No one is safe

Ministry of the Interior, Kabul...where two advisors were murdered.

That is hyperbole, dear readers.  Most of our men and women in uniform, and those in civilian roles, are plenty safe...a lot safer than they'd be in some neighborhoods in our own country.  Those inside the wire, at large and secure bases -- which is something like 90% -- stand little chance of coming under any form of attack.  So this is not about them, and it's not about the trigger-pullers who've shouldered the lion's share of risk all along.  This is about the advisors, those from NTM-A and elsewhere throughout ISAF who are tasked with partnering with Afghan counterparts in order to get the job done.  And the job is nothing short of leaving a self-sufficient military and police force in place throughout one of the most volatile, unstable places on Earth.

Two American officers were shot dead at close range in Afghanistan's Interior Ministry on Saturday, a U.S. official said, as rage gripped the country for a fifth day... (Feb. 25, 2012)

The Afghan Defense Ministry went into a near-total lockdown on Tuesday after the discovery of 10 suicide vests and the arrests of more than a dozen Afghan soldiers suspected of plotting to attack the ministry... (March 27, 2012)

What's next?  Those on the job can't worry about that, despite the fact that Kabul seems to grow dicier every day.  The brass are attempting to mitigate the risk, by protecting advisors with assigned "guardian angels" who will watch their backs.  But I keep thinking back to two fellow advisors who were shot in cold blood at the Ministry of the Interior, in a building I often visited as one of my duties.  What would have prevented one of the ubiquitous guards from doing that, short of our treating a routine meeting like clearing a hostile building, sweeping rooms in full kit with rifle barrel first?  

June 2010: The then-peaceful grounds of MoI

An eager new guard we knew...would you trust him now?

I think now of the Ministry of Defense, to which I walked literally every day and sat for chai with my colleagues.  The morning routine was to squeeze into the office in which a dozen or so Afghan officers and soldiers would already be packed, to be offered a chair at their insistence (accepted only after the due amount of refusal), and to exchange pleasantries and small talk for a while before getting down to business.  Can I imagine that routine with a couple of armored-up soldiers crammed in there too, staring down the collection of guys in suits?  Or the more spacious sessions with Maj. Gen. Azimi?  No way.  In fact, when a few officers from another command joined us at meetings there, wearing their full battle rattle, it was all we could do to keep from busting up laughing...that was the security situation at the time.  But these days, if the presence of an "angel" or two will help prevent a rogue ANA soldier from spraying an AK-47 or detonating a suicide vest, then sure...I get it.  It just sucks.

Insurgents, meet Maj. Daoud.  You're not getting past him.

This is just one piece of an ugly trend, the murdering of Coalition troops by Afghan security forces.  Some argue that it's not a trend, but it's officially the second-highest cause of death for our comrades so far this year.  It's one hell of a successful tactic for an insurgency, and not a new one.  In some cases, the bad guys just luck out, reaping the benefit when an argument spins out of control, compounded by vast cultural barriers, resulting in a shooting.  That may be what happened earlier this week, when a pair of British troops were killed while on guard duty by an ANA officer.  Even when such tragic incidents weren't as common, we'd discuss and debate the 'end game'...how is it possible to equip and train a force of almost 300,000 new guys without taking on the chance that an occasional insurgent (or just a fed-up, stressed-out, ready-to-snap Afghan soldier) will get trigger-happy when your back is turned?  I guess by now we know that you can't.  And I just hope the trend doesn't continue.

And I wonder if the new MoD HQ ever got built...

In my initial posting of this, the not-even-wee-anymore hours of this morning, I neglected to include a note about the bravery of Spec. Dennis Weichel, and more surprisingly, the coverage of it.  If you're unfamiliar, Weichel was killed while rescuing an Afghan child from a gruesome fate, pushing him out of the way of a rolling military vehicle.  His story went viral by way of a Facebook tribute from his friends, and then the usually anonymous nature of 'cause of death' became public lore seemingly overnight.  The governor of his home state of Rhode Island was even there today to greet him on his final journey home.  To me, that is testament to the power of our rapidly-evolving information age: the groundswell of emotion once the story was out forced the more mainstream forms of media into coverage.  It's a more useful method all around than attempting to guilt people into it by way of a 'Whitney Houston vs. noble service members' comparison, which really goes nowhere.


For more on Spec. Weichel, and on the routine-yet-heroic actions of a medical unit in Paktika province, see the link below.  Our field hospitals and the daily work they do, almost always treating Afghans, and the crews who transport the injured, the sick and the dying, are some of the strongest recurring examples of the goodwill our men and women do sow...a rare chance to set aside the politics of 'why' and 'should' in order to see the best of humanity...


Good Deeds in Afghanistan Interrupt the Grim Narrative


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Fallout from the massacre

[Ed. note: This was actually put together two weeks ago, as the date implies - it just didn't post until 3/31 because once again I was trying to align/fix messed-up fonts...to no avail, as you can see. Sorry.]

Karzai asks NATO to leave Afghan villages

...the headlines scream.  Various press accounts state that according to President Karzai, "international security forces have to be taken out of Afghan village outposts and return to (larger) bases" since "all efforts have to be done to avoid such incidents in the future."

Protesters in Jalalabad (AFP/Getty Images)

This is of course due to the biggest shit sandwich yet, one I haven't yet written about: the bloody rampage of an apparently unhinged American soldier, who slaughtered 16 civilians in their Kandahar homes on Sunday.  The news of the rampage sickened everyone who heard about it, and it outraged much of Afghanistan's population...it didn't take much awareness to realize immediately, even half a world away, how strategically significant a setback this could be.  Of course at the same time, Karzai's response angers me, reminding anyone paying attention that his words and actions are always -- ALWAYS -- those of an opportunistic politician: "The massacre hurt the trust Afghans had in foreign forces." 


So his solution is to vacate the towns and villages.


True enough about trust taking a hit, but reverting to the unsuccessful feudal-colonial system of imposing security from only behind massive fortresses will rebuild that trust?  That is ridiculous.  One of the great failings of this entire counterinsurgency strategy was the amount to which that very approach dictated troop employment and operations for years, thereby sequestering the (menacing, sci-fi-looking, giant) Americans and their allies from the people who needed to get to know us and trust us...thereby surrendering the true battlefield -- the population centers -- to the enemy.  

July 2010: Women in a village outside Kabul

Karzai is doing what he always does in these situations: he's biding his time while gauging the lasting impact of the calamity of the moment, and then acting to personally capitalize on it.  ISAF is doing what it actually does a better job of lately: immediately and profusely apologizing, though to little avail since anger over the Quran burnings remains at a high level.  And the rest of us are trying to comprehend how one soldier can walk solo off an outpost and without an official mission, and how he can snuff out the lives of women and children whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Jalalabad again: more protests (AP Photo)

It's an irresponsible practice to speculate as to what went on in the head of Staff Sgt. Bales.  Just as it's irresponsible of columnists in the United States and elsewhere, sitting safely and comfortably in their homes and offices, to deduce that it's the deployment cycle that did this.  Correct me if I'm wrong here, but at last count over 100,000 of our uniformed military have deployed three or more times without incident in this Long War.  So let's not chalk up the seemingly psychotic actions of a soldier who may or may not have just "snapped" to the fact that he was on deployment #4, or that he was exacting an irrational revenge because a buddy lost a leg previously.  The experts exhibit a collective shrug on the issue...which is worrisome.


“I think it’s definitely disappointing that we don’t know. I wish we did,” says retired Navy captain William Nash, a psychiatrist studying resiliency in Marine battalions.


Multiple deployments’ effects unknown on troops


I'm worried, as many are, about the effect this will have on trust (there's that word again).  Not just the larger trust referenced above -- that which the people must place in forces deployed far from home to protect them -- but more specifically, the mutual trust between Afghan security forces and their ISAF advisors.  Whether it's the team of colonels and civilians advising the Minister of Defense or the fire team of Marine NCO's imparting driving lessons to a platoon of green Afghan National Army soldiers, there must be a bond stronger than mere understanding.  There must be a belief that the other party is also risking something, and for the right reasons...and a conviction that you're on the same side.


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Mayhem

For once, I don't know what to say.  I've been dwelling on our future in Afghanistan all month, long before fellow advisors were shot dead in a ministry where I would sometimes work, long before the riots even kicked up.  And now, for what seems like the first time in over ten years, everyone everywhere has something to say...few, of course, know what the hell they're talking about (in my humble opinion).  Some certainly do.  I'll attempt to discuss in a following the post the tragic killings at the Interior Ministry, and the grave fallout from that.

Some background, in case you're just catching up...

Afghanistan Koran protests claim more lives

An Afghan friend asked in an email the very same question that baffled my former comrades as we discussed the incident that triggered it all, the day it became widespread public news... Why would they burn the holy Quran of all things, and if they had to, why on earth would they leave evidence of that for Afghans to see?  This has all been pretty well obscured by everything that has transpired since, as Americans in increasing numbers angrily demand that we leave, now.  But it's so incredibly frustrating.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, has presented such convincing evidence that we just aren't learning a thing, if members of our coalition -- 11 years into this conflict -- order the burning of the population's most sacred relic...and then leave half-charred examples behind for locals to discover.

Some apologists have pointed out the reason for the burnings: detainees were passing inscriptions to each other in the texts.  Well then, handle it delicately...urge Afghan authorities to deal with it appropriately, for example.  And don't claim from the highest levels later that it was inadvertent.  Others have said, "So what? It's just a book! Now people are dying."  That is true...but it belies a grave misunderstanding of how fragile an environment this counterinsurgency presents.  You play the hand you're dealt, and the hand we've been dealt is Afghanistan, with all its immense challenges and sensitivities.  You cannot hope to win over a population when you're found to be burning their Quran...that should have been made 100% crystal clear by now.

Some personal context is relevant here.  When a previously obscure "pastor" named Terry Jones (pardon my cynicism over that title -- he lacks even a degree in theology) decided to make a point by announcing his plans to burn copies of the Quran in 2010, it ignited a round of deadly rioting in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world...just based on the intention of a few radicals in Florida.  He relented then after public pressure from many, including Gen. Petraeus, but then would eventually do it anyway after a "trial" in March 2011, and further mortal riots ensued.  It was evident from my conversations with Afghan colleagues, based solely on the threat, that it mattered little how relatively insignificant this man was and what his rights are in the United States.  What mattered the most to them, as senior military officers and Defense Ministry officials, was how this act would go over with the Afghan people...since it reflected upon US troops, and Afghan government and military by extension, a dark stain of insult to their religion and way of life.  Those perceptions were emphasized over and over throughout that period, by thoughtful and intelligent men who want only stability and progress for their country.

Protestors outside Bagram, eight days ago.

We spoke often, with our counterparts/advisees and within our training command, of the repercussions from Jones's intention, and that's what we were trying to prevent by bitterly opposing 'statements' such as that.  Many in the United States angrily denounced the good general and others who took that stand, in the interest of our protected right to free speech and (I believe) a genuine desire that Afghans would begin to show greater tolerance for viewpoints at odd with theirs.  But it's simply impractical, as those on the ground know too well.  Our mission, at least in my training-focused command, was to build the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and institutions so that they could protect their people and gain their trust.  We were trusted by our colleagues, but the 99.99% of Afghans without international advisors had no one to trust but their family/tribal/religious leaders, who saw a culture in their midst that would burn their holy book.  And regardless of the circumstances, that's what they see now...only it's being done directly by those in uniform.

Meanwhile, the fighting among armed combatants continues, far from the glare of Kabul and the other cities.  This could have (should have) been the story of last week...

Marines sweep uncharted areas of Khan-Neshin during Operation Highland Thunder

Or even better, this could have been it.  It warms a skier's heart, that's for sure...as it should the heart of anyone who would like to see a positive sign of peace and stability in Afghanistan...

Afghanistan set to host second national ski race

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Groundhog Day: Peace?

Note: I have absolutely no idea what is going on with the spacing and font sizes on blogger.com.  I've tinkered with it endlessly, and what's on my editing screen winds up nothing like what displays.  It should be single-spaced, and in a consistent font you can easily read.  Just know that I'm frustrated...and may need a new template or entirely new hosting site.

This time last year...CO-bound from NC

I continue to look back a bit lately, as almost every date over the past few weeks brought to mind something or other from a year prior.  It's not as if the days of January and early February 2011 were so individually significant once I was stateside and reunited with family and friends, but they're etched in my consciousness as reminders, at least for now.  I think a great deal of the previous year's emotions, observations and frustrations were jammed up, and I was much more interested in enjoying the fruits of a existence uncontained by wire and guard posts than I was in processing that weighty jumble.

Jan '11: happy arrival at BWI with a new old friend

1/31/11: Arapahoe Basin, CO - Hindu Kush with lifts

1/31/11: Skiing = welcome break from the blues

Almost anyone who's been deployed at length, whether on ship or out in remote FOBs, will tell you that Groundhog Day holds a special meaning.  Not Feb. 2nd per se, but the phenomenon that the Bill Murray movie made all too real: the sinking feeling that every single day is merely a repeat of the last.  It's a very STUCK feeling.

As predictability is about the last quality I regularly seek in a routine, I've come to realize that I experience more of that sensation now than I did in Kabul.  The major difference, of course, is that it's within my power to change my current situation, whereas orders are orders, and responsibilities require a certain daily diligence.  It was anything but an ordinary day for me six years ago, when I attended my first memorial service in theater...


AfghaniDan: Farewell to a brave Marine


Rather than a large rodent anyway, I prefer to think of the 2nd of February as the birthday of James Joyce...properly commemorated in my college days with a session of music and reading of passages from the iconic author at a local pub -- to this day I thank you, Dr. Jim Murphy, for that fine tradition.

"There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present."

On to the present... Peace talks.  If you're looking to become seriously baffled by what exactly is taking place -- or about to take place -- or possibly about to potentially take place, in Qatar -- or Saudi Arabia -- or Qatar and Saudi Arabia simultaneously, feel free to continue reading.  Here's a choice quote...

It is also not clear whether the United States would welcome two tracks of talks, especially if it is excluded from one track, though American officials have said often that any negotiations would ultimately have to be “Afghan to Afghan.”

Got that?  It's clear as mud, even by US-Afghan diplomacy standards.

Afghan Officials Consider Own Talks With Taliban

Aref Karimi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Perhaps it feels like Groundhog Day for the Afghan people in the larger scheme of things, with generally a longer view of history and the forces taking shape, despite a much shorter average life span...for it looks to me like a sequel to the devastating civil wars of the 1990's could still take shape unless the will of the people prevent it.  Coalition forces are exiting over the next two years, the reconstituted and confident Taliban enjoys the support of Pakistan's ISI and will almost certainly at least share power, and the former Northern Alliance would like to preserve strong ties with the West but is severely hampered by the rampant corruption associated with it.  Most Afghans say that the public does not want draconian Taliban rule, and I believe they are right, but with a crucial qualifier: given the choice between Sharia-backed law and order and unchecked corruption, I believe the rural majority currently fence-sitting will choose the former once again...and in a land where 75% of the population lives in rural areas (wait, that's a utopian's dream, right?), that's enough to force at least a split if not a tragic re-run.

While I don't take every word of what I've read from the report at face value (and neither should you, for reasons laid out in the article), it would be foolhardy to dismiss it entirely.  Brig. General Jacobson's cautions are relevant -- this is largely the perspective of the recently-detained being interrogated, and there are likely various motives for saying what they say -- but to then add this comment could strike the public as being very...inflexible.  


"No reason for ISAF or the Coalition to believe that there is anything to be changed."

Pakistan dismisses NATO report on Afghan Taliban links

Excerpts from the report itself can be found in the link below...I think it's an important enough compilation to peruse.  You may notice that I did something below against my inclination toward complete editing integrity, and changed the BBC's capitalization manipulation of NATO.  I'm sorry, BBC...yes, you're English and all, and should be the authority on this, but it's not "Nato" and it's not "Isaf", which turns them into what could be mistaken as Finnish and Algerian first names, respectively (no offense to either culture).  They are organizational proper names, in all capitals.  I'm waving the American flag and not relenting on this one.

Excerpts from NATO report on Taliban

A more optimistic view of prospects for peace is espoused by Yahya Massoud, brother of the late national hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud.  It's worth a read for its insight and advised course of action, though I'm afraid that a key component of his approach involves a robust ISAF presence locking down the border with Pakistan -- something that increasingly looks to be unavailable as an option, as Coalition troops depart and turn over areas to Afghan security forces.

This passage in particular stood out, as it falls within my former 'lane'...

So far, the government has missed an opportunity to use the media to advertise the Taliban's shortcomings and rally its supporters in popular protests against the insurgency. The voice of the people must be heard on this matter. Media, civil society, and local leaders should open channels to express popular resentment against the Taliban -- and ISAF and the Afghan security forces should publicly commit to ensuring their safety when they undertake these efforts.

I believe he has a good point, in that the government (starting at the very top) can do much more to criticize the Taliban and rally the opposition...but that's the intent of a government looking to strike a deal with that opposition.  There, clearly, is the divide between President Karzai and his former allies.  Resentment of the movement is expressed by other officials more often, most notably the Ministries of Defense and the Interior, but their orders come directly from the presidential palace too.  The problem with ISAF committing to ensuring safety of leaders down to the local level is that it's foolhardy to make promises that can't be kept, and too much of that has happened already.  Despite the best of intentions and the most diligent of security, breaches happen and informing happens...too much, in some quarters.

Foreign Policy: Afghans Can Win This War

A closing excerpt, also from brother Massoud, serves as a poignant reminder to those who -- in the interest of peace, withdrawal or general naivete -- believe that a kinder, gentler Taliban is upon us...

Indeed, the Taliban are prepared to go very far in their jihad. They will spare no human life or piece of their country's history in their attempt to remake Afghanistan in their image. If it were within their powers, they would not even stop with the sun.

One year later...

It wasn't this one, I am sure...

It was perfectly bizarre, and ironic, and somehow appropriate, to see and hear a helicopter in the airspace ahead of me as I left the Boulder Vets Center today.  There are rarely helos ("choppers" if your service insists on that term) above this town, so rare that it's practically jarring to hear the rotors.  It caused me to smile and shake my head, as I'd realized earlier why the dates of January 8 & 10 consciously stood out to me -- they were the dates I left Kabul and Bagram, respectively, one year ago.

Kabul, Jan '11: Conference Room in Winter

Jan '11: Bagram bus stop

Jan '11: Bagram, amidst the haze...

Jan '11: Dawn over Hindu Kush...and barriers

Jan '11: Final departure...for now.

Not that it's the first time I find myself marking the passage of time since a deployment shook me from a completely different life in the U.S. and then returned me half-dazed...but as this latter experience was longer, and somehow more personal, I find that I'm paying more attention to the anniversaries.  The blog has definitely languished again, and for that I'm less than pleased with myself.  There are the experiences I never caught up to recount, as well as the developments and incidents which continue to unfold, including major shifts in strategy, organization and approach.  I'll highlight a couple of those here, and hope still to finally post photos and stories from the archives...and I tremendously appreciate every reader who has encouraged me to keep this active.  While my motivations for blogging from Afghanistan were many, that isn't the case for blogging from here.  In contrast, it's only the occasional urge to keep it up that motivates me to do exactly that, especially a full year removed.

Jan '11: Last glimpse of Afghan mountains...

Dec '11: Usual glimpse of Rocky Mountains

It gets harder and harder to find news out of Afghanistan, which often is attributed to 'war weariness' -- an excuse I truly doubt when such a small percentage of the U.S. population is even aware that the war trudges on.  The news that does emerge usually covers the latest attacks, which tend to occur outside of Kabul, therefore rarely are covered at the site by western media...and therefore lack context as a result.  A typical rundown from today follows, with discouraging news from completely different and unconnected regions cobbled together (and a quote from my old colleague Maj. Gen. Azimi)...

10 die as Taliban storm Afghan government building

More relevant to my forecast from last month's post about bitter divisions coming to the surface between Northern Alliance leaders and Karzai supporters is this intriguing development, brought to my attention by my former colleague and NTM-A counterpart Joe Holstead.  I find it significant that some of the leaders with whom the United States sided in 2001 now feel so threatened by the concentration of power in Kabul and the government's future direction that they openly warn against the peace process that our Coalition officially supports, something not much heard openly just a year or so ago...

AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop

Afghan opposition urges caution in Taliban talks

I hope to have more on-scene accounts of the 'view from the ground' as some good friends are either back in parts of Afghanistan now in various capacities, or on their way.  In addition, my cousin should be on the ground there by late Spring, and my younger brother continues to play an unheralded part in the war effort, as he and his soldiers train Jordanian forces to serve in the Coalition.  I look upon their deployments with a big brother's concern, but I admit a touch of envy too, as the restlessness rises to not only find relevance again in this pivotal struggle, but to see my Afghan friends again, and to witness firsthand the changes that are sure to come in the next couple of years.

Finally, here's wishing everyone a very belated Sal-e Now Mubarek (Happy New Year)!  I joined the Twitter beast at last, and have been forwarding insight, analysis & updates on Afghanistan -- I post much more often when it doesn't keep me up all night.  Follow me: @ MayorDelMundo

When does it "end"?

The last U.S. troops left Iraq on Sunday, or so the narrative goes...as long as you ignore the inconvenient presence of robust special operations forces and almost 10,000 militarized contractors.  The occasion brings about a serious moment of reflection, at least for those who turn their eyes from pop culture and holiday hype long enough to notice.  The numbers tell the story, from casualties to troop numbers to monetary cost, and the regional and global impact for better or worse will take decades to fully tell.  But what I can't get over today is the simple storyline that this war is at an end just because large numbers of U.S. conventional units have crossed back into Kuwait, leaving massive amounts of hardware and infrastructure behind and a precarious political system in place.

I am absolutely not taking away from the achievements of our military, especially those who worked so hard, bled so often, and in too many cases, paid the ultimate price for the relative stability and democracy which now exist...but I am disputing the notion that the Iraq war is now somehow over, just as the Vietnam war wasn't over in 1973 and Afghanistan's (latest) war will not be over in 2014, no matter what transpires between now and then.  I take this stance because in our rush to declare history in an instant, we hype bookends when the moment strikes.  But the story of this conflict is no more easily surmised now than it was in the dire days of 2004-07, and there is much greater continuity once you extend it back to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and Desert Shield/Storm.  It's worth recognizing, or better yet, celebrating, hundreds of thousands of our military men and women being home rather than in Iraq...but let's not pretend it is the end of a conflict.

Analysts: Questions remain as U.S. troops leave Iraq

The continuity of Afghanistan's war arc stretches much further, if you view it this way: the US/NATO invasion in 2001 was in response to the Taliban government's refusal to turn over al Qaeda leadership; the Taliban came to power as a result of the brutal civil war among Mujahideen factions largely armed by the U.S. and others; the Mujahideen first combined efforts to fight the Soviet Union, who was invited in by Afghanistan's communists...and on and on it goes.  What lends relevance to my dry attempt at a history lesson are the factions and the major players, most of whom are aligned now as they were in the Soviet-Afghan war, and whose animosity toward each other far precedes even that chapter.  For every instance in which President Karzai cozies up to Pakistan, his rivals from the former Northern Alliance get further skittish about the country's future direction, and the demarcation between the Pashtun regions and the northern/western areas comes further into focus.  Unlike in Iraq, stability as we recognize it doesn't have a prayer yet in Afghanistan, no matter what "end" date we have chosen.

Afghanistan bombs kill 58 in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif

Finally, I feel it's important to acknowledge the passing of one of our era's most courageous and unlikely leaders.  From rebellious playwright, to uniter of subjugated people, to gracious leader of a new (then-struggling) state, to advocate for freedom the world over, Vaclav Havel was more than up to the task.  The people of Afghanistan, with their own tradition of beautiful poetry, who yearn for a new beginning would do much worse than to look to the likes of him for inspiration...

Vaclav Havel, Czech leader and playwright, dies at 75

Tidbits from The Front

Northern France, 1917

Although where is "The Front" these days, anyway?  I'm glad you asked (didn't you?).  It's a topic with which most current military members are familiar, but the general public, not so much.

As far as I can tell, the term was popularized in the American consciousness back in World War I, when trench warfare produced very clearly defined lines of battle.  Those obvious front lines and rear areas generally continued through the Korean "police action" (we technically stopped calling them wars then), and progressively got more muddled with each conflict involving the United States.  In every case, there has always been at least some action that defied the designated battle lines, but by now it has become gospel that there is no rear area.  Soldiers and Marines who are regularly engaged in combat with insurgents in the south and east of Afghanistan may dispute that, with good reason...because regionally, there still often are.  But this year's spate of attacks in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and elsewhere demonstrate that in a counterinsurgency, lines are rendered largely meaningless.

I find it difficult to get this point across to civilians who routinely ask, "Were you on the front lines?" or absolve me of such danger with, "At least you weren't at the front."  Believe me, I'm grateful that I wasn't on patrol in Sangin...but that doesn't mean that my risks were nil while a fobbit at Camp Leatherneck or especially Kandahar Air Field was in mortal danger.  Some who reside at Camp Eggers or the embassy are routinely out and about with officials (both Afghan and Coalition) whom the enemy consider to be high-value targets.  The Front is all relative.  And in the case of my headline today, it simply means Afghanistan.

Somewhat refuting my case, as I mentioned already, is the experience of those troops in the hot zones of the country, since physical lines of battle do still exist in places.  Here is an example of one in Kunar province, where I participated in operations five years ago and where our footprint (and unfortunately, that of the Afghan National Army) is now much-reduced...

It is a part of Afghanistan so isolated that when the Second Battalion, 27th Infantry arrived here from Hawaii in April, villagers thought they were Russian soldiers. The road serves as the region’s unofficial border with Pakistan: from its eastern side the Taliban influence politics in local villages and use mountain footpaths to bring weapons in from the wild tribal areas. American and Afghan security forces operate largely from the west.

I can't find if I wrote about it on this blog back then, but some Marines from 1/3 (ironically, also stationed in Hawaii) encountered the same confused reaction when we sat with village elders during Operation Mountain Lion in 2006.  We found it incredulous then that so little was known about the world beyond the Pech Valley, especially of what had taken place in Afghanistan...I suppose it's even more incredulous now.

A Mission’s Troubles Offer Window on an Unsteady Region in Afghanistan

Still, the training continues by the men and women of our armed forces and those of a couple dozen allies, in the hope that Afghan security forces can take the lead in providing national security.  Below is one encouraging story for those who believe change is possible even in the most stubborn places.  The bravery of these women who join Afghanistan's security forces never fails to amaze me.

“Day to day, for women in Afghanistan, Taliban are a big threat to them. I don’t care about the Taliban. My God is with me.”

Female Cadets Signal Slow Change in Afghan Police Force

Now, a two-parter to follow that left me shaking my head...

One thing many service members can agree on, whether they risk life and limb daily in remote combat outposts or rarely leave built-up bases, is that the regular presence of a friendly dog or cat can boost morale tremendously.  It's even more crucial for the former, since the canines "adopted" by troops often detect deadly danger out of service to their masters, and the felines control rodent populations of inviting FOBs.  Even in Kabul, regularly feeding my Casper and her brother gave me something to look forward to each day, as I often wrote...and leaving them was bittersweet, especially just as she had given birth to a litter.  This scene described is absolutely heartwarming, bringing me back to that bond and giving me even greater respect for the true dogs of war who willingly sacrifice their safety for the warriors who take them in.

Afghanistan dogs joyfully reunite with US military members at JFK airport

The irony here is that only a few days ago, our Department of Defense (through the Army and the Marine Corps) made it even more official that no contact with animals is permitted over there, due to the death of a U.S. Army soldier who'd earlier contracted rabies.  The policy was already in place; it was just loosely enforced in many spots due to the aforementioned tradeoffs of keeping pets.  My feeling is that while his death was tragic, it was avoidable, and the knee-jerk reaction will cause more harm than good...these dogs obviously provide desperately needed love and support to their adopters.  Just get freakin' tested and re-tested if you get bitten or suspect any other transmitted illness...a little leadership can enforce that.

Rabies death leads DoD to crack down on pets

Finally, there's this item.  I'd caution against interpreting it as anything more than it is (and surveys are notoriously unreliable especially in Afghanistan), but it represents hope -- maybe significant hope -- that the people will resist a return to Taliban rule in the future...

A survey released Tuesday by the San Francisco-based Asia Foundation and funded in part by the U.S. government found that 82 percent of Afghan adults back reconciliation and reintegration efforts with insurgent groups. However, it said that the number of people who said they sympathized with the aims of Taliban had dropped to 29 percent compared with 40 percent last year and 56 percent in 2009.

AP photo / Musadeq Sadeq, via Time.com

Afghan elders worry U.S. may leave too soon

Once again, incidentally, the only noteworthy coverage of the traditional Loya Jirga currently taking place in Kabul is of the failed rocket attack two days ago.  FAILED being the operative word there.  One errantly struck a market a half-mile away, wounding one, and the other was even farther from the mark.  While news is news, wouldn't it be more responsible of the press to report half as stridently on what's taking place inside the tent, and maybe of the strategic context in which it's taking place?

Another Setback

Because this assassination is too significant to ignore, even if I have no information or insight that can't be gleaned from news accounts...

Turban bomb kills key Afghan political leader

The headline (for once) understates the weight of what happened in Kabul two days ago.  Burhanuddin Rabbani was tabbed last year by President Karzai to chair the Afghan peace council, the vehicle by which the powers that be hope the government can persuade at least most of the insurgency to negotiate a peace.  He was seen as the only logical choice, a past national leader (Afghanistan's president from 1992 to '96) who carried weight with both the Northern Alliance factions and the Pashtuns.  Although he presided over the most tragic of modern Afghan eras -- the brutal civil war which destroyed Kabul and paved the way for the Taliban's takeover -- he had emerged from the war against the Soviet Union as a Mujahiddin leader from the north and a skilled power broker.

Kabul, 1993 - Filmmaker Richard Mackenzie with Pres. Rabbani.

Richard, a good friend, kindly shared this from his archives.

Rabbani was killed in much the same way that his one-time chief Ahmad Shah Massoud was, ten years ago this month...by politely receiving guests.  In Massoud's case it was phony journalists, and in Rabbani's it was phony peace envoys, but in each instance the bombers deceived hosts about their intentions and waited for days to get close to their respective targets.  The attackers exploited ancient customs of hospitality to ambush great men who posed a threat to their unpopular but brutal organizations of terror.  In Massoud's time it was a camera casing the bomb, in Rabbani's it was a turban -- a symbol of piety.  But as we have seen time and time again, there is no pious respect from those who kill in the name of a twisted version of faith to which they wish to subject their country.

Incidentally, yesterday was the UN's designated International Day of Peace...a day I found so hopeful last year when I had the chance to commemorate it with hundreds of Afghan schoolchildren.  I hope that this most recent setback to peace in that land doesn't turn out to be as significant as it now seems.

Ten Years

Yesterday's date stood out to me.  Not as obvious as the unforgettable 9/11/01, it was still a memorable night in that bygone era preceding the terror.

I lived in Hoboken, NJ, at the time, and went with my cousin and a friend to see a great blues-rock band at the old Wetlands Theater in NYC.  We stopped by my sister Meg's bachelorette party first, to say hello to three of my sisters and her friends (which rewarded me with the hilarious sight of two of them in glittered cowboy hats, incidentally).  I'll absolutely never forget looking at the World Trade Center's twin towers when we left that show much later, sometime after midnight -- they always served as my directional marker downtown, and would tell me which way the PATH station was.  But that night, I swear I took a longer look...it was a clear night and the lights of the sky-high buildings looked strangely beautiful.  It turned out to be the last time I saw them from lower Manhattan.

That sight, frozen in time, was vividly on my mind when I realized it was Sept. 8th...and I'm just glad to this day that none of my family or friends were there for any reason on the 11th.  I feel for everyone who did lose loved ones in the attacks that day -- not only in New York, but in DC and in Pennsylvania -- and for all who've suffered losses to terrorism and war since then.

The attacks on 9/11 would initially lead to my quest to join the Fire Department of New York, which I pursued for a couple of years while working other jobs, and eventually my return to a Marine uniform and two deployments to Afghanistan.  In so many ways did those audacious strikes affect my reality -- and that of countless millions around the world -- but it's often hard for me to draw a direct connection between that marred morning and my subsequent experiences.

What could have been, for me...

As a result, many of us who served there read countless analyses of what's gone right, what's gone wrong, and what can still be 'fixed.'  Linked below is an insightful article on Afghanistan's last decade, with perspectives from a variety of Afghans on what it has meant.  In particular, I was struck by the comments by Dr. Mahyuddin Mehdi, an MP from the north, on why the Karzai government has failed...


I think the wrong system was put in place here. I have always had issue with this centralised system because it gives the authority to one person, which then translates to the authority of one tribe. Karzai, for example, did not emerge based on his merits, but rather through the recommendation of one tribe.  Centralised power is problematic. Authority needs to be distributed, shared. There needs to be a prime minister that is accountable to the parliament.



He continues with a prediction that should give serious pause to those who believe we could exit now without a total collapse on our hands...


But if the international forces leave today, I think all this will falter within a week. Nothing has been institutionalised. People lack trust in these structures, because governments actions have made them question everything from elections to the parliament.  Our security forces are not strong enough to cope with the enemy at a time when the threat remains the same threat of ten years ago.  The situation is not much different from when the Soviets were about to withdraw. A similar vacuum would be left.

A crafty politician & tribal chief, not a savior.

Each story contained is worth reading, again -- for awareness, if nothing else.  Sahera Sharif, an MP from Khost, points out the crumbling security in that region between the major elections, something that certainly rings true based on every indicator.  The others present contrasting views on whether life in Afghanistan is better or worse compared to a decade ago, and where things are headed...

The 9/11 decade: Afghanistan's new beginning?

My friend and counterpart from Kabul -- who also showed me the ropes when I arrived, along with John -- forwarded that.  Joe also made a salient point about the outlook ahead.  We spoke often within the team about Afghanistan's prospects for becoming like South Korea if a steady U.S. and international presence remained in place, due to how similar a fractured, impoverished and war-weary Korea appeared in the 1950's and 60's, and he just returned from an exercise there...


It struck me as capturing most of the reactions and attitudes I've seen or heard over the past years about Afghanistan and US involvement there. It could be useful as a primer for communicators heading to or in Afghanistan as well. I do believe that, if we had the resources and will to stay in Afghanistan for the next 60 years (which we do not), Kabul would be closer to what Seoul is today than Karachi. But, that reminds me that in reality the experts instead state that in 30 years Afghanistan may at best be like Pakistan today (e.g., a JFK school scholar wrote back in 2009, I believe). Anyway, Afghanistan brought many excellent experiences amidst the tragedy that brought us all there in the first place this time around, 9/11.

Joe & I...because you all miss the 'stache dearly!

What we heartily agree on is what an honor and a privilege it was to work with each other and each member of our Public Affairs Development Team, as it was to work with countless service members and colleagues, both Coalition and Afghan.  It was likewise an honor to serve with most of the soldiers and Marines I got to know in eastern Afghanistan in 2006...many of whom have also returned on additional tours, and/or served in Iraq since then.

Here's hoping that the next decade brings a measure of peace, with continued vigilance...and in fact a great stride toward both goals would be vastly increased global familiarity and awareness.  Perhaps that should be my next area of focus?

...or you never really leave?

Afghan children wave to U.S. Marines in the Gereshk Valley in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Because that's how it feels sometimes.  It seems that every single newsworthy development there, or new report on some angle of it, or anecdote from those still fighting the fight, captures my attention like nothing else.  It's all mandatory reading, even if I'm not operating in any capacity to do anything with the information -- both new and old.  Here is the big news dominating the past few days...well, not exactly dominating, since Afghan news only does when an aircraft crash occurs.

The 66 U.S. service members killed this month eclipses the previous record of 65 killed in July 2010, according to an Associated Press tally. Nearly half the August deaths occurred when insurgents shot down a Chinook helicopter Aug. 6, killing 30 American troops, mostly elite Navy SEALs.

I remember well the almost breathless reporting just over a year ago when that month took the "record" (what a macabre use of the word).  It's an obviously misleading number anyway if it's being used to mark success or failure, which it usually is, due to the number killed in that fateful Chinook.  What the story could mention is that American casualties are still actually down from this point in 2010, despite the aggressive operations against the insurgency in Helmand, Kandahar and other restive provinces.

A U.S. Marine Scout-Sniper aims his rifle during an exchange of fire with Taliban militants, in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Kudos to the AP, on the other hand, for including a mention of other casualties in the NATO-led coalition...something that usually goes unreported in U.S. media.

Besides the 66 Americans killed so far this month, the NATO coalition suffered the loss of 14 other troops: two British, four French, one New Zealander, one Australian, one Polish and five others whose nationalities have not yet been disclosed.

So far this year, 403 international service members, including at least 299 Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan.

This month America's deadliest in long Afghan war

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer, used in an IED

Another story which caught my attention centers on ammonium nitrate, a serious and significant issue...which therefore tends to garner few stories.  It was a major focus of the Afghan-Pakistani-Coalition meeting I attended late last year, and which take place regularly.  I recall much talk about what is being done and what should be done, which I suppose is how these affairs tend to go...but from the sound of it, that's all it was...talk.  In the meantime, the material is used constantly in deadly bombs.

Such bombs, typically buried and detonated remotely or by pressure plates, have killed more than 719 Americans and wounded more than 7,440 since the conflict began in 2001, along with thousands of Afghan troops and civilians. Last year's U.S. death toll — 252 — was as high as the two previous years combined, and 2011 is shaping up to be just as bloody.

Speaking of that particular tripartite meeting, my former colleague Gen. Azimi is quoted, voicing again the frustration that Afghan officials feel over the issue.

On Aug. 17, authorities in Afghanistan's Helmand province said they seized 200 sacks of ammonium nitrate that had been smuggled from Pakistan. Photos of the sacks, which had been partially buried, showed they were made by Pakarab.

"All of this chemical is coming from the south and the east," said Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry. "We want Pakistan to control it."

AP IMPACT: Pakistani fertilizer fuels Afghan bombs

If all of this news on the human cost isn't depressing enough, there is the other cost to consider.  The Commission on Wartime Contracting released its much-anticipated report on waste and fraud throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  While I suspect it was more prevalent in Iraq due to its scope, I have pointed out before that one never has to look very far to see money being burned...

Panel tallies massive waste and fraud in wartime U.S. contracts

Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest, Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Aug. 23 

(photo courtesy of NTM-A)

Alright, so it looks as if I lack an optimistic view this evening (aka late night)...but it's hard to locate optimism from this distance.  Fortunately there is, as always, progress in the training mission.  This is the effort on which it all hinges, according to our leadership -- the professionalization of Afghanistan's security forces.  If anyone can do it, it's our many trainers: Air Force personnel working with the fledgling Afghan force at airbases, US Soldiers conducting joint patrols in Kandahar, German police officers relentlessly training recruits in the north, Marines imparting tactics to special new police response units in Helmand province, to name a few...

Marines and the ANP – Special Tactics Mission Training

I'm willing to bet that some of the Jarheads conducting that training are activated Reservists, as are many of the individual Marines who augment our joint commands in Afghanistan, Iraq, North Africa and elsewhere.  That came to mind as our component, Marine Forces Reserve, was designated 95 years ago this week, in time to immediately boost its numbers to help turn the tide of World War I in France.  The size has fluctuated ever since, but it remains vital to the Corps and to the nation's needs.

Although it's a very productive charity, and great visibility for the Marine Reserve, we do a heck of a lot more than take charge of Toys for Tots each holiday season.  Never more was this proven than during World War II, as this stunning statistic demonstrates...

Of the nearly 600,000 Marines called to serve [in WWII], approximately 70% were reserves. And of the 82 Marine Medals of Honor bestowed during the war, 44 went to reservists.

From the annals of USMC history came this series of facts about Reserve involvement in the Korean War, in which their rapid mobilization made an enormous impact...

In 1950, the Korean War saw the Marine Corps expand from 75,000 regulars to a peak strength of 261,000 Marines, most of whom were reservists. Complete mobilization of the organized ground Reserve had been accomplished in just 53 days, from July 20 to Sept. 11, 1950. Of the Marines participating in the Inchon invasion, 17 percent were reservists. By June 1951, the proportion of reservists in Marine Corps units in Korea had increased to nearly 50 percent, and during the war, 48 percent of all 1st Marine Aircraft Wing combat sorties were flown by Marine reservists. Between July 1950 and June 1953, about 122,000 reservists, both recruits and veterans, saw active duty with the Marine Corps.

Marine Forces Reserve Celebrates 95th Birthday

Happy birthday to all of my brethren and citizen-warriors, both now and those who've gone before.  Semper Fi!