayr and advance on other areas in the north. This means that the rebels have a brief window while the regime resets its capabilities. This window may permit them to develop a counteroffensive in order to disrupt the regime’s opportunity to capitalize upon its victory at al-Qusayr. However, the past performance of the armed opposition creates doubt over its ability to so. In light of the regime’s regained strategic and operational initiative, it will be even more difficult for the opposition moving forward.

 

This victory has also put the Syrian government in a better position as it enters the upcoming summit in Geneva. It is now able to transform its military advances into a stronger negotiating position, and there is now little pressure for Assad to bargain in good faith. His gains could even embolden Assad to push for all-out military victory rather than participate in the peace talks being promoted by the United States and Russia. This portends the failure of the summit and an end to international efforts to resolve the conflict through negotiations. If the international community truly seeks to enforce a negotiated settlement, they will have to do something to decisively change the balance of power on the ground ahead of the negotiations.

 

The battle for al-Qusayr symbolizes the conflict’s transformation into a regional imbroglio that can no longer be isolated within the Syrian context. Since the fall of the town, rebel fighters have already promised to take the fight to Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching over 18 rockets into Baalbek in a single day. [16] This has had a major impact on furthering sectarian polarization spilling over into Lebanon and Iraq, and exacerbating the role of identity politics and sectarianism in the region as a whole. While the defeat in al-Qusayr should not be seen as the decisive battle for Syria or as a forecast of regime victory, it does represent a new stage in the conflict through the open involvement of Hezbollah and Iranian forces at the side of the regime. That the regime was able to execute such an operation at this stage of the war testifies to its resilience and adaptability, and, more importantly, to the unswerving support of its allies Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. The support of these countries will allow for Assad to continue his military onslaught, while the lack of a decision to reinforce the opposition with the necessary resources ensures the rebels’ inferiority on the battlefield and will ultimately result in the death of the Geneva negotiations.  

---

[1] Lyse Doucet, “Homs: a scarred and divided city,” BBC, May 9, 2012.

[2] Alison Tahmizian Meuse, “Syrian troops hit Homs, kill 23 children,” The Australian, December 30, 2012.

[3] “Syria rebels capture northern Raqqa city,” Al-Jazeera, March 5, 2013.

[4] Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Facebook Page, March 10, 2013.

[5] Interviews with Syrian rebels conducted via Skype in March, April 2013 and in person in Istanbul in May 2013.

[6] Interview with commander of Liwa al-Haq in al-Qusayr, conducted via Skype on May 3, 2013.

[7] Jim Kouri, “Islamists suffer setback in Syria with killing of al-Qaeda linked leader,” The Examiner, May 22, 2013.

[8] Interviews with rebel commanders in May 2013.

[9] “Al-Qusayr, Homs, Colonel Abdel Jabaar al-Iqaydi,” YouTube, June 2, 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2b6gRQ8_BI; interviews with commanders in May 2013.

[10] “Al-Qusayr, Homs, Colonel Abdel Jabaar al-Iqaydi;” interviews with commanders in May 2013.

[11] Interviews with Syrian commanders and activists in May 2013; Jeffrey White, “The Qusayr Rules: The Syrian Regime’s Changing Way of War,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, May 31, 2013. 

[12] Saleh Hodaife, “Rebel withdrawal from al-Qusayr result of deal with Hezbollah,” NOW Lebanon, June 5, 2013.

[13] “Syria army deals severe blow to rebels in key town,” AP, June 5, 2013.

[14] Interviews with Syrian rebels conducted via Skype in March 2013.

[15] Liz Sly, “Assad forces gaining ground in Syria,” The Washington Post, May 11, 2013.

[16] “Syrian rockets hit Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon, influential cleric fans sectarian flames,” AP, June 1, 2013. 

 

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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation’s ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.

AZERBAIJAN: Feud over ban on Islamic head scarves fuels fears of Iranian meddling from Babylon & Beyond

Babylon and Beyond: AZERBAIJAN: Feud over ban on Islamic head scarves fuels fears of Iranian meddling -

A full-blown ideological war appears to have erupted between Iran and the secular government in neighboring Azerbaijan after Baku earlier this year banned the wearing of Islamic head scarves, or hijabs, at schools in the Caucasus nation by introducing a standard school uniform that prohibits traditional Islamic dress.

Conservative clerics in the Islamic Republic have publicly and repeatedly slammed the decision and warned Azerbaijani authorities that they're heading down a slippery slope by prohibiting schoolgirls from wearing hijabs in the classroom in the Shiite Muslim-majority nation whose citizens maintain strong ties to co-religionists and fellow ethnic Azeris in Iran.

"An ideological revolution has been staged in the republic of Azerbaijan, and this country will become one of the religious centers in the future," said a cleric named Foruqi during Friday prayers in the ethnic Azeri city of Ardabil in Iran, according to state television. "And this is the issue that scares the enemies."

(READ MORE)

From the Front: 06/18/2010

News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. (New complete posts come in below)

Dispatches:
A Little Pink in a World of Camo: A Widow's View on Not Being Too Proud - I woke up this morning and I was super excited to go to my massage that my lovely blog-turned-real-life friend, Amber, got me a gift card for. After this wonderful week (sarcasm) I felt like I could totally use some relaxation in my life. My friend Caitlin was bringing her adorable little 5 month old (literally, her and Ari are 4 days apart, it's sooo cute) to watch the girls while I relaxed for an hour. She told me she'd been sick the night before though and I felt soo bad that she was still here. She is, however, an outstanding friend and told me she really wanted me to get it done. I wished she would have called and stayed home and rested however I was extremely thankful she was there when...a migraine hit! Urgh. Seriously? As I'm leaving to go get some much needed me/relax time, I was slammed with one of my complicated, super nasty, bed-all-day, barely able to function migraines. (READ MORE)

Chuck Z: Responding to the Yonbots - Yon was right about the anbar awakening. But he damn sure had ziltch to do with making it happen. It was guys like me, generals like Petraeus and McChrystal whose changes in policy, tactics, operations and strategies made it happen. Yon wrote about the result and took pictures. His participation had zero to do with it working. Those same generals are the same ones trying to accomplish the same goals in Afghanistan, a country that has almost nothing in common with Iraq. Our job is harder than anything yon can imagine, and he only sees efforts and end results. He isn't part of the decision making process, he isn't consulted or briefed on the plan ahead of time. Guess what? There is no perfect solution. There is no format for success--especially when our own government refuses to define victory conditions. Yon says he supports the troops--isn't General McChrystal a "troop?". Why doesn't he get the support of Yon? (READ MORE)

Rania Abouzeid: Coddling Pakistan's Islamists - Pakistan's government appears keen these days to coddle its Islamist allies. A little over a week ago, Interior Minister Rehman Malik kissed and made up with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the conservative Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F). The JUI-F had threatened to walk out of the weak coalition government unless its demands were promptly met. And what a list of demands. Chief among its priorities was the release of more than 300 JUI-F prisoners picked up from various parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for their alleged support or active involvement with the Taliban. The government rapidly folded, agreeing to free the terror suspects, most of whom have reportedly not been tried yet in a court of law. But that's not all. The government also agreed to appoint one of Rehman's men to head the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body that advises parliament and the government on Shari'a law. (READ MORE)

Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: Times Square suspect indicted - Yesterday, failed Times Square car bomber Faisal Shahzad was indicted in the Southern District of New York on ten weapons, conspiracy, and terrorism counts that accuse him of receiving training in Pakistan's Waziristan tribal region in December 2009 and knowingly receiving funds from someone he believed was part of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. This indictment added five charges to the original case against the 30 year old father of two, and expanded on the alleged financing of Shahzad's plot, claiming he received $12,000 from the TTP. Shahzad is expected back in Manhattan court on Monday for an arraignment. Wanted: missing troops - Pakistani authorities are reportedly still searching for 40 missing Frontier Corps troops who may have been kidnapped by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan after an attack on a security checkpoint in Mohmand agency earlier this week. (READ MORE)

Army Live: “eSprit de Corps” through Facebook - During the years I ’ve been a part of the “Facebook” family, I have seen it used in a number of ways. In 2002, while I was an undergraduate student, Facebook was gossip central. You could login at anytime of the day and find some information about who’s dating who, who broke up 10 minutes ago and where the party was on Friday. Between 2007-2009, while I was working towards my Master’s Degree in addition to working as a Summer Hire in the Online and Social Media Division for the U.S. Army, I realized it was a place to inform and engage Soldiers (retired, active, and recently enlisted), families and supporters on U.S. Army involvement around the world. Yet, it was only a few minutes ago that I realized that Facebook can serve as an outlet for Soldiers to reach out to each other through and after the most traumatic times in their lives; even years after the initial conflict. (READ MORE)

FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): FOB Friday - Part I of III (Fun Run) - This week marks the 235th birthday of the US Army... So what better way to celebrate than holding a 10K run? Are you kidding me? I had to make the tough choice.... Photograph or run?... hmmmmmm. The race kicked off nearly on time... and I had to run up Airborne hill really quick to get this shot. Ahhhhh... Airborne hill. How does the Army find these hills? No matter how flat a base is, somehow, someway, the Army will find or make a hill. I am pretty impressed that everyone made it down this hill without slipping. In fact, the race was programmed so that the runners had to go up and down twice! Who the heck designed this course? Believe me, FOB Shank is pretty darn big now... you can run 10K easily without hitting this beast. Oh.. by the way. Take a moment to look at the ground. That compacted floor with rocks of all sizes is what makes up the ENTIRE race path. (READ MORE)

Free Range International: A Trillion Dollars - Yesterday the New York Times reported a stunner which was that the United States has discovered 1 Trillion dollars in untapped mineral wealth in Afghanistan. That news would seem to be a potential game changer and I went out this afternoon to downtown Jalalabad to conduct a couple man on the street interviews with local Afghans. What a shocker – not one guy I asked had any idea about the story which took up some much of the press cycle yesterday. Not one guy I asked had any idea what the number “trillion” represents. Yet all understood that there is mineral wealth in the country. What they don’t understand is how so much wealth could directly benefit them and their fellow citizens. The concept that a Saudi style money spigot could be turned on and spent on a nationwide program of modernization which would benefit them without their having to pay a penny is impossible for your average Afghan to contemplate. (READ MORE)

Home From Iraq: Changes of Command June 13 2010 - Four companies in 2-104th Aviation got new commanders on June 13, 2010. Here are pictures from the ceremony. Military tradition passes the company guidon flag from the first sergeant to the outgoing commander to the battalion commander to the new commander and back to the first sergeant. The four soldiers stand at the four points of the compass facing each other with a flag flying between them. The ceremony is a dramatic moment for those involved. Often the out-going commander is leaving his first command. The in-coming commander has been a platoon leader or other small unit leader before, but often is stepping into his first actual command. These change of command ceremonies are especially poignant for the men involved. Every one of the out-going commanders led their unit in Iraq. The new commanders are taking the place of combat commanders--always big boots to fill. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Signs of Compromise? - There is a glimmer of hope. The news today is that there might be a compromise in the works. The plan is to let the winning candidate, Ayad Allawi, form a government and take the prime minister's position while Nouri Al Maliki is given the position of president. It's a curious plan, and probably most Iraqis hope it works. After such a long wait, it's not a bad plan. The only problem is will Maliki agree to it? The constitution says, as far as I know, that the president asks the prime minister to form a government. Will Maliki agree to be president? And after so many childish displays, could he be man enough to look Allawi in the eye and ask him to form a government? Maybe someone can talks some sense into Maliki's thick head. The news reports say that U.S. envoy Feltman met with Adel Abdul Mahdi last night and Ammar Hakim this morning. Maybe they were asked to talk to Maliki and ask him to be more mature about things. Hope he listens. (READ MORE)

Iraq The Model: Najaf on Vatican's Steps? - A growing sex scandal that recently surfaced is probably going to haunt the Najaf clergy, particularly that of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, for a while. Recently, a bunch of video clips appeared on youtube, in which Sistani's representative in Maysan province is seen engaged in sexual action with several women. So far, the leaks, discussion and speculations have been limited to online forums and blogs, so I must point out that other than I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the additional details...All I can say with certainty though is that the videos of the playboy cleric do exist. So, reportedly, this guy, Manaf Il-Naji (Sistani's representative in Amara-Maysan, who leads prayers and collects the religious tax for Najaf) had seduced over a dozen different women; some of whom married, and recorded the intimate engagements, supposedly, to blackmail the women and ensure they continue to obey his orders. (READ MORE)

Kit Up!: No Velcro on OEF FR ACU (MultiCam) Pant Pockets - Some of you might have seen the report on USA Today’s front page a couple days ago about the Army abandoning Velcro (aka ‘hook and pile’) on the thigh pockets of its ACU pants. The article states that Soldiers complained the Velcro wouldn’t hold when the pockets were stuffed to the gills and that the dusty environments of Afghanistan and Iraq made the pile part of the Velcro fail because of dirt and sand infiltration. We reported on this issue back last fall with news of an Army survey of troops and changes the service was making to the ACU to reflect Joes’ preferences — including the overwhelming need to go back to button closures instead of Velcro on the thigh pockets of the trousers. Kit Up! received a statement from the Army yesterday contextualizing the USA-T story. When concerns surfaced in the surveys that the hook-and-pile tape was not holding under the weight of full pocket loads, the Army evaluated several solutions: (READ MORE)

The Kitchen Dispatch: The Teenagers Write Letters - This is a SHOUT out to the teenagers at the Richman Teen Center, part of the Boys & Girls Club in Fullerton CA. Last month, I asked counselors Melissa and Chad if the teenagers would take a bit of time and write notes to soldiers deployed to Afghanistan who never get any mail. I didn't know if they'd really do it --in a day of texting and Twittering, it probably never dawns on them they can print, let alone write a letter. But Melissa and Chad --who qualify for a reward for guiding these teens so consistently, thought it was a great idea. So daughter and I go to the store and pick up some blank cards with envelopes. Daughter, who goes to the Boys & Girls Club (they have superb leadership programs), leaves them with Chad. As usual, he has a plan. Everyday, there's study hour. Almost everyone has homework, but because there are always some who come in empty handed. So Chad had a little surprise. They had to write letters to the soldiers. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Al Qaeda operatives killed in North Waziristan strike - The US killed two al Qaeda commanders and a Turkish foreign fighter during a Predator airstrike in North Waziristan earlier this month, a jihadist group stated. Sheikh Ihsanullah, an "Arab al Qaeda military commander"; Ibrahim, the commander of the Fursan-i-Mohammed Group; and a Turkish foreign fighter known as Harun were killed in the June 10 airstrike in the village of Norak in North Waziristan. The deaths were confirmed in a statement released by the Taifatul Mansura Group, or the Victorious Sect, a transnational Turkish jihadist group that operates along the Afghan-Pakistani border. The Taifatul Mansura Group has previously issued multiple statements from Pakistan's tribal areas. Recently, the terror group announced the death of Eric Breininger, a German member of the Islamic Jihad Union who was killed while fighting Pakistani security forces during a clash near Mir Ali in North Waziristan on April 30, 2010. (READ MORE)

Cindy Archer: You belong to me. - Hello ladies! Hope everyone is doing well. We've been busy preparing for this deployment. I can't believe we'll have to say goodbye to daddy in just a few days. I don't think the kids really understand what's going on. I don't know that I can actually type out what I feel right now. I'm exhausted emotionally and don't know how on earth I'm going to make it through this thing. I know that we'll make it through, it's what we do. Anyways I wanted to share this song with you. I heard it the other day and wanted to share. (READ MORE)

Loving A Soldier Blog: I Am An Army Wife - Author Unknown - I am an Army wife - a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men go into battle, and the strength to survive until their return. Our sorority knows no rank, for we earn our membership with a marriage license, travelling over miles, or over nations to begin a new life with our soldier husbands. Within days, we turn a barren, echoing building into a home, and though our quarters are inevitably white-walled and unpapered, we decorate with the treasures of our travels, for we shop the markets of the globe. Using hammer and nail, we tack our pictures to the wall, and our roots to the floor as firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps, and raise the best of 'brats', instilling in them the motto: "Home is togetherness", whether motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex. As Army wives we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the "Hello again". (READ MORE)

One Marine’s View: Dads rock-what do you get him? - Dads are awesome! Ya only get one…usually…What to get dad for Fathers Day has plagued the world for centuries (a tie is not the answer). There is the always the desired golf clubs or extend loaded magazine for his pistol, or for that matter a 1911 Colt 45 is a nice idea…just saying….as I’m a .45 guy myself. A nice fishing charter in the wide ocean…or for Marine dads a nice box of cigars (Punch for the beginners, LaGloria series R #7 for the rot guts. Nonetheless even if you don’t get “Dad” something , or even if you haven’t talked to him in awhile for whatever reason….call him and tell him Happy dads day. If your dad is gone, when the time is right, just think about him and he will know. To all dads everywhere and in combat, Happy Dads day, June 20th. (READ MORE)

Thomas E. Ricks: Here’s how screwed up the Army’s Warrior Transition Units are: Genuinely sick soldiers try to get out of using them - The situation with Warrior Transition Units is so bad that the soldiers for whom the program was intended are insulted by suggestions that they do, a smart Army officer I know tells me. I mean, it is one thing to have less-than-satisfactory care for a wounded soldier-and I am confident that sort of thing will be addressed. It is a far larger scandal for the Army to use these units as dumping grounds for soldiers who never should have been recruited in the first place, and who have never seen combat. So do read Brig. Gen. Gary Cheek's comment, posted yesterday -- but also read this: Before I took company command, I went through our installation's mandatory pre-command course, a one-week course showing us the various support agencies on the base. Among the speakers was a representative from our base's Warrior Transition Unit (WTU). (READ MORE)

Tom Ricks: Former Pentagon personnel official: The warrior units are holding tanks for misfits - Here is a thoughtful and worried note from Noel Koch, who recently left his position at the Pentagon overseeing the "wounded warrior" program, about "warrior transition units," or WTUs, which he says that despite their publicity have become dumping grounds for soldiers who never should have been recruited-and most, he reveals, have never seen combat. "Our men and women in uniform today represent the finest fighting force ever fielded. The only problem? There aren't enough of them. The evidence has been multiplying and cascading down on the Pentagon since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It includes the assignment of military duties to extravagantly paid private contractors because there are not enough soldiers to perform these duties; the use of "stop-loss" orders to keep personnel past the end of their contracts, at which point their service is no longer "voluntary"; and, because "stop-loss" is not a sufficient expedient..." (READ MORE)

Sarah Kendzior: Why Didn’t We See It Coming? - It has been a week since riots broke out in southern Kyrgyzstan, and, contrary to the claims of the New York Times, scholars of the region are no closer to achieving consensus on the cause of the violence than before. This is a good thing. It is irresponsible to draw definitive conclusions as to the cause of a week-old conflict marked by rumor, intrigue, and limited information from on the ground. (Though I encourage speculation and debate — that’s what this site is for.) I have no strong evidence as to who instigated the violence or why. But I would like to address another question that has been raised on this site in recent days: why didn’t scholars of Central Asia see it coming? Every person I know who has spent extensive time in southern Kyrgyzstan is shocked by what happened. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the more someone knows about southern Kyrgyzstan, the more shocked they seem to be. (READ MORE)

Andi: Before, or After? - I recently read an article in Stars & Stripes which discussed a legislative provision which would require some employers to give military spouses two weeks leave before a deployment: "Among them is a provision offered by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., which would provide a guaranteed two weeks leave for spouses, parents or children of deploying troops, to make sure they have time to say their goodbyes before the servicemembers depart for up to a year..." So, let me pose a question or two...Although the story is about legislation, my thoughts immediately drifted to what happens in my home pre and post deployment. Other than the recent deployment of my husband, which was very, very different from a "standard deployment" (for lack of a better term) past experience tells me that just before my husband leaves, he's home, but only in the physical sense. Before my husband left for Afghanistan, the bottom floor of our home was littered with gear which he seemed to pack, unpack and repack each and every day. (READ MORE)

The Unknown Soldiers: Stands with a fist - I'm not sure if Motor City star and military supporter Kid Rock had Lake St. Clair in mind when he sang the song "In Times Like These," which will appear on his upcoming album. Yet the majestic lake, which is not far from Detroit, seems to perfectly fit the soaring lyrics. It's in the Michigan outdoors where you could usually find Cpl. Jeff Standfest fishing and enjoying the crisp open air. The Macomb Daily reports that Cpl. Standfest, who wanted to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and join the Marines since a young age, also enjoyed being around animals. As a canine handler in Afghanistan, he recently had the difficult experience of losing his dog in an explosion caused by terrorists. Despite dealing with a concussion suffered in the incident, Standfest bravely returned to the action with another trusted canine companion. Sadly, an American journey that led the 23-year-old former track star from the lakes of Michigan all the way to the mountains of Afghanistan ended Wednesday in Helmand province. (READ MORE)

Cassandra: In Afghanistan, Impatience Breeds Confusion and Chaos - It's hard to know what to think about Afghanistan. For years as we tried one thing after another in Iraq, I remained confident that so long as we persevered there was a good chance we would eventually succeed. Not in establishing an enlightened, post industrial democracy for Iraq, because that was never the goal. But in creating a better outcome - both for the Iraqis and for America - than either could have hoped for under Saddam Hussein. With all the uncertainty and peril surrounding Iraq's future, I believe we have done that. I continue to believe that unless we throw everything we have gained to the four winds, Iraq will have been worth the terrible price we've paid in blood and treasure. The Middle East is hardly fertile ground for democratic governance, but people must believe a thing is possible before they're likely to let go of what they have and risk their lives to obtain it. (READ MORE)

A Little Pink in a World of Camo: World (East Coast) Travelers - I could use this time to vent about my rampant-running emotions these days, upcoming decisions, and my permanently "lost" state of mind, but ya know what? I don't feel like it. So instead I would like to point out the fact that my daughter, in her 5 months and 3 days lifespan, has been on 14 planes. You read that right, FOURTEEN. While the majority of our travels have been for very, very somber reasons, it still blows me away what a seasoned traveler my little Princess is. Two to Delaware, 2 home from Delaware, 2 to Florida, 2 home from Florida, 2 to Florida again, 2 home again and this time 2 to Baltimore. On Saturday she will have another one as we're going to New England on a little mini vacation and then one more when we fly back to Baltimore. What a little jet setter! She travels so well, too, Thank God! The worst flights were the ones back from Florida the second time, she was soo worn out and screamed the majority of each flight, but besides those, she's usually a happy little traveler. (READ MORE)



News from the Home Front:
Times Square car bomb suspect indicted on 10 counts - A federal grand jury in New York on Thursday indicted a suspect in the Times Square bombing attempt on 10 counts, some of which carry a mandatory life sentence. (READ MORE)

Suspect in Times Sq. Bomb Attempt Is Indicted - Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani immigrant charged in the failed Times Square bombing plot, was indicted on Thursday by a federal grand jury in Manhattan, the government said. (READ MORE)

Two groups of troops back from Iraq - About 200 soldiers belonging to two units that deployed separately for a year to Iraq were reunited with loved ones at homecoming ceremonies Thursday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. (READ MORE)

Alert Issued for 17 Afghan Military Members AWOL From U.S. Air Force Base - A nationwide alert has been issued for 17 members of the Afghan military who have gone AWOL from an Air Force base in Texas where foreign military officers who are training to become pilots are taught English. (READ MORE)



News from the Front:
Iraq:
A Circle of Comfort in Baghdad - At times of crisis people resort to religion, especially the most vulnerable. A holy place among the alleyways of Iraq’s capital, the Sayyed Idrees shrine is a spiritual gathering place where women take comfort and encouragement. (READ MORE)

U.S. State Department's Jeffrey Feltman says new government must be 'inclusive' - The U.S. assistant secretary of State for near eastern affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, is making his second visit to Baghdad in a month, checking in on the negotiations to form a new government. (READ MORE)

Wounded warriors return to Iraq, find closure - When Staff Sgt. Christopher Bain was ambushed in Iraq April 8, 2004, he died - for 10 minutes. Fortunately, he received four blood transfusions from Iraqi soldiers and survived, but did not escape facing years of torment. (READ MORE)

Iraq ill-equipped to cope with an epidemic of mental illness - Asmaa Shaker sits on a leopard-print blanket in a Baghdad psychiatric hospital, her eyes heavy. The drugs have kicked in now, the fear has subsided, and she can sleep. (READ MORE)

Turkey: May Air Raid Killed 100 Kurdish Rebels - Turkey's military said Friday it killed as many as 120 Kurdish rebels in an air raid on rebel hideouts in northern Iraq last month and a daylong incursion by elite commandos into Iraq this week. (READ MORE)

Police Say Iraqi Interpreter for US Army Killed - An Iraqi interpreter for the U.S. military was gunned down on Friday by his son and nephew north of the capital after he refused their demands to quit his job, a police official said. (READ MORE)

Iraqi Sunni Leader and His Family Are Killed in an Ambush - Gunmen with automatic weapons stormed a house outside Falluja on Thursday, killing an Awakening Council member, his wife and three of his children who had all been sleeping in the backyard to escape the summer heat, the authorities said. (READ MORE)


Afghanistan:
Afghan debate spotlights Pentagon's mixed messages - Debate over the U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan is exposing what some see as discord within the Pentagon about how to cast the fight for Kandahar and the extent and pace to which progress can be shown. (READ MORE)

Afghan mineral wealth worth at least $3 trillion - Afghanistan is gearing up to award contracts to mine one of the world's largest iron ore deposits buried in a peaceful province of the war-torn nation that has at least $3 trillion in untapped minerals, the country's top mining official said. (READ MORE)

SA man's jail term increased in Afghanistan - A South African man, who was initially sentenced for five years in an Afghanistan prison, has had his sentence increased on appeal to 16 years, Beeld reported on Friday. (READ MORE)

Taliban ‘weary of war’ - The United Nations representative to Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, said in an interview published on Thursday that Taliban militants were “weary of war,” which opens the way for dialogue. (READ MORE)

Karzai meets Japanese authorities - The Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday held meeting with the Japanese incumbent Prime Minister Naoto Kan, besides calling on the Emperor and former prime minister in Tokyo, Japan. (READ MORE)

NATO predicts decades-long battle against corruption - NATO and US officials are pushing hard to reverse a culture of deeply embedded corruption that permeates all aspects of Afghan society, considering it key to establishing the rule of law in Afghanistan. (READ MORE)

Taliban can keep weapons under new peace initiative - A new coalition initiative to lure Afghan insurgents away from the battlefield allows the Taliban and other militants to keep their weapons if they sign on to a government peace plan, a senior coalition official said. (READ MORE)

Pakistan hunts for troops missing after Taliban attack - The Pakistani army says it is searching for dozens of soldiers missing after their checkpoint on the Afghan border was attacked by the Taliban on Monday. (READ MORE)

14 soldiers being handed over to Pakistan today - As 14 FC soldiers arrested by the Afghan security forces are likely to be handed over to the Pakistani authorities in Jalalabad today (Friday), there was no word about the whereabouts of 39 other missing personnel. (READ MORE)

Task Force to Take On Afghan Corruption - The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan has created a new task force to investigate allegations that companies hired with Western money to provide security, supplies and reconstruction work for allied forces are siphoning off cash and enriching Afghan power brokers. (READ MORE)

In Afghanistan, a waiting game to outlast the Obama administration - Evidently Hamid Karzai did not get the memo on terminology. US military commanders have stopped using the word "operation" to describe the drive, now delayed, against the Taliban in Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city. (READ MORE)

Karzai Says Worried About Afghan Minerals Rivalry - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Friday he was concerned about a looming battle over his country's untapped mineral resources and that Afghanistan's major donors should be prioritised in exploiting them. (READ MORE)

World’s Mining Companies Covet Afghan Riches - Mining companies around the world are eager to exploit Afghanistan’s newly discovered mineral wealth, but executives of Western firms caution that war, corruption and lack of roads and other infrastructure are likely to delay exploration for years. (READ MORE)

Pentagon Claims Afghan Strategy Working Despite Problems - Official says progress is beginning to prove validity of President Barack Obama's strategy for defeating Taliban. (READ MORE)

Gates Concerned About Pessimism on Afghanistan - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is concerned about emerging public pessimism and cynicism regarding the outcome of U.S. operations in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today. (READ MORE)

Combined Force Captures Key Taliban Operative - A combined Afghan-international force captured a Taliban subcommander responsible for coordinating attacks and the movement of bomb-making materials and detained several suspected insurgents in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province last night, military officials reported. (READ MORE)

Scottish Troops Mentor Afghan Forces in Helmand's Green Zone - Soldiers from the First Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), are partnering and mentoring the Afghan National Army (ANA) deep in the green zone near Nad 'Ali in Helmand Province. (READ MORE)


~~~
Cross posted at Castle Argghhh!

From the Front: 06/17/2010

News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. (New complete posts come in below)

Dispatches:
A Handful of Dust: An Afghan Is Something Your Grandmother Knits - Ambrose Bierce said that, “War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.” Studies show that the War on Terror might require God to change his lesson plan. A 2006 study found that 88% of young Americans between the ages of 18-24 could not find Afghanistan on a map. Iraq fared slightly better with 66%. (Perhaps even weirder was the fact that 33% of the respondents could not find Louisiana, but I digress.) Considering these rather humbling statistics, perhaps it is too much to ask Americans even vaguely grasp the complex ethnic makeup of Afghanistan. I, however, like to think that AHOD readers are of a slightly superior intellect and so I present you with a basic primary to Afghans ethnic landscape. The Pashtuns –The Pashtuns are Afghanistan’s largest ethnic group and make up roughly 40% of the country’s population. They speak Pashto, one of Afghanistan’s two official languages (the other is a Persian dialect known as Dari). (READ MORE)

Old Blue: RC South - I’ve traveled to the south (Helmand Province) several times now. Much of my time has been spent with the Brits at Camp Bastion, Nad e Ali, and now Lashkar Gah. From a COIN standpoint, while there is work to do, the Brits are doing better. The current Brigadier has taken a quantum step forward with a directive to execute a standardize tool pack that includes an ASCOPE/PMESII crosswalk for each operational area. This directive will pay tremendous dividends in each locality. It’s also a change. Using a standard toolset may sound like common sense, but it’s not a forgone conclusion by any means. Because of training, which has been mostly kinetic in focus, units have arrived on the ground in Afghanistan for years knowing lttle about counterinsurgency. The British are by no means alone in this at all, and they are actively addressing the issue. Americans, for instance, have focused largely on kinetic tasks and we have scared the crap out of our Soldiers in training. (READ MORE)

Army Blogger Wife: Deployment Question #25--The old fashioned letter - Do you write your husband when he is deployed? Only email? Just wait for phone calls? IM? My husband is usually not in a great location, so our internet time and phone time is very limited, maybe once every week or two for about ten minutes. I do write letters, but not as often as I should because I always choose deployments as a time to make major life changes, you know, like have a baby or change careers. This time, I might actually be able to keep up with letters. Does your husband write back? Gunner is pretty good about writing, sometimes. Maybe once he reads this post, he will realize how important those letters are to me. Nothing can change my day like a letter. Sure emails are great, and a lot of time if I have a question it is time sensitive and I need a reply. But nothing replaces that letter. My friend Peggy came up with a solution for the kids that works well too. She sends Gunner pre-addressed postcards to mail back to the kids. (READ MORE)

Army Live: What’s it REALLY like over there? - Today, we have a blog post from Maj. Chris Auclair is the 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rdInfantry Division Fires and Effects coordinator who is currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq. This week Maj. Auclair and 3 1-3 AAB Soldiers conducted a video teleconference through Skype with over 40-50 students and teachers from a middle school in Atlanta, Ga. Read below an excerpt from Maj. Auclair’s blog post as he talks more about his interview: "Two weeks ago, three 1-3 AAB soldiers and I conducted a video teleconference with 40-50 seventh graders and roughly 10 teachers from a school in Atlanta, Ga. The only reference the students and teachers in this school, in most cases, had of our military was what they saw on television or through a grandfather, who served in Korea or Vietnam. We were really the first “line” soldiers these students had ever seen or met firsthand. This video teleconference was truly a rewarding experience..." (READ MORE)

Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: Pakistani troops missing on Afghan border - Dozens of Pakistani Frontier Corps soldiers have gone missing after a cross-border attack by Taliban fighters based in Afghanistan on a security checkpost in Pakistan's Mohmand tribal agency earlier this week. Reports are mixed as to the fate of the troops; a Taliban spokesman told the BBC the group was holding soldiers on both sides of the border, but Zabiullah Mujahid, another spokesman, denied any involvement in kidnapping the security forces to The News. Afghan authorities report that 10 Pakistani soldiers have "wandered" into Afghanistan's Kunar province over the past few days, and have been turned over to the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. The Taliban executed a 28 year old man in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, yesterday, in the second reported instance of such Taliban justice in the last few weeks. (READ MORE)

FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan): Picture Of The Day - 16 JUN 2010 "Friendship" - I commented that the 909th FST holds a daily medical lecture series here at FOB Shank. Today, Dr. Aldridge gave another patented white board lecture (The Army generals would love LTC Aldridge's lectures ... the Army command is about ready to ban Powerpoint... Its becoming a pariah).. He covered the microscopic world of our bacterial frenemies (Randy's favorite portmanteau) in preparation for my talk on Antibiotics. Anyhow... the 909th received accolades yesterday from our Ranger friends. On this day, SFC Beisiadecki presented Dr. Luptka of the Czech Republic with a Certificate of Appreciation from the 909th. Dr. Luptka comes over almost every day to attend lectures, and to help wherever he can. He's a gregarious fella and an excellent physician. The 909th is fortunate to have met such a man. He commented "I have hundreds of certificates from the Czech Republic, but this is the first one from the United States". (READ MORE)

Fraser From Iraq: So where’s everybody going? I mean when? - We’re all waiting for the whistle to blow to signal that: “Hey guys, game over. Check the score board. WE WIN!” But this thing drags on forever. I thought that the whistle was just about to blow, but now it seems they want us to come to the middle of the field for a coin toss to see who gets the ball for the overtime! Hell they even have a name for our new mission. After September 1st, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will become [roll the drums], “NEW DAWN”! That’s right, New Dawn. They’re already working on a new ribbon or medal or some such trinket; for people who like those things. I want to read the back of the cereal box for this new product, and see what ingredients are in the New Dawn Corn Flakes. I hope it explains when we can expect our New Dawn asses to be back home. We need to get ready to invade Canada! And I want to know the New Dawn rules. Is it another catch and release program? (READ MORE)

Bruce R: Arghandab follies, redux - The Arghandab District continues to mess with people's careers. Following on the "worst briefing ever" incident, where the American battalion commander in the Arghandab was sent home, allegedly over a risque PowerPoint slide, the wife of his brigade commander back home has now been banned from having anything to do with the formation's soldiers. The unusual move by the division commander lends credence to statements, reprinted in a report in the Fayetteville Observer, by the lieutenant-colonel who was fired, Frank Jenio, appearing to blame his firing in part on undue command influence by the brigade commander's wife: "Mrs. Drinkwine's overbearing influence on the entire command, combined with Col. Drinkwine's [the brigade commander's] self isolation from the battalion commanders and his subordinate battalions, has alienated the battalions from the brigade and created the most dysfunctional military unit I've ever seen or heard of," Jenio wrote in his sworn statement. (READ MORE)

HERMANEUTICS: AFGHANISTAN: FLÜGEN - Afghanistan is one of the most extreme flying environments in the world, with the high altitudes imposed by surrounding mountains and temperatures that soar during the summer along with frequent wind and dust storms. Besides the environment, the enemy presents their own threat through small arms and sometimes RPG's or other lethal weapons. Further, flying a helicopter is commonly acknowledged as more difficult to learn and maintain than almost any type of fixed-wing airplane. Sounds like fun, huh? The picture below depicts a ' one-wheel pinnacle landing' on a Landing Zone (LZ), often practiced though rarely utilized due to the risk and difficulty of such a maneuver. The terrain in Afghanistan dictates the plan for an Air Assault or Air Insertion more than anything else. The highest I've ever personally flown is 13803 ft to the top of Mauna Kea on Hawaii for a training exercise. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: U.S. Envoy in Baghdad for Talks - U.S. envoy Feltman met with Maliki last night to discuss the stalemate. Nobody knows what will happen next, but the people are getting angrier each day. The minister of electricity famously went on TV to promise the power issue would be solved by June 15. Well, it's the 16th and most people in Baghdad have one hour of electricy each day. It's 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. Trust me. It does nothing in this heat. From what friends say, there are places such as Samawa that have no electricity and no water at all. In this heat. There is no excuse for this situation. As Maliki clings to the prime minister's seat, other lawmakers issue tougher statements. Today there were reports that the Sadrists really want Maliki out of the picture. There also is new of more trouble [Arabic] in the union of State of Law and INA. It's pretty much the same issues of nominating a candidate for prime minister. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Allawi to Withdraw? - One of the television stations today reported that Allawi's Iraqiya list has threatened to withdraw from the political process. There is no way of knowing whether the information is accurate or not. Nobody can blame Iraqiya if it takes such drastic measures. Allawi was interviewed on al-Arabiya television. During the chat the reporter asked him whether he could accept another person as prime minister. Allawi said he had no problem if the person was from the same list. He said he actually would prefer someone else take that position. What a difference from Maliki's position of he and only he can be prime minister. Even Maliki's supporters see his position as childish. Only the people who have jobs in Maliki's government, which are a lot of people, support him. The rest have turned to either the Shiite Alliance or Allawi's Iraqiya list. Naturally the vacuum or stalemate or whatever it is in the Iraqi government angers the people. (READ MORE)

Jamie McIntyre: Afghanistan Sinking - President Obama announced a winning strategy last night, in fact the only strategy can ensure success. He was talking about battling the oil spill, but the same strategy is the only way to guarantee victory in real war as well. The problem is this particular strategy is often THE most expensive option, and therefore the price can sometimes be too high. Here’s what the president said last night: “Make no mistake: We will fight this … with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes.” Notably, that is NOT the approach the United States is taking in Afghanistan, where the president’s strategy is more like: “Make no mistake: we will fight this with as much as we can spare, for a least another year.” Here’s the thing about wars. They are either worth winning, or not. They are either vital to our national security, or not. They are either worth a thousand American lives, and untold shattered families, or they are not. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Taliban kill 10 Pakistani troops, capture 40 more in northwest - The Pakistani military was hit hard this week by the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban operating in Pakistan’s lawless northwest. Ten Frontier Corps troops were killed and 40 more were captured during fighting in Bajaur and Mohmand, two regions where the military has declared victory in the recent past. The Afghan Taliban captured 40 paramilitary Frontier Corps troops yesterday after clashes along the border between the Pakistani tribal agencies of Bajaur and Mohmand. Major General Athar Abbas, Pakistan's top military spokesman, confirmed the attack and said the Afghan Taliban captured the troops after overrunning a Pakistani military outpost, Reuters reported. The Afghan Taliban released five of the troops at the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, while the 35 other troops are still thought to be in the custody of the Taliban. (READ MORE)

Mike Francis, The Oregonian: IAVA: 'We've got your back,' not 'Welcome, hero' - You've probably seen the non-profit ad campaign by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (see video below.) I just had the pleasure of spending an hour with three IAVA members who came out to Portland from the East Coast to talk to Oregon veterans about the issues that matter to them. (One of the three was Marine Todd Bowers, who's the guy extending his hand in the video below to say "Welcome home.") We talked about a lot of things, from problems with employment, to access to the VA, to keeping the civilian world engaged with veterans' issues. One of the things that I found fascinating was when our conversation touched on the terminology that surrounds returning veterans. We talked about how casually people refer to "heroes" when they talk about troops who serve, no matter if a soldier rescued a family of Afghan civilians or spent his entire deployment guarding a warehouse of bottled water. (READ MORE)

Red Bull Rising: The Mayor of Faux FOB-istan - No one elected the Mayor of Camp Ripley, Minn., but he sure seems to think he can abuse the goodwill of the people he serves. Many units are mustering at the National Guard base in order to support the training of approximately 3,000 troops of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (2-34 B.C.T.) One of the ways they're helping is in logistics--issuing billets and barracks, feeding soldiers, moving and sorting large loads of ammunition. The Mayor isn't technically part of the brigade. He's only helping the brigade. Problem is, he seems to spend more time and effort on trying to put people in their places, than he does providing them places to live and work. Given a job that that would seem to require an attitude of servant leadership, he neither leads nor serves. For example, the Mayor acts put out when tired soldiers drive up after a 12-hour convoy to ask where they're supposed to sleep and eat--"You're the third person to ask me that." (READ MORE)

Air Force Wife: Support, Fault, Blame, and the Front of the Commissary Line - When the military lifestyle turns into a soap opera (not one that runs on the Lifetime Network), it does so in A VERY BIG WAY. There has been no avoiding this story, really, since it's all over the place and we all have strong feelings about this sort of activity. Or rather, bullying. Actually, I'm not sure that even the word bullying applies here - but I think that for those of us on the outside of the story, eyebrows raised in horror and a bit of resigned shock. And embarrassment. While the situation at Ft. Bragg is undergoing an investigation it would be unwise for anyone to comment about "the truth". Legally, I mean. When people have sued dry cleaners for sums in the millions of dollars for a pair of missing pants that weren't really missing it's probably wise to err on the side of caution and use those qualifying words like "alleged", "accused", and so forth. (READ MORE)

The Unknown Soldier: 'A gentle giant' - To say that Sgt. Brandon Bury was an imposing figure is probably an understatement. Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and wearing a size 16 shoe, the Marines had to special order his boots and other footwear. Yet those closest to Sgt. Bury said that even after a brief conversation with their beloved Brandon, his commanding stature was overcome by genuine compassion. "The funny thing is the way he carried himself, with his presence, you would think he could be intimidating, but he always had this air about him that you knew he was a friend,” his brother [Brian Bury] said. The Houston Chronicle recently spoke to Bury's brother, uncle, and mom about the proud Marine's life and legacy. Lindsay Wise's article leaves no doubt about what the volunteer warrior meant to his family and friends in Kingwood, Texas. "They thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed one another, and they were all so proud of Brandon, and they would all send him packages," his mother [Terri Bury] said. (READ MORE)

Terry Glavin: Ignatieff: Time for a "frank, national conversation" about Afghanistan. - Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is finally taking the brave lead of Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae ( "We have an obligation to see this thing through . . . . The door is open to serious discussion in Canada and between Canada and NATO about what the future looks like"), for which Rae has been so churlishly traduced. Ignatieff is calling for a "frank national conversation" about Canada in Afghanistan post-2011. This is good. This is also the view of many Conservative MPs, although it is not the view from the Prime Minister's office, where Stephen Harper sits glumly, wanting no debate about it, and wanting shut of the entire business, content to allow his ministers to look like idiots whenever the subject comes up. So, good for Ignatieff. Set aside the fact that his endorsement of a post-2011 training role for our soldiers provides only slightly more clarity than Defence Minister Peter MacKay's musings. It's a start. (READ MORE)

Zach in Afghanistan: So Your Enemy is an Idiot... - On a combat outpost in Logar Province, a group of young American soldiers sit around on guard duty, bored to tears, swapping stories about the Afghan National Army (ANA). Between drags of his cigarette, one soldier tells a story of his time guarding the COP’s senior medic. One day, it seems, a senior ANA officer came to the clinic complaining of an infection to his penis; after some time and much sheepishness, it emerged that the ANA officer likely contracted the infection when he had sex with a donkey. He was given antibiotics. Around the guard post, the other soldiers nod; they have similar stories. In a recent piece in The Atlantic, Daniel Byman and Christine Fair write about the stupidity of large parts of the jihadi movement, including sordid anecdotes of sex with animals, pornography, suicide bombers blowing themselves up before their meant to, the sheer idiocy of some of the world’s most notorious terrorists. The reminder is a necessary one. (READ MORE)

Noah Shachtman: ‘Human Terrain’ Chief Ousted - The manager and co-founder of the U.S. Army’s controversial social-science program is no longer in charge. Retired Colonel Steve Fondacaro — a charismatic, mercurial, mile-a-minute former Special Forces operator and East Harlem native – turned the Human Terrain System from an academic experiment into a military reality, embedding social scientists into combat units. Then he waged an internal insurgency to expand the effort Army-wide, despite the service’s dedication at the time to a purely bombs-and-bullets approach to warfare. ”We’re like a germ in the body of [the Army],” Fondacaro (pictured) once told me. “All of their systems are sending white blood cells to puke me up.” But the Army changed its ways. And Fondacaro’s expansion effort was largely successful. At last count, there were 21 Human Terrain Teams operating in Iraq and six more in Afghanistan, offering advice to commanders on the local cultural landscape. (READ MORE)

Anthony H. Cordesman: Realism in Afghanistan: Rethinking an Uncertain Case for the War - There is nothing more tragic than watching beautiful theories being assaulted by gangs of ugly facts. It is time, however, to be far more realistic about the war in Afghanistan. It may well still be winnable, but it is not going to be won by denying the risks, the complexity, and the time that any real hope of victory will take. It is not going to be won by “spin” or artificial news stories, and it can easily be lost by exaggerating solvable short-term problems. Two critical questions dominate any realistic discussion of the conflict. The first is whether the war is worth fighting. The second is whether it can be won. The answers to both questions are uncertain. The US has no enduring reason to maintain a strategic presence in Afghanistan or Central Asia. It has far more important strategic priorities in virtually every other part of the world, and inserting itself into Russia’s “near abroad,” China’s sphere of influence, and India’s ambitions makes no real sense. (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: WWBD - Turns out a quick exit on a partial surge is easier said than done. Who would have thought? As I recall, some people were hoping for something for, not quite nothing, but as little as possible, with politcal cover. Starts to look like a miscalculation. So what to do. Democratic war strategy in recent decades would suggest the choices are either massive irrational escalation or precipitious abandonment. Last year’s remarkable departure from past precedent, a sort of a three-quarter What Would Bush Do, suggests that a full WWBD might be worth considering. After all, he’s the guy who cracked the code on that other intractable mess … leaving us with a Saddam-free, democratic, largely quiet Iraq. Bush liked a surge. Surge strategy calls for the military isolation and elimination of the enemy to be coupled with economic development. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that figuring a way to turn that $1 trillion worth of buried Afghan treasure into a big carrot to get everyone onside with peace and prosperity could be a big piece of that. (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex: Boulevard of Broken Toys - Surprisingly, given the kind of economy that usually increases the quality of personnel recruited for military service, the vaunted Warrior Transition Units – developed to help wounded troops return to service or prepare for civilian life – have become something of a dumping ground for non-deployables, according to Noel Koch: To meet their quotas people who are physically unfit; mentally unfit; emotionally unstable; or, who have criminal histories and disciplinary problems are recruited. Commanders refuse to deploy with these people. So, commonly, they are put in the Warrior Transition Units, which is why these are called “warehouses” and “dumping grounds.” Here’s a snapshot: I am in a room with 35 soldiers. The one first in front of me is glassy-eyed, staring into the middle distance, and I have to raise my voice to get his attention. We do not recruit exclusively from the ranks of the Vienna Boys Choir, and not everyone we access will eventually meet standards: (READ MORE)

JD Johannes: The Path - "Where are you flying today?" the Delta Arlines agent asked. "Kansas City to Atlanta, Atlanta to Paris, Paris to Dubai. Then I take a small regional airline to Kabul, Afghanistan." "Sounds like the trip of a lifetime!" I've made the trip of a lifetime several times. This will be my seventh trip to the wars in five years. One trip may be an outlandish mid-life crisis. Seven surely qualifies me for some type of clincal diagnosis. I am certain that multiple trips to wars have changed me, but I am not sure what those changes are. Every story, at least every narrative story people will actually pay attention to is about how a person changes. The 12 Steps of the Path of the Hero, also known as the monomyth, articulated by Joseph Campbell result in the hero changing. I am not a hero by any stretch, and luckily classical heroics are not required for the path, just the 12 steps, one of them being a change or transformation. (READ MORE)

This Ain't Hell: Goodbye Don - Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Corporal Donald Marler, who was killed in action along with two other Marines in Helmand on June 6th. At the time he was serving with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1), which was on its sixth combat deployment in support of the war on terror. I served with Don for two years, first at Marine Barracks Washington and then as part of the Marine security detail at Camp David. Don was an outstanding Infantry Marine and I am not just saying that because he was killed. He skipped his high school graduation in order to ship to boot camp earlier and excelled in his initial training. While at Camp David, he filled billets that normally would have been held by Sergeants and Staff Sergeants. He also was Marine/NCO of the quarter and successfully completed some of the toughest schools in the Marine Corps. When he received orders to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5), he found out he would be unable to deploy with them since they deployed after he would have left the Marine Corps. (READ MORE)


News from the Home Front:
Arlington National Cemetery headstones found lining stream bed - Several mud-caked headstones line the banks of a small stream at Arlington National Cemetery, the country's most venerated burial ground. Farther upstream in a wooded area, a few others lie submerged with the rocks that line the stream bed. (READ MORE)

Valley of Death: One Platoon’s Tour of Duty - ASK almost any American, even those opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they will state that they “support our troops.” (READ MORE)

A Gay Veteran Seeks the Freedoms She Defended - As a citizen of a democratic society, with freedom as its foundation and core, I stand, proud to serve my country and defend all this nation stands for. (READ MORE)

3 more Lewis-McChord soldiers charged in Afghanistan deaths - Three more soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord had been charged in the deaths of three Afghan civilians earlier this year. (READ MORE)

DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for May 2010 - The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for May 2010. (READ MORE)



News from the Front:
Iraq:
Human Rights Watch slams high rates of female genital excision in Iraqi Kurdistan - "I still feel the fear,” Runak recalled as she told her story of undergoing genital excision at age 7. (READ MORE)

State Department creating mini-army in Iraq - The State Department is quietly forming a small army to protect diplomatic personnel in Iraq after U.S. military forces leave the country at the end of 2011, taking its firepower with them. (READ MORE)

Turkish Military Kills 4 Kurdish Rebels In Iraq - Turkish military forces killed four Kurdish separatists in a raid into northern Iraq on Wednesday, the military said, as fighting escalates between the rebels and Turkish security forces. (READ MORE)

Military: Turkish Troops Cross Into Northern Iraq - Turkey sent hundreds of elite troops into northern Iraq on Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas in an operation that could increase tensions within the region. (READ MORE)

U.S. mission in north Iraq: Get Kurd and Arab forces cooperating - At a small but heavily fortified outpost on the edge of this dust-blown town, a contingent of American soldiers has recently taken up residence alongside Kurdish and Arab forces in what is likely to be one of the last new missions undertaken by the U.S. military in Iraq. (READ MORE)

Iran Tests Iraqi Resolve at the Border - This remote village high in the rugged mountains along the border with Iran has been deserted, its people having fled Iranian air and artillery bombardments with everything they could carry and whatever livestock that could be coaxed down the steep mountain trails. (READ MORE)


Afghanistan:
Dozens of Pakistani troops 'captured by the Taliban' - The Pakistani army is often attacked by the Taliban in border areas The Afghan Taliban says it has captured dozens of Pakistani soldiers after attacking their checkpoint in a cross-border raid. (READ MORE)

Pakistani troops missing after cross-border Afghan Taliban raid - Several dozen Pakistani paramilitary troops are missing after Afghan Taliban militants launched a cross-border raid on a remote checkpost and dragged the hostages into Afghanistan, it emerged today. (READ MORE)

Ignatieff calls for Afghan training past 2011 - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says Canada should commit its military to training Afghanistan's police and soldiers after its combat mission in Kandahar ends in 2011. (READ MORE)

U.S. Bolsters Afghan Police to Secure Kandahar - The American paratroopers climbed down from armored vehicles and spread out along Highway 1, Afghanistan’s main road. An Army engineering team moved behind. (READ MORE)

Taliban Attack Police in SE Afghanistan - The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing Thursday morning outside a district police headquarters in southeastern Afghanistan that wounded four Afghan policemen, one critically. (READ MORE)

Afghan Civilians Help Police Repel Taliban Attack - Afghan civilians helped police to repel an attack by an estimated 50 Taliban fighters against a police checkpoint in Afghanistan’s Daykundi province June 14, military officials reported. (READ MORE)

Mullen: Kandahar Vital to Success in Afghanistan - Kandahar, the spiritual home of the Taliban, is the key to success in Afghanistan and the U.S. military is working with Afghan forces to turn the tide against the insurgents, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee today. (READ MORE)

Afghanistan Timeline Not a Withdrawal Date, Officials Say - President Barack Obama’s directive calling for the start of a conditions-based drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 shouldn’t be considered as an exit date, but rather the beginning of the transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghans. (READ MORE)

US General: Afghan War like a 'Roller Coaster'- The head of U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that the withdrawal date for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan is the beginning of a process and not a rush to leave the country. (READ MORE)

Pentagon Decries Bleak Views on Afghan War - The Pentagon decried overly negative assessments of the Afghan war on Wednesday, telling Congress the conflict is a "roller coaster" of ups and downs but insisting progress is being made. (READ MORE)

Lawmakers hear different take on year-end review of Afghanistan war effort - Senior defense and military officials Wednesday played down the importance of an end-of-year review that President Obama has described as crucial to assessing whether his Afghanistan war strategy is working, saying that it would have little bearing on decisions about troop withdrawals scheduled to begin in July 2011. (READ MORE)

Taliban 'captures' dozens of Pak soldiers in FATA - Dozens of Pakistani soldiers are reportedly been held captive by the Taliban following an attack on a border checkpost between the Mohmand and Bajaur agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). (READ MORE)

Dem lawmakers challenge Pentagon on Afghan war - A schism deepened Wednesday between U.S. war leaders and Congress as lawmakers -- crucial Democrats among them -- challenged Pentagon assertions that progress is picking up in Afghanistan. (READ MORE)

Afghanistan's Kabul Basin Faces Major Water Challenges - In the next 50 years, it is estimated that drinking water needs in the Kabul Basin of Afghanistan may increase sixfold due to population increases resulting from returning refugees. (READ MORE)

Taliban demands ransom from Afghan gov't for Japanese journalist - Taliban militants have demanded that the Afghan government pay a ransom for a Japanese journalist who went missing in late March in northern Afghanistan, it was learned Thursday from Afghan security authorities. (READ MORE)


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Cross posted at Castle Argghhh!