tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206399172024-03-07T00:58:08.013-07:00AfghaniDanA young man's strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk...and apparently, back again.DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-32089139860570448912014-04-03T04:48:00.000-06:002014-04-03T04:50:52.621-06:00Coda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Miv1SJJKHF3qddU6DFHDE2A8rDT4q7lw4OLgOxXEHLw4sV_OCM65qCSyTBTN1ArwWpJrXnluzn39fQyitLlYMOH2i3UWoZhZS9W0pohQ3_YxyYz4MD3bL5QwWNU2277a_zC/s1600/PB070327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_Miv1SJJKHF3qddU6DFHDE2A8rDT4q7lw4OLgOxXEHLw4sV_OCM65qCSyTBTN1ArwWpJrXnluzn39fQyitLlYMOH2i3UWoZhZS9W0pohQ3_YxyYz4MD3bL5QwWNU2277a_zC/s1600/PB070327.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Glamour shot, Mazar-e Sharif, 11/7/10</i></div>
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Right from the start, I wonder if I should prattle on about
the myriad of reasons I don’t write anymore...about why such a significant period
of my life, spanning two Operation Enduring Freedom deployments and beyond, will
mostly remain boxed, gathering over time the type of dust and cobwebs that blur
and warp the memories that aren’t already erased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t prattle, not too much anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ll restate something I’ve said before,
at least once: It gives me no satisfaction to write about the experience of
being in Afghanistan when I’m not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in </i>Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many literary types manage to do that, but
I’m not James Joyce…hell, I’m not even a writer. I’m just someone who absorbed
what he could, and passed on as much as possible, while in the midst of some
experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When those experiences were
done, my urge to write about them was done too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I write now, after a deliberate stop to the
post-post-deployment entries a couple of years ago, because the good people at
<a href="http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/">The Sandbox</a> have given me the opportunity to add a new post from AfghaniDan as
they wind down that impressive collection of milblogs from the past two wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to sound like an acceptance speech, but I
give them enormous credit for ending their valuable web page in such a way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2vkvZ4aKnAzBBauFVpbDQDZU4P-4xT5Bulqs7VKE1uZvR9NDSbAMuFd0FfQUkU3eFEdV-g5RskGH2CGWBmseluEGJPSA87MzhG8O8RwmrSDrG1EnPPcW-x_KUZgVdZKrYQn7/s1600/PA210046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2vkvZ4aKnAzBBauFVpbDQDZU4P-4xT5Bulqs7VKE1uZvR9NDSbAMuFd0FfQUkU3eFEdV-g5RskGH2CGWBmseluEGJPSA87MzhG8O8RwmrSDrG1EnPPcW-x_KUZgVdZKrYQn7/s1600/PA210046.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>ANA cadets await a concert, Kabul, 10/21/10</i></div>
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For the purpose of a standard timeline check, and just to make
this feel like even more as if I’m in a confessional, it’s been more than three
years since I returned from the last deployment and four exactly since I was
heading to Camp Lejeune for another inprocessing cluster---k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was eight (!) years ago this month that I
took part in Operation Mountain Lion in Kunar Province during my first
deployment to Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just for
the heck of it, it’s been 14 years exactly since I was in Kosovo with the 24<sup>th</sup>
Marine Expeditionary Unit, reinforcing a thin NATO peacekeeping contingent
amidst a nervous population, thinking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>
was the hairiest thing we would be doing for a while (in fairness, most of us
thought that).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Afghanistan elects a new president in two days, and Taliban attacks intended to disrupt it have failed, though they’ve brutally slain innocents and beloved patriots. As our international coalition sharply draws down its numbers there, it is finally true that Afghan national security forces have the lead. March closed as the first month in over seven years with zero American fatalities, while still we have military personnel and civilians heading over (the media rarely bother to explain troop rotations). Welcome to 2014, the <i>‘year of transition.’</i><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Afghanistan Electoral Alliance (source N/A)</i></div>
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I’d like to say the world has watched, or at least our
nation has, as this era of American/NATO intervention in Afghanistan has
flowed, ebbed, flowed, and ebbed again…but if you’ve paid attention, you’ve
been in the distinct minority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
one of the reasons it’s bracing to hear the chattering class bring up
“America’s longest war” when a milestone is passed, because only the very few
and far between have maintained any awareness of their nation <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">being</i> “at war.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over there, of course, it’s a different
story, but in many settings, including the most populated ones, daily life generally
has a normalcy to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A normalcy that’s
often closely related to the presence of large numbers of international forces,
if not directly feeding off the odd system that seemed as if it would retain
semi-permanence for decades, but a normalcy nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to highlight that as my observations
shifted from those of a fairly clueless newcomer to those of a more attuned
participant, and one located mainly in Kabul in the advisory go-round.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Fruit vendors, Kabul, 10/31/10</i></div>
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Was it worth it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gen.
Jim “Chaos” Mattis (ret.) – he who commanded the initial Marine Expeditionary
Brigade that swept into the south of Afghanistan in 2002, before achieving far greater
responsibility, fame and notoriety in Operation Iraqi Freedom and eventually at
US Central Command – opined recently on the question of whether it was “worth
it” for those who served in these conflicts (as my readers may recall, I’m not
a fan of lumping the two together, but that’s apparently how it was asked and
answered in this case).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “Warrior
Monk” went on to break down his answer in terms of national strategy and
personal considerations, and while it’s all worth a read, it’s the latter that
truly resonated with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
summaries by the piece’s author, not direct quotes…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">For veterans, "Was it worth it?" should be intensely
personal. The focus should be on experiences while deployed and since returning
home. What sorts of relationships were formed at war? How deep and rewarding
were they? How have you stayed in touch with your buddies since returning home?
Have you been able to integrate into civil society in a healthy and sustainable
way?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">You have some control over the answer to these questions, even
if doesn't feel like it a lot of the time. This is where the ultimate judgment
must reside for each of us. We claim - or lose - that mantle through our
actions.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.military1.com/marines/article/460749-iraq-and-afghanistan-vets-pull-no-punches-with-general-mattis">Iraq and Afghanistan vets pull no punches with General Mattis</a><br />
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Without subjecting you poor readers to a point-by-point
breakdown, my reflections confirmed what I’ve long felt…that I’ve failed pretty
miserably at reintegration, i.e. becoming a civilian, and that I’ve led a
transient postwar existence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t exactly
sticking to one career like glue before a return to service and the subsequent
deployments, anyway, so if it wasn’t serving in Afghanistan twice (and in a few
other scattered commands) as a Marine, who knows what my job(s) might have
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that jolt, that incredible
jolt, of being on high alert and in incredibly heady situations for months on
end, only to return to some place you idealized but instead seems to be fraught
with uninteresting choices…that has played quite a role in my lack of a healthy
and sustainable reintegration.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This reflection business is harder than I even thought it would be. I won’t say every day is a struggle, the way it is for so many brothers- and sisters-in-arms, because for me that’s not always the case…I get to escape the doldrums, sometimes through my ongoing positions through the Reserve, sometimes outside of it completely, and not everyone is so lucky. We’re all dealing with different shit, and as I was recently reminded, just about every single veteran refers to some who had it worse. Still, it is never far from my mind how easy I have it, compared to the challenges in adjusting to postwar life that must be faced by the war's casualties: the multiple amputees, the traumatic brain injuries, the PTSD sufferers who struck an IED one day, or more than once…</div>
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<i>Daybreak at Camp Mike Spann, 11/8/10</i></div>
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It was a welcome break from my issues, and a distinct honor,
to spend two weeks recently augmenting the staff of the USMC Wounded Warrior
Regiment as they staged the Marine Corps Trials in Camp Pendleton, CA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event is an extraordinary international
competition among teams from the regiment’s east and west battalions, nine
allies ranging from Colombia to the Republic of Georgia, as well as Marine
Corps veterans who’ve been discharged but still qualify to compete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t imagine another experience that could
be so simultaneously humbling and inspiring as this one was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re looking for the true warrior
spirit, you need look no farther than the wounded, ill and injured service
members and veterans of these games, or of the more widely known Wounded
Warrior Games…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">“I thought, ‘I need to get out of this funk. The world’s not going to stop moving, I need to get out and do something with my life,’” Sears said.</span></i></div>
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<i>Battling it out at the Marine Corps Trials, 3/11/14</i></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<a href="http://marines.dodlive.mil/2014/03/11/marine-overcomes-obstacles-becomes-mentor-to-peers/">Marine overcomes obstacles, becomes mentor to peers</a><br />
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“Try and make it far enough…to the next time zone”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Son Volt<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>- One of those lyrics that just stays in my head, after many
long drives across and around the country over the past few years</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Life isn’t bad in Colorado, despite constant indecision that
has me stuck spinning my wheels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this
was a video post, I’d probably do a voiceover with scenes of my energetic jackal-dog Daly
playing, with the Rocky Mountains beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t bad on balance in the self-imposed exile to Miami either, or
back in New York City before the western spirit ever succeeded in calling me
out here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when it’s too much to
unpack your boxes, filled as they are with smaller, more compact collections of
notes, contacts, receipts, gifts sent to you overseas or ones you bought for
others but never sent, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">REMINDERS</i> all…you’re
left to wonder if normalcy will ever arrive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Was it worth it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess “Mad Dog” Mattis is right (gotta get every major nickname of his in
there)…it’s intensely personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
Afghanistan does in the next few years will certainly factor into my answer, as
mission success has been defined for a good while now as a stable and secure
nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even if it’s deemed a
‘failed state’ once again, that would be due to so many more factors than how
ably U.S. and allied troops performed their given missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me it was worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Cramped ride, Herat City, 11/4/10</i></div>
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If you’re enough the empathetic type, or just ever the
overthinker, or especially both, you understand more and more why some
adrenaline junkies (be they security pros, aid workers, journalists, many
others) never stop traveling to the latest conflicts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also understand how the least fortunate
lose hope entirely, how all the goddam flailing just gives way to morose
resignation that some get left behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
matter how empathetic or not you may be, you don’t want to see another one go
down that awful road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you definitely
understand the pull of returning to a place where you fought for something,
worked your tail off for something, sacrificed for something, and bonded with
those who’d give their last breath for their country – or a stranger’s country
– to make it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tonight I attended an event called “Failure to Communicate:
Homefront Myths of Veterans and Civilians”, put on by <a href="http://vhvnow.org/">Veterans Helping Veterans Now</a> (VHVN), a group with which I was unfamiliar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually avoid veterans’ organizations
entirely, likely to my detriment, but I was compelled to check out this
discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a new approach, its
stated goal was for community members and veterans to come together and break
down reintegration stereotypes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interesting concept, I thought, all the more so because of my
difficulties in moving beyond Marine duty orders and becoming a part of the
fabric of a community, whatever that means.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Krak and me, 8 years later… Boulder CO, 4/2/14</i></div>
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A bonus feature was that the guest speaker would be Jon
Krakauer, the bestselling author I’d met in Afghanistan as he began the embed
for what would become “Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reconnecting with him was great, but what
really stuck with me is what he pointed out in his humble remarks: that after
volunteering for years now with VHVN, he couldn’t believe how many veterans
described coming home and adjusting to ‘normal’ life as much harder than
anything they experienced over there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the group chats that followed, I expressed a similar sentiment and seemingly
for the first time, saw that fellow veterans – of a few different eras – fully
understood and could relate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Up until that moment, I was still gripped with
fear of telling a few strangers that I’m still figuring out what to do with
myself after Afghanistan…but once I did, and found no judgment there, the
relief was extraordinary. It was a
fitting ending to the days I’d spent contemplating what I’d write in this space
in order to sign off as AfghaniDan. </span></span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<br />
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DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-33190847669793410842012-03-31T03:00:00.007-06:002012-03-31T14:53:01.574-06:00No one is safe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl-dwgSPbhj7KdTvK1DRV-brCZUi9NQRiSOXOzydtY_DudN7hatHjljhrAF346wHhhHeZe_BQp2kQJVN279olplVQtZBwzDy_AIORELhRxIo0NgrhafvK7ZGWLU3RfOgnmoI3/s1600/P6210111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl-dwgSPbhj7KdTvK1DRV-brCZUi9NQRiSOXOzydtY_DudN7hatHjljhrAF346wHhhHeZe_BQp2kQJVN279olplVQtZBwzDy_AIORELhRxIo0NgrhafvK7ZGWLU3RfOgnmoI3/s320/P6210111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ministry of the Interior, Kabul...where two advisors were murdered.</i></div><br />
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.<br />
<br />
<div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>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)</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>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)</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;">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? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpkhQgaWvDL34preCJdsEEb2nTDQ7HN-P2c9Hzg7gKpNIiLLxWSfITU33P35iy5GzuosCLUH-g4w4Ec8P_o9UD5dTlgOWttYmFxEgY-qOHfBabPug3HSGr0v-9TN6YZhSfVFg/s1600/P6060059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpkhQgaWvDL34preCJdsEEb2nTDQ7HN-P2c9Hzg7gKpNIiLLxWSfITU33P35iy5GzuosCLUH-g4w4Ec8P_o9UD5dTlgOWttYmFxEgY-qOHfBabPug3HSGr0v-9TN6YZhSfVFg/s320/P6060059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><i>June 2010: The then-peaceful grounds of MoI</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19MuCsULA-Yu-C3iUPXTOoaEfPGiQAEz-AYthQn09Kx-QlW_KJsLBpL3H9PIznxivjhVs4bRv1w5Q4NcoLuR6-EcYKIqEFU1r3LPFdIif2gmT9_U_wvD3ax8sOy8eTole7nNo/s1600/P7050487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19MuCsULA-Yu-C3iUPXTOoaEfPGiQAEz-AYthQn09Kx-QlW_KJsLBpL3H9PIznxivjhVs4bRv1w5Q4NcoLuR6-EcYKIqEFU1r3LPFdIif2gmT9_U_wvD3ax8sOy8eTole7nNo/s320/P7050487.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><i>An eager new guard we knew...would you trust him now?</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">I think now of the Ministry of Defense, to which I walked literally every day and sat for chai with my colleagues. The morning </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">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.</span></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YZRwTJOVF_FRspdCEem7RvxPW_9eLxBevWm-lLPkCGetMsQbm8Ah2XwIsexA05d5U6YYh3AvKn04WPesG55Nz1jZZtax3HGmyKWqciB_oYVIXFQAEJ2AXqgBUEf0CVRUCttR/s1600/P9220001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YZRwTJOVF_FRspdCEem7RvxPW_9eLxBevWm-lLPkCGetMsQbm8Ah2XwIsexA05d5U6YYh3AvKn04WPesG55Nz1jZZtax3HGmyKWqciB_oYVIXFQAEJ2AXqgBUEf0CVRUCttR/s320/P9220001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><i>Insurgents, meet Maj. Daoud. You're not getting past him.</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;">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.</span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYqBOXK0SsQB4c2j0GlU6ElwoCZVfSfemDyxEypDHfmFQ6p8xUHa1rqdF6VM3kqNvxx6Uq_kmkyBMwnOdsAs4WgymDtcsr3hLOhaL1Uq0A52FFmpgWGQT23LEkxuI_hpTaIqw/s1600/12282010351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYqBOXK0SsQB4c2j0GlU6ElwoCZVfSfemDyxEypDHfmFQ6p8xUHa1rqdF6VM3kqNvxx6Uq_kmkyBMwnOdsAs4WgymDtcsr3hLOhaL1Uq0A52FFmpgWGQT23LEkxuI_hpTaIqw/s320/12282010351.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 15px/normal Georgia; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><i>And I wonder if the new MoD HQ ever got built...</i></span></div><div style="font: 15.0px Georgia; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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 <i>'cause of death'</i> 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 <i>'Whitney Houston vs. noble service members'</i> comparison, which really goes nowhere. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">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 '<i>why'</i> and '<i>should'</i> in order to see the best of humanity...</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/world/asia/american-who-gave-life-for-boy-is-heroic-contrast-to-afghan-news.html?_r=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Good Deeds in Afghanistan Interrupt the Grim Narrative</span></a><br />
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</script></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-11121282332753854632012-03-16T01:29:00.006-06:002012-03-31T14:56:06.033-06:00Fallout from the massacre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><br />
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<i>[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.]</i><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<h1 class="headline" style="font-size: 26px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.21em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Karzai asks NATO to leave Afghan villages</h1><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">...the headlines scream. Various press accounts state that according to President Karzai, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">"international security forces have to be taken out of Afghan village outposts and return to (larger) bases" since </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">"all efforts have to be done to avoid such incidents in the future."</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9on0ipTAxTZ0_kNKAWoJbIR0bPUuP4nZxKvGx5rEqPQ8G3i0ES3jouByZIpwHhrdaQVQ0GKYBdwT7pMn5i1xhPlAGtf87SReO1If8Tz6MMcAHpduCfyJzJHey4P5BhOjepGi/s1600/120315073606-afghanistan-us-protest-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9on0ipTAxTZ0_kNKAWoJbIR0bPUuP4nZxKvGx5rEqPQ8G3i0ES3jouByZIpwHhrdaQVQ0GKYBdwT7pMn5i1xhPlAGtf87SReO1If8Tz6MMcAHpduCfyJzJHey4P5BhOjepGi/s320/120315073606-afghanistan-us-protest-story-top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Protesters in Jalalabad (AFP/Getty Images)</i></div><br />
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<i> -- ALWAYS -- </i>those of an opportunistic politician:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><i> </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><i>"The massacre hurt the trust Afghans had in foreign forces."</i> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So his solution is to vacate the towns and villages.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">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. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN6sJIpTJBcf0Uc_1cPBLhRRjQSnFoY8MmoQzOHrTfe59bjL6_gNPOqZVHFADZ21QkIOm_UJqil6N2joJSwWDzbs_ShNJJjiw3BAzh_fcZn8cHhVZeLYoEjktrghqBqEDM7Cu/s1600/P7040427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN6sJIpTJBcf0Uc_1cPBLhRRjQSnFoY8MmoQzOHrTfe59bjL6_gNPOqZVHFADZ21QkIOm_UJqil6N2joJSwWDzbs_ShNJJjiw3BAzh_fcZn8cHhVZeLYoEjktrghqBqEDM7Cu/s320/P7040427.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">July 2010: Women in a village outside Kabul</span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioLkzCxmB_qGk2ZLXs-oZx10j1X9XAayKF-G-MDQLZkata08tIUgWI8GOJdBTPmy2ca_ECj75Orj0ttQHbSKDWnCZHCAQ6lgydPoNmtyE-S7Q22hdp0APXAfVem1K-rrDdcAs/s1600/ap_afghanistan_protest_jp_120314_wg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioLkzCxmB_qGk2ZLXs-oZx10j1X9XAayKF-G-MDQLZkata08tIUgWI8GOJdBTPmy2ca_ECj75Orj0ttQHbSKDWnCZHCAQ6lgydPoNmtyE-S7Q22hdp0APXAfVem1K-rrDdcAs/s320/ap_afghanistan_protest_jp_120314_wg.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><i>Jalalabad again: more protests (AP Photo)</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">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. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">The experts exhibit a collective shrug on the issue...which is worrisome.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;"><i>“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.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/03/gannett-multiple-deployments-effects-unknown-troops-032112/">Multiple deployments’ effects unknown on troops</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I'm worried, as many are, about the effect this will have on <i>trust</i> (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 <i>them</i> -- 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.</span></span><br />
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</script></div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-76059083838481064892012-02-29T20:47:00.002-07:002012-03-01T12:44:39.984-07:00Mayhem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTG1kFuj1Cz3VXqWfJEo3AI-p5e11NMYDH6oqUMvSEFJfTIvIj83rLhdtZU1uvrLJBtrsJ8O_gXA0_qYkP3oXLUl2W03oqHam3LXV55mFSXxRcEN5WQZVlxgqA7zGnIzw1PXh/s1600/koran_protest_photos015--500x380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTG1kFuj1Cz3VXqWfJEo3AI-p5e11NMYDH6oqUMvSEFJfTIvIj83rLhdtZU1uvrLJBtrsJ8O_gXA0_qYkP3oXLUl2W03oqHam3LXV55mFSXxRcEN5WQZVlxgqA7zGnIzw1PXh/s320/koran_protest_photos015--500x380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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Some background, in case you're just catching up...<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17152705">Afghanistan Koran protests claim more lives</a><br />
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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 <i>nothing,</i> 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkowOoX4qDNtZAXjZvXMTh-k-_tg2lFkYKY6MKOppRCrjK1jE71tPU1XDgL4j1iTfy0UO2S2kNcnCR5YAOw7YGun_sNqH2VlmQegUM9acMeG_vQuqd6BQtCxlqRoa81zr1euKv/s1600/koran_protest_photos001--500x380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkowOoX4qDNtZAXjZvXMTh-k-_tg2lFkYKY6MKOppRCrjK1jE71tPU1XDgL4j1iTfy0UO2S2kNcnCR5YAOw7YGun_sNqH2VlmQegUM9acMeG_vQuqd6BQtCxlqRoa81zr1euKv/s320/koran_protest_photos001--500x380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBMCCSvRjeBgM7WHTrcYlHl0hRzGN5xaiKq285aDA9RZypICTnJYxUyrE7RF91RiSyXmVu-kVgHLI_ocd5pPxey1sphx4NJ-KnFmo8uYRfNCOHNK_T2axH7TJ-BEJggfvyS81/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBMCCSvRjeBgM7WHTrcYlHl0hRzGN5xaiKq285aDA9RZypICTnJYxUyrE7RF91RiSyXmVu-kVgHLI_ocd5pPxey1sphx4NJ-KnFmo8uYRfNCOHNK_T2axH7TJ-BEJggfvyS81/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrygttmnnbGPbliV-S8fFoZ24wj8l9fPlfsyTcr0-X6S5bgJGHwRuGvQPwM6qk7n0IppkSX8yfJnFQVFD-P49UGXEi8QcvyGPJMglOH5DJAIZWbQL0pfuognAgnogQDQisWb9Q/s1600/burnt-koran-420x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrygttmnnbGPbliV-S8fFoZ24wj8l9fPlfsyTcr0-X6S5bgJGHwRuGvQPwM6qk7n0IppkSX8yfJnFQVFD-P49UGXEi8QcvyGPJMglOH5DJAIZWbQL0pfuognAgnogQDQisWb9Q/s320/burnt-koran-420x0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Protestors outside Bagram, eight days ago.</i></div><br />
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 <i>and gain their trust</i>. 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.<br />
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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...<br />
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<a href="http://www.marines.mil/unit/1stmardiv/5thregiment/rct5/Pages/MarinessweepunchartedareasofKhan-NeshinduringOperationHighlandThunder.aspx#.T07sGphuGFK">Marines sweep uncharted areas of Khan-Neshin during Operation Highland Thunder</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMaYZ_jBs6In5T6aZHAmNd_snLLKg_CEjv_w0Z4T1eAx799lESzGVfaZod2B_K8MqMLwtyimku62hrVHpK0cwFmckgKxLPubh4Gs_zFj9iKUeRp-6jEn-_i8ZTYYhdnhDac7o/s1600/GetThumbnail2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMaYZ_jBs6In5T6aZHAmNd_snLLKg_CEjv_w0Z4T1eAx799lESzGVfaZod2B_K8MqMLwtyimku62hrVHpK0cwFmckgKxLPubh4Gs_zFj9iKUeRp-6jEn-_i8ZTYYhdnhDac7o/s320/GetThumbnail2.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/news/afghanistan-hosts-second-national-ski-race">Afghanistan set to host second national ski race</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnpvgeQhQAjM-qP7apgmrsxKy-N9dccYADnInuVl0A0BUdOw7z_Qj5ApYAkSHbyZe1p7aqAK5hLSyxdqPJXdQVpzRUJNPExLNDYeCZRLiBoR0X0IHIq-wL5FyEtPsPD6T9XFB/s1600/News-asc_2011_finish_lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnpvgeQhQAjM-qP7apgmrsxKy-N9dccYADnInuVl0A0BUdOw7z_Qj5ApYAkSHbyZe1p7aqAK5hLSyxdqPJXdQVpzRUJNPExLNDYeCZRLiBoR0X0IHIq-wL5FyEtPsPD6T9XFB/s320/News-asc_2011_finish_lr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</script></div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-32728843748126864412012-02-03T16:20:00.009-07:002012-02-03T16:44:06.311-07:00Groundhog Day: Peace?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>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.</i><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq6GHIXLSN_1SNCey3h8diucjl_48zggIiekXm-UxNzN2tTyVkC3zDcl5-wCVVmhM9wucssH85pEUdf3UnrhPU0wbKaDSdcVoEgLZFqBmN5Z2wRsGvD29gmOf94ZB1VuioX5S/s1600/P1290003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq6GHIXLSN_1SNCey3h8diucjl_48zggIiekXm-UxNzN2tTyVkC3zDcl5-wCVVmhM9wucssH85pEUdf3UnrhPU0wbKaDSdcVoEgLZFqBmN5Z2wRsGvD29gmOf94ZB1VuioX5S/s320/P1290003.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This time last year...CO-bound from NC</span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Im97fKvJSxX7lDVo_xwjU6Cx2CASu6-JYP05veM0RJC3tl3STZizbeQqImrzT4mbc8gD2CHji7H_ZlZFC_PVeUCU3AedPZN5kdXt36U8GzahEwnPJ28JS0-OHPo4c9DY-ohI/s1600/P1120037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Im97fKvJSxX7lDVo_xwjU6Cx2CASu6-JYP05veM0RJC3tl3STZizbeQqImrzT4mbc8gD2CHji7H_ZlZFC_PVeUCU3AedPZN5kdXt36U8GzahEwnPJ28JS0-OHPo4c9DY-ohI/s320/P1120037.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jan '11: happy arrival at BWI with a new old friend</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLQNIynKv6TbH-NTzaM2bvCZT9xM89lo4oGQQR4WHiHEbNhUTdpWoTYL8VvZ9jd8Wgmn75mGkyUI_TS6UWSUl-fkzrdP4urAay6kz1pxc8OHmoWC3O4wKfIxpFUbipggpsZ47/s1600/P1300026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLQNIynKv6TbH-NTzaM2bvCZT9xM89lo4oGQQR4WHiHEbNhUTdpWoTYL8VvZ9jd8Wgmn75mGkyUI_TS6UWSUl-fkzrdP4urAay6kz1pxc8OHmoWC3O4wKfIxpFUbipggpsZ47/s320/P1300026.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/31/11: Arapahoe Basin, CO - Hindu Kush with lifts</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZChK2aGRmARlWewuN4eoaZHJMhFfxAK4Fj-Alypp6fNOP9UG37gYyUpWuwEr58RH85iKQYdtnWQ71ljL5HJrOrciWH4GttL9FwqK23ziXSGemgaoDIcHrG7Gy55-cpgawgVY/s1600/P1300029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZChK2aGRmARlWewuN4eoaZHJMhFfxAK4Fj-Alypp6fNOP9UG37gYyUpWuwEr58RH85iKQYdtnWQ71ljL5HJrOrciWH4GttL9FwqK23ziXSGemgaoDIcHrG7Gy55-cpgawgVY/s320/P1300029.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/31/11: Skiing = welcome break from the blues</span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoSHFC72PW2Nq_ROerUcohbpPGT8rzSvgfBZyrnzMF7LLxsBItQ4XybZiUF7M460F9dUOv229F3hGO2oisgVwlWcVv6HRADT67SF9O2_KPO2Kba2iB9iHLgoiz-ZmepuOxXPM/s1600/groundhog-day-movie-bill-murray-driving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoSHFC72PW2Nq_ROerUcohbpPGT8rzSvgfBZyrnzMF7LLxsBItQ4XybZiUF7M460F9dUOv229F3hGO2oisgVwlWcVv6HRADT67SF9O2_KPO2Kba2iB9iHLgoiz-ZmepuOxXPM/s320/groundhog-day-movie-bill-murray-driving.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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...</span><br />
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<a href="http://afghanidan.blogspot.com/2006/02/farewell-to-brave-marine.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">AfghaniDan: Farewell to a brave Marine</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndAofJxrmaCT7uRwsKx2DZv0-SE09a8ffZ5FTBzpNSk_KTfMH2cWxLVBogsfzV6Fba5oVBrxIqXy-JNTR1ik8KqgkeC8ZGUR6bzBZa1G6-VBxryu0vzndYvTggFXypPg_Tne8/s1600/abbott_james_joyce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndAofJxrmaCT7uRwsKx2DZv0-SE09a8ffZ5FTBzpNSk_KTfMH2cWxLVBogsfzV6Fba5oVBrxIqXy-JNTR1ik8KqgkeC8ZGUR6bzBZa1G6-VBxryu0vzndYvTggFXypPg_Tne8/s320/abbott_james_joyce.jpg" width="244" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>"There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present."</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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...</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><i>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.”</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">Got that? It's clear as mud, even by US-Afghan diplomacy standards.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/world/asia/afghan-officials-consider-separate-talks-with-taliban.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Afghan Officials Consider Own Talks With Taliban</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTX6la_l_N_cXg3S651wP97ux2I9T3j-cKz2w2yYtj8QOh9ZVpdV5rzMCkPs6X5wIGesSzBrR7oU06tbvm-0IqzmVXcPSz6AF-im3-DEsfPSkHqg7BIw6PzbIUGD3gaJpKuIL/s1600/AFGHAN-1-popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTX6la_l_N_cXg3S651wP97ux2I9T3j-cKz2w2yYtj8QOh9ZVpdV5rzMCkPs6X5wIGesSzBrR7oU06tbvm-0IqzmVXcPSz6AF-im3-DEsfPSkHqg7BIw6PzbIUGD3gaJpKuIL/s320/AFGHAN-1-popup.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #909090; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 11px;">Aref Karimi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">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.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;">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. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>"No reason for ISAF or the Coalition to believe that there is anything to be changed."</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16832359">Pakistan dismisses NATO report on Afghan Taliban links</a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ed9sUpitT4qaBGxNyZPoIRM3To6l5IoJFfYm-f9zqISWpy11AccVzMoAPH-Q_3-ttx4fFcB6PIVJii-RojKj0wfWVy-GE-AtMjaELEYMp1hjIp2Te-oCPCHbKTPkbIowDlG2/s1600/_58231589_frontpage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ed9sUpitT4qaBGxNyZPoIRM3To6l5IoJFfYm-f9zqISWpy11AccVzMoAPH-Q_3-ttx4fFcB6PIVJii-RojKj0wfWVy-GE-AtMjaELEYMp1hjIp2Te-oCPCHbKTPkbIowDlG2/s1600/_58231589_frontpage.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16829368">Excerpts from NATO report on Taliban</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">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.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">This passage in particular stood out, as it falls within my former 'lane'...</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i>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></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;">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 <i>is </i>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.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/30/afghans_can_win_this_war">Foreign Policy: Afghans Can Win This War</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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...</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 23px;"><i>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.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div></div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-8086761631242587432012-01-11T05:10:00.000-07:002012-01-11T05:10:15.069-07:00One year later...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aX4Gp1M20wlrSp_CdoYZHvv9fGGnyrD-GS_4AztShQ-ckzxR_Q1ns2UKXzOpdagYDpRiNmkW3VvhbswIfh4Fu2GUdIuKTT6ggWCtuQVqRFzker7RZWPBXBTrybszzfHbOLUJ/s1600/100922-F-3077W-219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aX4Gp1M20wlrSp_CdoYZHvv9fGGnyrD-GS_4AztShQ-ckzxR_Q1ns2UKXzOpdagYDpRiNmkW3VvhbswIfh4Fu2GUdIuKTT6ggWCtuQVqRFzker7RZWPBXBTrybszzfHbOLUJ/s320/100922-F-3077W-219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It wasn't this one, I am sure...</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8dHZlvZ2DFoTPJJjOFKZYlo3GaJlYNN8xGEh5HKywoZZehKZh9G8b11PEo7PRtZXrcSAhT5veQ0olu_F1NUksrAiXkBIsIu7Dn9G3sA377RYh2b2HHWjgZeJjN3vfbFUWuq3/s1600/01072011374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8dHZlvZ2DFoTPJJjOFKZYlo3GaJlYNN8xGEh5HKywoZZehKZh9G8b11PEo7PRtZXrcSAhT5veQ0olu_F1NUksrAiXkBIsIu7Dn9G3sA377RYh2b2HHWjgZeJjN3vfbFUWuq3/s320/01072011374.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kabul, Jan '11: Conference Room in Winter</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcKZZkuTuRL1HrjBXJZt2pev1BrIznTtcuIfL9jNiCDs-NaRJ6sthaJZct5lKGct7fQxOzkE9Vy6dp7J3z7jLcFuWqSspuhYz2yth4jnw5ewjlaHWSU6Qo3R_0TC0MNzgEwBb/s1600/P1080076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcKZZkuTuRL1HrjBXJZt2pev1BrIznTtcuIfL9jNiCDs-NaRJ6sthaJZct5lKGct7fQxOzkE9Vy6dp7J3z7jLcFuWqSspuhYz2yth4jnw5ewjlaHWSU6Qo3R_0TC0MNzgEwBb/s320/P1080076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11: Bagram bus stop</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4t23rTB_7xhlJvRTC6PZ8r6TJ10WZQNaGwD356GdmyyxAm45MfASlo6jyu-ALwWuCtk4GIS1lq2BLfKsyzPLpnXli4IZTjhn1KMEQbQFWrQSgZfHGZisXnSXEUTd6h-anZFb/s1600/P1090096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4t23rTB_7xhlJvRTC6PZ8r6TJ10WZQNaGwD356GdmyyxAm45MfASlo6jyu-ALwWuCtk4GIS1lq2BLfKsyzPLpnXli4IZTjhn1KMEQbQFWrQSgZfHGZisXnSXEUTd6h-anZFb/s320/P1090096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11: Bagram, amidst the haze...</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiyMZqAm8CpFCZB0axoV_Hq693KxRP0YQnY700VTdQxhgbc69aJtu0WhFzoaCai_-iyyCETFICpj4u0hnd7SioHZJIqaPh5GqeyH_Rh-jon3rJRqHicxZbT2sXyK1WkkG__e4/s1600/P1100123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiyMZqAm8CpFCZB0axoV_Hq693KxRP0YQnY700VTdQxhgbc69aJtu0WhFzoaCai_-iyyCETFICpj4u0hnd7SioHZJIqaPh5GqeyH_Rh-jon3rJRqHicxZbT2sXyK1WkkG__e4/s320/P1100123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11: Dawn over Hindu Kush...and barriers</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafjtmDhzC7LJ8PzNKvzvMugx_fJ991VQJb964afvPshPrHaUg9Siz-wIxL9FjdIsL1eDrnPD3j4nFU7CzUMYrXOQSynTWUfB97vbA41Gm2lOnrryeSkiLk9S9UA9tZR6JB8RL/s1600/P1100127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafjtmDhzC7LJ8PzNKvzvMugx_fJ991VQJb964afvPshPrHaUg9Siz-wIxL9FjdIsL1eDrnPD3j4nFU7CzUMYrXOQSynTWUfB97vbA41Gm2lOnrryeSkiLk9S9UA9tZR6JB8RL/s320/P1100127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11: Final departure...for now.</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKph-IqMZuFreruTyvYJ5rOe_boy1snewMdV_c_ylwioFtaQGnG4wz4n6tYTAsGlbnMffIO5ALuUljo-zlHfELcvTiEb7rNDLvCzOccP6yL7WgQdmsYKLbSOk9D4qc4iqdh3AK/s1600/P1100128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKph-IqMZuFreruTyvYJ5rOe_boy1snewMdV_c_ylwioFtaQGnG4wz4n6tYTAsGlbnMffIO5ALuUljo-zlHfELcvTiEb7rNDLvCzOccP6yL7WgQdmsYKLbSOk9D4qc4iqdh3AK/s320/P1100128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11: Last glimpse of Afghan mountains...</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEj9Ajp6_-DnAHyaFWJm9R0_oBV-0e4n8XeD26hYAWzghQIxXVvttw2V52KyE6l3wWFfcIJY9jAzXtGKENR7L84Q7heHI1-uwQ9RhXiS0GpLzDPJLs24kK7PW2s5ZwAQQG6Z-/s1600/IMG_4002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEj9Ajp6_-DnAHyaFWJm9R0_oBV-0e4n8XeD26hYAWzghQIxXVvttw2V52KyE6l3wWFfcIJY9jAzXtGKENR7L84Q7heHI1-uwQ9RhXiS0GpLzDPJLs24kK7PW2s5ZwAQQG6Z-/s320/IMG_4002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dec '11: Usual glimpse of Rocky Mountains</i></div><br />
It gets harder and harder to find news out of Afghanistan, which often is attributed to <i>'war weariness'</i> -- 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)...<br />
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<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-01-10/afghanistan-taliban-attack/52482734/1">10 die as Taliban storm Afghan government building</a><br />
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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...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOhIY4WPp0jig9sCB8No6jZnY6BE290OFxATK-rauxgljm8bkTJ3eV-lERPrTWeiCXmP3zCyzOkl5DvCnblujcGPoeErnjchN6W-hnc9-hhv7YXCAZHJCycLmiGqwQHaYtJ9o/s1600/20120109__EUGermanyUSAfghanistan%257E2_GALLERY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOhIY4WPp0jig9sCB8No6jZnY6BE290OFxATK-rauxgljm8bkTJ3eV-lERPrTWeiCXmP3zCyzOkl5DvCnblujcGPoeErnjchN6W-hnc9-hhv7YXCAZHJCycLmiGqwQHaYtJ9o/s320/20120109__EUGermanyUSAfghanistan%257E2_GALLERY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop</i></div><br />
<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19706388">Afghan opposition urges caution in Taliban talks</a><br />
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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.<br />
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Finally, here's wishing everyone a very belated <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1b0431; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Sal-e Now Mubarek (</span>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: <a href="http://twitter.com/MayorDelMundo">@ MayorDelMundo</a><br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-22803254263759706942011-12-19T02:29:00.000-07:002011-12-19T02:29:53.887-07:00When does it "end"?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGL-6GpLqLrtuqUxwl5LfLV_apNb6wtC_nEbh-Fy6bGTdbImV9zfTCDA8aW15P9wzet2jU7UkLqMfuigsVdFiV1wVmJolBdg6r8Lv_KJxma47DxBxWOL74lbLkbL4_1DSGAR4/s1600/_57395574_013548941-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGL-6GpLqLrtuqUxwl5LfLV_apNb6wtC_nEbh-Fy6bGTdbImV9zfTCDA8aW15P9wzet2jU7UkLqMfuigsVdFiV1wVmJolBdg6r8Lv_KJxma47DxBxWOL74lbLkbL4_1DSGAR4/s320/_57395574_013548941-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><br />
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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 <i>end </i>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. <br />
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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 <i>end</i> of a conflict.<br />
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<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/18/world/meast/iraq-pullout-analysis/index.html?hpt=hp_c2">Analysts: Questions remain as U.S. troops leave Iraq</a><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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 <i>"end"</i> date <u>we</u> have chosen.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16046079">Afghanistan bombs kill 58 in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif</a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfBvUQSObpyRzFncKr1KH4CgCM6D1cVj7EmQD2Ct_YgTxTIC41CdkMiWiHHh9z3LheY2I2T2UIf2BYtZPNKeH3-gcLTTe4VG1qIP6bSR0NAnw-kQSaRFaPwupoUVAjKGSDHTV/s1600/afattack1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfBvUQSObpyRzFncKr1KH4CgCM6D1cVj7EmQD2Ct_YgTxTIC41CdkMiWiHHh9z3LheY2I2T2UIf2BYtZPNKeH3-gcLTTe4VG1qIP6bSR0NAnw-kQSaRFaPwupoUVAjKGSDHTV/s320/afattack1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16236393">Vaclav Havel, Czech leader and playwright, dies at 75</a><br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-66951446057910736502011-11-18T04:49:00.001-07:002011-11-18T10:30:33.535-07:00Tidbits from The Front<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMDmLKBtX4tv9in5obFF9YcLsdaVoHSXJJrja-09ROyfah0KPY04P__uR_uH3CfdDvyjAdwU2U0PYL6_nj1ut4BAeuwnIvCNG8QhBr1oSWe9W9gC3tWa0LCMe5lIQyH0wZsnR/s1600/446138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMDmLKBtX4tv9in5obFF9YcLsdaVoHSXJJrja-09ROyfah0KPY04P__uR_uH3CfdDvyjAdwU2U0PYL6_nj1ut4BAeuwnIvCNG8QhBr1oSWe9W9gC3tWa0LCMe5lIQyH0wZsnR/s320/446138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Northern France, 1917</i></div><br />
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. <br />
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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 <i>generally</i> 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 <b>no rear area.</b> 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. <br />
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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. <i>The Front</i> is all relative. And in the case of my headline today, it simply means Afghanistan.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDqL4kxi4VToFfVtJXny7ODEwzzVBB7OsAczsHOcGbOOpScKrM1onIYBI0NYkWHqcjSSlxLQFfDqp1nqvoZKlfBqf3BOmydU6Uvyjt21-A5olS6iuDP-NsCJdHVmDI3LshrwE/s1600/AFGHANISTAN+MAP3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDqL4kxi4VToFfVtJXny7ODEwzzVBB7OsAczsHOcGbOOpScKrM1onIYBI0NYkWHqcjSSlxLQFfDqp1nqvoZKlfBqf3BOmydU6Uvyjt21-A5olS6iuDP-NsCJdHVmDI3LshrwE/s320/AFGHANISTAN+MAP3.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>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></span><br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKHAD4Afyow6pKMmOFgGHqIUrfNFXq_dXEprl0tyH8H0wYFfhzrMBgerIfogJyY1b30z4oNVFOIVikDBPzqTxhzxKxeFo76bvaInV9LKS1jXWXh2JzeJSn8MUNwdvpDt6zHJy/s1600/15atwar-wells-kunar-1-blog480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKHAD4Afyow6pKMmOFgGHqIUrfNFXq_dXEprl0tyH8H0wYFfhzrMBgerIfogJyY1b30z4oNVFOIVikDBPzqTxhzxKxeFo76bvaInV9LKS1jXWXh2JzeJSn8MUNwdvpDt6zHJy/s320/15atwar-wells-kunar-1-blog480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/in-afghanistana-missions-troubles-offer-window-on-an-unsteady-region/">A Mission’s Troubles Offer Window on an Unsteady Region in Afghanistan</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>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.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>“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.”</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_eRmfzxEnz-7PJyQPHANfFT103M13gnqEe6VrGZXGFZWNWQyMyiyw79H_DER-nZXvb-FuVt3IIyScLxYiWACcZmF8Q1h5RuatUhmlxa2Euj-lgugXywYrM8UXV28ieKuJBWs/s1600/16atwar-chowdhry-blog480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_eRmfzxEnz-7PJyQPHANfFT103M13gnqEe6VrGZXGFZWNWQyMyiyw79H_DER-nZXvb-FuVt3IIyScLxYiWACcZmF8Q1h5RuatUhmlxa2Euj-lgugXywYrM8UXV28ieKuJBWs/s320/16atwar-chowdhry-blog480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/female-cadets-signal-slow-change-in-afghan-police-force/">Female Cadets Signal Slow Change in Afghan Police Force</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Now, a two-parter to follow that left me shaking my head...<br />
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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 <b>dogs of war</b> who willingly sacrifice their safety for the warriors who take them in.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/afghanistan_dogs_joyfully_reunite_TeumBUxowu36DS7i5bJAZJ">Afghanistan dogs joyfully reunite with US military members at JFK airport</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9PiB2aODWhFObwiVtFHFMXG8Xdx7Hfu-xBxedBAXPebOu4CGbt1xaBP5LlPkuJg4NfWDuU6hKHpxDtFEtBlx6-0mVbLnZEzSEl_j5L43jWHmfaRVioMNt_eK-Jmf5rj8Ppcu/s1600/102911mc_pet_800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9PiB2aODWhFObwiVtFHFMXG8Xdx7Hfu-xBxedBAXPebOu4CGbt1xaBP5LlPkuJg4NfWDuU6hKHpxDtFEtBlx6-0mVbLnZEzSEl_j5L43jWHmfaRVioMNt_eK-Jmf5rj8Ppcu/s320/102911mc_pet_800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/10/marine-dod-prohibits-warzone-mascots-after-rabies-death-102911w/">Rabies death leads DoD to crack down on pets</a></div><br />
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...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi806BBQTymhArDcAFDKaG0lLhiFVOkx_v1HF1H2RMiRmSopu3Gii0li23oQVkWUxG4fyF23Y3gl3pZy39qSEXUdBeP0G_8LMu3L2oqAsFxGUo2r9mCXcIiZBpntw56EKINlfr4/s1600/aafghanistan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi806BBQTymhArDcAFDKaG0lLhiFVOkx_v1HF1H2RMiRmSopu3Gii0li23oQVkWUxG4fyF23Y3gl3pZy39qSEXUdBeP0G_8LMu3L2oqAsFxGUo2r9mCXcIiZBpntw56EKINlfr4/s320/aafghanistan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>AP photo / Musadeq Sadeq, via Time.com</i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/11/gannett-afghan-elders-worried-about-us-withdrawal-111511/">Afghan elders worry U.S. may leave too soon</a></div><br />
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. <i>FAILED</i> 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?<br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-63835742130988912592011-09-22T03:31:00.002-06:002011-09-22T03:58:00.615-06:00Another Setback<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESm1vQC0AVrN-okcqr7J2AVDlxUVS2sUNe9myKNxD8ZSggrATVDQjfzgo5nMFnM8cza73dMNvT5Hj8gCnNFCctwKOBnkrVNFnzk1pdU_jVfiqMC0A74m6GO7GN3QKNKtkcQBD/s1600/rabbani2_2004418c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESm1vQC0AVrN-okcqr7J2AVDlxUVS2sUNe9myKNxD8ZSggrATVDQjfzgo5nMFnM8cza73dMNvT5Hj8gCnNFCctwKOBnkrVNFnzk1pdU_jVfiqMC0A74m6GO7GN3QKNKtkcQBD/s320/rabbani2_2004418c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Because this assassination is too significant to ignore, even if I have no information or insight that can't be gleaned from news accounts...<br />
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<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/20/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Turban bomb kills key Afghan political leader</span></a><br />
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The headline (for once) <i>understates</i> 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC99iPb4Wxd8coTAJI1HRhCGM47nS6_qicXa2FtQM9EiXjb20PXqsWxiF3TnOFdDBh1E6COGVbKaaxfugN65VDIKjPVjfhQRsglZmkNLX9YcK57qU0g8eTQ8JwfuZDPwXUqiV-/s1600/304053_281923348486243_100000057411688_1183834_415910512_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC99iPb4Wxd8coTAJI1HRhCGM47nS6_qicXa2FtQM9EiXjb20PXqsWxiF3TnOFdDBh1E6COGVbKaaxfugN65VDIKjPVjfhQRsglZmkNLX9YcK57qU0g8eTQ8JwfuZDPwXUqiV-/s320/304053_281923348486243_100000057411688_1183834_415910512_n.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kabul, 1993 - Filmmaker Richard Mackenzie with Pres. Rabbani.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Richard, a good friend, kindly shared this from his archives.</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvod1nzLd1qWYLqAZW-1s0eQ6ZCN8SbXxfVgDYQ0de5CZEg2qJs_dUTIQCmkTWyCH4ef3WdtNsdrEBjszTL4kVUN2GAOAyP3OPsmVLepGsCIsC2OqcjqRitSiDE9a5GAx-vMBN/s1600/images-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvod1nzLd1qWYLqAZW-1s0eQ6ZCN8SbXxfVgDYQ0de5CZEg2qJs_dUTIQCmkTWyCH4ef3WdtNsdrEBjszTL4kVUN2GAOAyP3OPsmVLepGsCIsC2OqcjqRitSiDE9a5GAx-vMBN/s1600/images-5.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-6725870631039619092011-09-09T15:38:00.000-06:002011-09-09T15:38:11.806-06:00Ten Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEurFdQLBz4Z5s5dYv1LCkqwj-EntHh9W_7cMDv7SIVIR-3SmDEBueaa8rHRW3kTv8ImVowBTkK6p0YVkpnqTjYhpyalqybM5tajU9kG9gzdldNNPwSn-RoHp-qK2k1b2FfQBh/s1600/2491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEurFdQLBz4Z5s5dYv1LCkqwj-EntHh9W_7cMDv7SIVIR-3SmDEBueaa8rHRW3kTv8ImVowBTkK6p0YVkpnqTjYhpyalqybM5tajU9kG9gzdldNNPwSn-RoHp-qK2k1b2FfQBh/s320/2491.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div>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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XXyd4ztd_ekUd23THW-HKhBafxiok0H462CwDob_zCycUoD1yiLzjr2pVFO351V6zxmbpXMumNnxhi_yYYQeqP47_LCZQ8AJfrGgzQ1gbzNcYdr067nQAskC7LsunobuJann/s1600/WTC_Twin_Towers_Night_July_2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XXyd4ztd_ekUd23THW-HKhBafxiok0H462CwDob_zCycUoD1yiLzjr2pVFO351V6zxmbpXMumNnxhi_yYYQeqP47_LCZQ8AJfrGgzQ1gbzNcYdr067nQAskC7LsunobuJann/s320/WTC_Twin_Towers_Night_July_2001.jpg" width="228" /></a></div></div><br />
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.<br />
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</div>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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxEvnP4EkC_-9D0h0_ZpabYU3T9kR3swS_aYWq4ufJ5C9Ieqiken4eVhfZ6QL9dHYi0g66U6lhHkxDb2JF1LDFyOElnKgiWiQdPYs2dneZoH7718C-UZdsPTnhYbSq1DbqizH/s1600/195792_130254817049231_6322325_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxEvnP4EkC_-9D0h0_ZpabYU3T9kR3swS_aYWq4ufJ5C9Ieqiken4eVhfZ6QL9dHYi0g66U6lhHkxDb2JF1LDFyOElnKgiWiQdPYs2dneZoH7718C-UZdsPTnhYbSq1DbqizH/s1600/195792_130254817049231_6322325_n.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What could have been, for me...</i></div><br />
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...<br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>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.</i></span><br />
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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...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>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.</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZMXDtIAQMHjgSedcVD9cmjQhsChkPzva5v_7YX0xIXQoQ7j8NM9DNK43WpoaBC9iC-J9CqD6nKS4aQBjpsCwd1hVgYYsR3EzbJmicVaOkBEYRekCy6tnsRlbw60ITMfjwNXT/s1600/201198144840571734_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZMXDtIAQMHjgSedcVD9cmjQhsChkPzva5v_7YX0xIXQoQ7j8NM9DNK43WpoaBC9iC-J9CqD6nKS4aQBjpsCwd1hVgYYsR3EzbJmicVaOkBEYRekCy6tnsRlbw60ITMfjwNXT/s320/201198144840571734_20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A crafty politician & tribal chief, not a savior.</i></div><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/09/201194134516204399.html?utm_content=tweets&utm_campaign=Trial3&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=twitter&utm_medium=ExperimentMasterAccount"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The 9/11 decade: Afghanistan's new beginning?</span></a><br />
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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...<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">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.</span></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaC-IBvQPDl-5Ipc7lw1TfISn3IfmC51bbN4YdYHxefGyOEt1TuuknrenPZxPWPWiJMAdFgr203DZ1GYZj1MUOfdkWFLxid7fZDWSWzr6hdM8tx_CT9ww9Hebr4TZ8fvzd4By/s1600/PB290006X.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaC-IBvQPDl-5Ipc7lw1TfISn3IfmC51bbN4YdYHxefGyOEt1TuuknrenPZxPWPWiJMAdFgr203DZ1GYZj1MUOfdkWFLxid7fZDWSWzr6hdM8tx_CT9ww9Hebr4TZ8fvzd4By/s320/PB290006X.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Joe & I...because you all miss the 'stache dearly!</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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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 <i>that</i> should be my next area of focus?<br />
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</div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-58588023538494753052011-08-31T23:49:00.006-06:002011-09-01T01:38:16.856-06:00...or you never really leave?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45wbDlufBqCOdbHPEUDRlXEnUpKB_-g3NZdrCQErQsVYD58csFcb9RL4qqqd7EaQxOlXwdSQjuiVn0BJ6CjpN28Dk36Q78tfRaRurPp_Czb9As636KkzA6UJ0BEIAVn1ot13t/s1600/ALeqM5h1u38U3fRPX5iygfCaUObDBBXDxw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45wbDlufBqCOdbHPEUDRlXEnUpKB_-g3NZdrCQErQsVYD58csFcb9RL4qqqd7EaQxOlXwdSQjuiVn0BJ6CjpN28Dk36Q78tfRaRurPp_Czb9As636KkzA6UJ0BEIAVn1ot13t/s320/ALeqM5h1u38U3fRPX5iygfCaUObDBBXDxw.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Afghan children wave to U.S. Marines in the Gereshk Valley in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)</i></span></div><br />
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 <i>do </i>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.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">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.</span><br />
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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<i> down</i> from this point in 2010, despite the aggressive operations against the insurgency in Helmand, Kandahar and other restive provinces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK-1l63VhLV2yLZvaStK-emrOwFaPql-J8dJZJOjhBswW687ou5eQkST28TL7LXEdlniS_bW2_o8VxKX-wwBsvbLXbFJN6_U15cGitwbtxD6oA1ePdg4LXVnQ-4FXLbE03TOP/s1600/ALeqM5i3gte65a95q_gtmqbIAViOEs-WBA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK-1l63VhLV2yLZvaStK-emrOwFaPql-J8dJZJOjhBswW687ou5eQkST28TL7LXEdlniS_bW2_o8VxKX-wwBsvbLXbFJN6_U15cGitwbtxD6oA1ePdg4LXVnQ-4FXLbE03TOP/s320/ALeqM5i3gte65a95q_gtmqbIAViOEs-WBA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>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)</i></span></div><br />
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.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far this year, 403 international service members, including at least 299 Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan.</span></div><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYmDCIjuHrs77mE3d2E1TPycfCvw?docId=a39a2b42b8044b6cb215a5a733cbe3ef">This month America's deadliest in long Afghan war</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCWZzhif4cI-dNl7bYkh8PhhZnZJ8Ol2AI1x1ZDLZX51kBqEmyHaBUXdcVksCBx-w6zPcRbgGq2LsRfhc56Xu8FbK3Ft0skrFIFE9Iw7i00YGyf1SLvDHfj2QP0JY8PLml0LR/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCWZzhif4cI-dNl7bYkh8PhhZnZJ8Ol2AI1x1ZDLZX51kBqEmyHaBUXdcVksCBx-w6zPcRbgGq2LsRfhc56Xu8FbK3Ft0skrFIFE9Iw7i00YGyf1SLvDHfj2QP0JY8PLml0LR/s1600/images-2.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer, used in an IED</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">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.</span><br />
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Speaking of that particular tripartite meeting, my former colleague Gen. Azimi is quoted, voicing again the frustration that Afghan officials feel over the issue.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<div class="textBodyBlack" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">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.</div><div class="textBodyBlack" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"><span id="byLine"></span>"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."</div><br />
<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/44346122">AP IMPACT: Pakistani fertilizer fuels Afghan bombs</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNajKe1bXRkwqHbZekfEh3E3P70Jow_tqnWYBxScyO_xwSIX2fAz1WhnEyCt3q_Mkfd9Z3BcXH8txVh4X8uoFDgALyK_aYLoOA8x8r9xPOZqRXtVY-dfyuQuf2IXMJipxWpHcr/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNajKe1bXRkwqHbZekfEh3E3P70Jow_tqnWYBxScyO_xwSIX2fAz1WhnEyCt3q_Mkfd9Z3BcXH8txVh4X8uoFDgALyK_aYLoOA8x8r9xPOZqRXtVY-dfyuQuf2IXMJipxWpHcr/s320/images-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/31/wartime.contracting/index.html">Panel tallies massive waste and fraud in wartime U.S. contracts</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyt8IiZo3aNPIejWo9yK42VjVAaeFQhNN1BujXrTqe10SlxG_ODGioKO5v_dI56djDeii7svT7z7s1tX7iIDRNLIXQH49RGBSu0FtV28pEWKYmkonc4j6t_0xiQ-bbytZyzFC/s1600/448210-300x214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyt8IiZo3aNPIejWo9yK42VjVAaeFQhNN1BujXrTqe10SlxG_ODGioKO5v_dI56djDeii7svT7z7s1tX7iIDRNLIXQH49RGBSu0FtV28pEWKYmkonc4j6t_0xiQ-bbytZyzFC/s1600/448210-300x214.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;">Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest, Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Aug. 23 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(photo courtesy of NTM-A)</i></div><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="http://ntm-a.com/wordpress2/?p=6459">Marines and the ANP – Special Tactics Mission Training</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgeVUU3oNjo-BeWrd4oEN1rpj-vKLT0zqJqgIdwdtk1IJE0EwQRKkX8K6CQdELfVrm_wkn3Z3gzPclAwQTcIK2yTBlTEGqa5XWIcZM9cjKdjoBPLUCtUePn5T7n1G5bl-s5I2/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgeVUU3oNjo-BeWrd4oEN1rpj-vKLT0zqJqgIdwdtk1IJE0EwQRKkX8K6CQdELfVrm_wkn3Z3gzPclAwQTcIK2yTBlTEGqa5XWIcZM9cjKdjoBPLUCtUePn5T7n1G5bl-s5I2/s1600/images-4.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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.<br />
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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...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #282828; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px;">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.</span><br />
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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...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">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.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_blogs/Blogs?action=blogpost&blogkey=newsroom&postkey=marine_reserve_birthday">Marine Forces Reserve Celebrates 95th Birthday</a><br />
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Happy birthday to all of my brethren and citizen-warriors, both now and those who've gone before. Semper Fi!</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-81289011913371475862011-08-27T17:34:00.001-06:002011-08-27T17:52:30.166-06:00The pull to return...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGZJPrhjffPC3ggHZVeCnheszRShBEIZ81SwJiGPw_2sRt4yid0RfLTSQnhmwRr24_tpd4Q9MFpNPJiuov7ennXSQrfUV62v78Z0S3O7boMe1zjTeXBAIm1nJbkmk5HDWU7jN/s1600/DSC_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGZJPrhjffPC3ggHZVeCnheszRShBEIZ81SwJiGPw_2sRt4yid0RfLTSQnhmwRr24_tpd4Q9MFpNPJiuov7ennXSQrfUV62v78Z0S3O7boMe1zjTeXBAIm1nJbkmk5HDWU7jN/s320/DSC_0073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kabul, Jan '11: A few of the locals</i></div><br />
<a href="http://iava.org/blog/returning-soldier-answers-inevitable-question-%E2%80%98why%E2%80%99">A Returning Soldier Answers the Inevitable Question: ‘Why?’</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a412e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">// When someone asks, I realize that I have about 30 seconds to condense years of frustration, painful memories, self-justifications, introspection, conversations with comrades, insecurity, guilt, resentment and humble prayers into an answer that is honest and accessible. Because the moment I open my mouth, interest and comfort begin to wane. //</span><br />
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No, it's not me...this time. The post is written by Jonathan Raab, a soldier with the New York National Guard. But it's an excellent summation of the motivations behind deploying again back to a place like Afghanistan. In particular, I think most of us can relate to the isolation that often accompanies being back in the States, whether in conversation with friends or strangers, or just in that "petty" or "self-absorbed" culture which seems to dominate our daily lives far too often. When it's already tough to feel that you've left the most meaningful work you could be doing, it eats at you.<br />
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This line, one that I was asked repeatedly when preparing to return there, is one that I now ask a friend who's about to return for a very long stretch of time. While we've spoken so much that I already know the answers, I still am blown away by the willingness to fork over the next three years of one's life to a cause that, despite the best efforts of literally hundreds of thousands, is on shaky legs.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a412e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">// Why would any sane person want to return to risk life and limb in a war that has no clear objective and faltering popular support? //</span><br />
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There is no easy answer. But we go anyway. And guys like Dave agree to go for years...and dedicated friends such as John and Pam have already logged years there. And our Afghan advisors, without whom we'd be utterly lost, risk their lives to help us. Truly an incredible bunch, all of them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_pcJNsa9ZF4xJKQELYMugqqnsrzxvVuw0ojGoMwUFwYDgwP-w0Ry_IASYxV128C0x5kYbLzAEzY9eqnzZCYOE8v0i4nqqWDZMtEmQetHIMdAKdnymR__RH-ZMXeUEfqq8fcQ/s1600/P1080005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_pcJNsa9ZF4xJKQELYMugqqnsrzxvVuw0ojGoMwUFwYDgwP-w0Ry_IASYxV128C0x5kYbLzAEzY9eqnzZCYOE8v0i4nqqWDZMtEmQetHIMdAKdnymR__RH-ZMXeUEfqq8fcQ/s320/P1080005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So what's the latest on the mission? The item below is based on an interview just last week with the commanding general of NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Caldwell...the man responsible for standing up, training and equipping Afghan security forces. My thoughts on a few excerpts follow, because I can't help myself.<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hAQMie17bB9wUA5nVXSC6izBTX9w?docId=CNG.2bd362aa9a5652f80bec7798aba5a383.221">Afghan forces need help post-pullout: commander</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Lieutenant-General William Caldwell indicated that several thousand international trainers could be needed to support the mission until at least 2020 in an interview with AFP.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"I'm very confident that the Afghans can in fact take the lead for security by December 2014 -- there's no question they can do it," Caldwell said.</span><br />
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- I'm heartened to see the honesty about what the Afghan government needs from us, <i>at a bare minimum</i>, beginning to emerge. And I would still take any bet against our involvement being done by the end of 2020. As for the all-important "take the lead" by 2014, well...expect some continued gymnastic semantics in order to demonstrate that a true transfer of security control takes place by then.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Some diplomats and Western officials in Kabul suggest it could be up to 10 years before the Afghan government can afford to fund its own security forces.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">He put the figure for this at "maybe 3,000 people, uniform-type people, police and army" plus financial support to help the Afghan government pay for the security forces, possibly for another six years.</span><br />
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- These are still <i>incredibly</i> optimistic -- probably completely unrealistic -- estimations, in my opinion. And that of anyone familiar with economics and/or the state of Afghanistan in 2011. But it's the nature of the beast, I suppose...only in increments does a venture of this scale continue apace.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuAQwioV3uzI4bCMTIb27qqn_I2-9NwYTf7qsKdfriDbracpYmwJapHoBPKcYExCQWAprGP6xuHdCSWB6dsK62o6orK7W4-M5Fhre4HLYNJrC5P_I2WKJkoXOP9sFbPozNQ2X/s1600/ALeqM5jHs8Qgc1FOvEjJjJ8QahOcVm-n3A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuAQwioV3uzI4bCMTIb27qqn_I2-9NwYTf7qsKdfriDbracpYmwJapHoBPKcYExCQWAprGP6xuHdCSWB6dsK62o6orK7W4-M5Fhre4HLYNJrC5P_I2WKJkoXOP9sFbPozNQ2X/s1600/ALeqM5jHs8Qgc1FOvEjJjJ8QahOcVm-n3A.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez-Fonte</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________</div><br />
Finally, I've got to pass another blog shout-out to my Army brother Steve in Kuwait (at the moment...I think...they bounce around) on the occasion of his birthday this week. He sent a recap of his platoon's recent partnership training in Kazakhstan, which I took the liberty of sharing below. This type of cross-cultural combined multinational training happens a lot more than most Americans realize, but few & far between are those who've carried it out in the world's largest landlocked country! <br />
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Ah jaqse, brother (he tells me that essentially means, "it's all good")...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFGAex5rxcYzFGWzAYqA4b1kKa6RGBgUqTqGcUDRd1XBPP-D6arattLBPMn3M_8xzgfsxo84WD_3InKJY4MIwdPPsqkyiUKdiNXMOje_g7WgpE4FxXqqMVuq2acOlY30_czR4/s1600/288206_10100166331911424_11323393_48611398_7688903_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFGAex5rxcYzFGWzAYqA4b1kKa6RGBgUqTqGcUDRd1XBPP-D6arattLBPMn3M_8xzgfsxo84WD_3InKJY4MIwdPPsqkyiUKdiNXMOje_g7WgpE4FxXqqMVuq2acOlY30_czR4/s320/288206_10100166331911424_11323393_48611398_7688903_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>2LT Steve with Kazakh colleague Serj, Aug 2011</i></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><u><span style="font-size: 12px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">KAZAKHSTAN TRAINING EXERICISE UPDATE</span></strong></span></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><u><span style="font-size: 12px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></strong></span></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> 2<sup>nd</sup> Platoon recently received the opportunity to travel to Kazakhstan to take part in the multi-national tactical exercise Steppe Eagle, now in its 9<sup>th</sup> year. As the Kazakhstan Government celebrates its 20<sup>th</sup> year of independence, they held their most populous exercise to date, hosting troops from Great Britain, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan and the United States to help their bid for certification into NATO. Our platoon arrived in the former capital city of Almaty on August 1<sup>st</sup>, and fell under the oversight of Army Central Command (ARCENT) who controlled all the logistics of the American ground troops, including a National Guard infantry company from Colorado with whom we shared our living space.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> During the first week on ground, 2<sup>nd</sup> Platoon spent time getting adjusted to new surroundings and temperatures (much cooler than Kuwait!), refining our tactics in preparation for the start of training, and getting to know some of the local Soldiers and cadets that occupied the compound with us. The Opening Ceremony for the training was held on August 8<sup>th</sup> and included a dazzling concert displaying various cultures of the local people, demonstrating their musical and artistic talents. The following day, our platoon received AK assault rifles with which to go through situational tactical exercises, which we did for three days before beginning the field training portion of the exercise (FTX). The AKs were definitely different (and much louder) than the weapons we are used to firing, but working with them was a unique experience for most every Soldier. During the 3-day FTX, we trained around the clock executing both day and night operations which included guard tower security, vehicle check point, quick reaction force, and patrols every other hour.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> We also got the chance to wear some civilian clothes and get to travel outside the training area on Culture Day. Starting on the morning of August 13<sup>th</sup>, we rode a bus to Almaty to see the War Memorial; then rode up to the scenic overlook site of Koktobe for lunch; and after visiting the vast marketplace in the city, we had a buffet-style Kazakh dinner and even got to enjoy a couple alcoholic beverages if we so chose too. In addition, right before the Closing Ceremony on the 18<sup>th</sup>, we enjoyed another “fun day” as the Soldiers broke down into teams and competed in Sports Day against the Kazakhs in soccer, volleyball, track, and tug-of-war among other events.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Unfortunately we did have multiple cases of a virus-like sickness arise among the Platoon, and overall would have liked a bit more side-by-side interaction with the Kazakh Soldiers (both points were brought to higher command’s attention post-exercise). But we were all thankful for clean latrines, good food (with a lot of help of two of our Platoon’s 92G personnel “cooks”), ample internet access, and the overall experience gained from taking part in such a multilateral exercise. This is definitely something all of 2<sup>nd</sup> Platoon’s Soldiers will enjoy telling their grandchildren all about some day.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Thank you,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2LT Stephen Huvane</div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-68894635224519295932011-07-22T01:22:00.000-06:002011-07-22T01:22:07.888-06:00Shadows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BgamsmLx54CIjFm1bdQXHIyTpMwWh0PFzZmlzGeiWyM0OhWDhYSZYDaa8mMX_9YpUcjGyFP47_eHFqdn3KhGz7N5NObOYUwk8qJhvvPgh-knegHpSHujUUp0dPoyUysF6cDe/s1600/IMG_3333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BgamsmLx54CIjFm1bdQXHIyTpMwWh0PFzZmlzGeiWyM0OhWDhYSZYDaa8mMX_9YpUcjGyFP47_eHFqdn3KhGz7N5NObOYUwk8qJhvvPgh-knegHpSHujUUp0dPoyUysF6cDe/s320/IMG_3333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>July '11: Never far from Afghan-looking rocks in Boulder</i></div><br />
I mulled over this post's name for awhile, trying in vain to arrive at a title/theme that described in some way both Afghanistan's current state and my own. In the land that time forgot, the situation is ever-changing, while my post-deployment life is still stagnant in a professional sense. Working for peace and stability in Kabul was purposeful and in the national and international interest, but the idea of replicating that significance in anything stateside is something I find exceedingly difficult, to say the least. I stubbornly want to live in my (still recently) adopted home of Colorado, but haven't made progress towards reconciling those desires of what I personally consider satisfying employment and ideal environment. Perhaps the shadow of impact and interaction in Afghanistan does stalk me again, as it did for much of the time between 2006 and 2010.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-uPuxrH-EslAuZAn6YlST7DLE_L71KFWt8zI5_OFjOPKCwaC_CdsdGqT73MNAApX1PIiusi_7e8zuQSvpGNBTXCQihwYKidcV882kk2mvTYYsD4-_5DH9X5PZ89WVCVH2eWo/s1600/jan-mohammed-khan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-uPuxrH-EslAuZAn6YlST7DLE_L71KFWt8zI5_OFjOPKCwaC_CdsdGqT73MNAApX1PIiusi_7e8zuQSvpGNBTXCQihwYKidcV882kk2mvTYYsD4-_5DH9X5PZ89WVCVH2eWo/s1600/jan-mohammed-khan.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Karzai's "surrogate father," Jan Mohammad Khan</i></div><br />
In Afghanistan's power circles, it must be President Karzai and his senior allies sensing the shadows creeping closer. Closely following the assassination of his brother in Kandahar came the killing this week in Kabul of his longtime mentor and power broker in Uruzgan province, Jan Mohammad Khan. While the headline and premise of the story below may at least border on the sensational, it does seem that Karzai is becoming further isolated all the time...a trend that has tended to result in his reaching out to Pakistan and even "soft" Taliban with increasing frequency. You don't achieve lofty positions without making enemies, and in Afghanistan it is a particularly lethal wrath you often sow...for the cagiest, the name of the game is survival. As for its impact on the national psyche (and by extension, our goals there), I can't say it any better than my friend and former director Dave did:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Another old-timer killed. Conventional wisdom is that the Taliban will lay low until the completion of the American withdrawal. I disagree. The next 18 months will be far more violent than the last. Tighter rules of engagement will reduce American losses, meaning that the violence will be off most American's radar, but Afghan civilians, soldiers, and police will suffer greatly.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/18/afghanistan-government-assassination-hamid-karzai">Afghanistan government under threat after second assassination in a week</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWHTKlKlUajoWG5bKtyJTDgHeCcZmInvXU2pY_VvVYoNDuQqXEAmyGi9-Vnmmm7ti6dJyuVn2iT-4ju1UbHYnmSiRYpKe2ID1CnS0ACgUDphOuslI_HK8m8ozBAf_zv4T4JNx/s1600/mik1-300x192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWHTKlKlUajoWG5bKtyJTDgHeCcZmInvXU2pY_VvVYoNDuQqXEAmyGi9-Vnmmm7ti6dJyuVn2iT-4ju1UbHYnmSiRYpKe2ID1CnS0ACgUDphOuslI_HK8m8ozBAf_zv4T4JNx/s1600/mik1-300x192.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>LtCol Qahar addresses regional police PAOs in Balkh province</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Qahar is an old friend of mine from the Defense Ministry)</i></div><br />
All over Afghanistan there still remain stories of progress among the security forces: new achievements and strengthening capabilities all the time. The great question, of course and as always, is how much time is needed...and how much we as a Coalition are willing to spare. I was pleased to read this week about a milestone in the north, which you can read about below. Particularly meaningful to me was the role of LtCol Abdul Qahar, in uniform in the photo above, since I recall the day he learned he was to be designated the new Public Affairs Officer for the Afghan National Army's 209th Corps, located in Mazar-e-Sharif. Wishing him, his soldiers, and the advisors/mentors who work with them daily, the very best as the transition train rolls on.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">“We need to send one message to all Afghan people,” said Qahar, through an interpreter. “We need to show people our joint effort in the transition [of the country’s security to the ANSF].”</span><br />
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<a href="http://ntm-a.com/wordpress2/?p=5529">ANA hosts first northern public affairs conference</a><br />
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One aspect of our Afghan effort that never fails to amaze me is the quality of individuals we have in so many crucial roles. Attached below is a story that highlights the kind of extraordinary service member who exemplifies sacrifice and dedication. From a tenured position as a Long Island high school teacher to a Navy corpsman taking care of Marines in volatile Helmand province, Darryl St. George's story is one worth reading (for more, you can click on the 'Morning Edition' audio clip at the top of the web page). Jarheads find reasons every day to appreciate the "docs" in their midst who provide care...and St. George is clearly one who returns that appreciation for the trigger pullers.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"I couldn't think of being with a better group of guys than these Marines. They've got more heart than anybody I've ever met," he says.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/07/06/137480753/a-teacher-leaves-the-classroom-for-afghanistan">NPR: A Teacher Leaves The Classroom For Afghanistan</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6XMCTvCi-aXJViky-CjwPHg3FT5DVPS-4qHSa-p13ux7axdGmH6bcK5E5YH9eXlQsB3JqP4yguykbQnyrh3MLKOxVRPb8yPdmyRRdMZnALFUfBw5GQuy5K3gxWFtLdRMa9nh/s1600/_53754619_242652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6XMCTvCi-aXJViky-CjwPHg3FT5DVPS-4qHSa-p13ux7axdGmH6bcK5E5YH9eXlQsB3JqP4yguykbQnyrh3MLKOxVRPb8yPdmyRRdMZnALFUfBw5GQuy5K3gxWFtLdRMa9nh/s1600/_53754619_242652.jpg" /></a></div><br />
On a lighter note, I enjoyed this item sent to me by a friend in Kabul, and thought it worth sharing. Some of these points I've covered before or at least touched on (particularly those referring to food and culture, of course -- and the only proper use of "Afghani"), but it's an interesting and informative look at some of the distinctions that many Afghans eagerly point out, should you have the opportunity to gain their friendship and conversation. Until next time, then... <br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13931608">BBC: Ten facts you may not know about Afghanistan</a><br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-8007153307833653022011-07-13T03:41:00.001-06:002011-09-09T22:10:32.112-06:00The Other Karzai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-AI6A_SMklYMj-9FsN_batzbr8DcqaOpwQMha3YffDJy8vK7mo6s3LrqYnr7XwMD9F_i0NHAa3I-xtaPLRScTf_ZhWI-dZIe6EDvUInNDg2PwThv29LyxE7pWRcEAcVxggrf/s1600/13afghanistan_cnd-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-AI6A_SMklYMj-9FsN_batzbr8DcqaOpwQMha3YffDJy8vK7mo6s3LrqYnr7XwMD9F_i0NHAa3I-xtaPLRScTf_ZhWI-dZIe6EDvUInNDg2PwThv29LyxE7pWRcEAcVxggrf/s320/13afghanistan_cnd-articleLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Elders meet with Ahmed Wali Karzai in Kandahar, 2009</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(photo via the New York Times)</i></div><br />
Despite the relative lick of attention it received in the United States, the assassination of Ahmed Wali Karzai in Kandahar yesterday was an extremely significant development in Afghanistan. By all accounts, Karzai was essentially the uncrowned King of Kandahar, head of the provincial council and known as "Mr. Fix It." He seemed to have his hands in everything that took place in southern Afghanistan -- much of the crucial 'Pashtun belt' -- and was alleged by many to be profiting handsomely from the drug trade as well as other lucrative illegal enterprises. Technically a staunch ally of the NATO-led Coalition, his forces nonetheless served <i>his</i> best interests, it was often said. Most importantly, he delivered whatever his brother (President Karzai) needed in Kandahar, and the head of state reciprocated by allegedly protecting him and his businesses.<br />
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The problem, of course, is "What now?" As I wrote in a quick note when posting the link to Facebook, it is often said that nature abhors a vacuum. Those who seek to reach their goals through fomenting instability and violence, however, love one. And this killing will almost certainly create a power struggle or struggles as various families, tribes, gangs and consortiums fight for the pieces of AWK's empire. It's not going to be pretty. I remember hearing what a problem it presented to have the president's own brother profiting from all he did and essentially running the south with impunity...but I don't recall hearing any realistic alternative solutions, unfortunately.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/world/asia/13afghanistan.html?_r=2&hp">NYT: Half Brother of Afghan President Is Killed in Kandahar</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">"Sure, you would like to shake the hand of the Navy SEAL who capped Osama bin Laden. But you have a lot more riding on whether Lt. Gen. William Caldwell’s mission is successful."</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV9uz4zhj6kqcv9LYR5zEkXvGcBpTHVEkBsP2h63ejmxU5UCyFDuS-En5o4_ojOfp9PaQVixt-7-5m1FEvLTzW8NbR-CXSpp4ENVOXtgMeVezqM5oRBAZvlzZwHt79VyiJtlX/s1600/NTM-A+Patch+12-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV9uz4zhj6kqcv9LYR5zEkXvGcBpTHVEkBsP2h63ejmxU5UCyFDuS-En5o4_ojOfp9PaQVixt-7-5m1FEvLTzW8NbR-CXSpp4ENVOXtgMeVezqM5oRBAZvlzZwHt79VyiJtlX/s320/NTM-A+Patch+12-24.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><br />
A well-written piece in the Marine Corps Times last week focused on my most recent command, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, and its commanding general. The article highlights the immense challenges facing the command, the differing political views (here in the States and among allies) on its viability, and most gratifying to those of us who've served it, the tremendous importance of the mission -- given our nation's stated goal of leaving behind a "good enough" government backed by a capable Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Although troops all over the country can find themselves in mentoring roles, it is on this relatively small training command (only 2-3% of ISAF as of last year) that the 'main effort' really hinges...transition is the name of the game, and NTM-A has the ball on it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOFZYByNAN250igkkzEh6v5H-sPAS8WGtjrK5jjvn1qx23LBIH1eUroCfxxBTOyZKtx83DhVyTt9cxsfHgyctE_YBvEtgX22oxEsltWaxv9sOxacDp3wkM4iPhY3-07wXphUK/s1600/565988dd-56a5-480f-ab72-243f4d2bd19c.Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOFZYByNAN250igkkzEh6v5H-sPAS8WGtjrK5jjvn1qx23LBIH1eUroCfxxBTOyZKtx83DhVyTt9cxsfHgyctE_YBvEtgX22oxEsltWaxv9sOxacDp3wkM4iPhY3-07wXphUK/s320/565988dd-56a5-480f-ab72-243f4d2bd19c.Full.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lt. Gen. Caldwell takes command of NTM-A, Nov. '09</i></div><br />
<a href="http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/06/army-caldwell-aims-to-build-afghan-forces-061811w/#.ThXRWUTtlvU.facebook">MC Times: Caldwell aims to build up Afghan forces</a><br />
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Finally, I wrote of my younger brother Steve in my last post, currently deployed as a 2LT in the Army. This is a fitting time to mention my older brother, former LCDR Patrick (aka Slappy), US Navy. He celebrates 40 years of livin' today, and set the example for me to try to emulate as an officer and a leader. I would say gentleman too, but I don't want him to suffer flashbacks of Lou Gossett Jr. terrorizing him as he tried out for the Navy. Happy birthday, brother!<br />
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As a sobering reminder of how long four decades can actually be, this is a photo titled "Kabul, 1970" which I've seen on a few internet archives. It's unfathomable for anyone who knows the city now...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5a33GHZMxRiujwCrU5P5qS5F3V2tv4aSGIMOEpYF6GkEoRrtGBfuhej2TlNYSS6pBZB-9i6WZzpwQJdorFdVPrd62YKZyr2TnwUFzBeSoic6QutLq77MX8u-pw2HUE7U4C8P/s1600/Kabul1970-300x211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5a33GHZMxRiujwCrU5P5qS5F3V2tv4aSGIMOEpYF6GkEoRrtGBfuhej2TlNYSS6pBZB-9i6WZzpwQJdorFdVPrd62YKZyr2TnwUFzBeSoic6QutLq77MX8u-pw2HUE7U4C8P/s1600/Kabul1970-300x211.jpg" /></a></div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-58446999776174842642011-07-01T12:53:00.002-06:002011-07-01T13:34:53.602-06:00Big changes afoot...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--------------------------</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"There will be some battles, there will be suicide attacks, and bomb attacks. But we in the Afghan forces are prepared to replace the foreign forces and I'm confident the army has enough capacity and ability."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, on the coming transition period. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ix1mkIi9mdQ-FyQ99_VURYNHP7xo0fkuEMYYZ7ckMtL6_cF1uuMAs1sELfjV6YmcN11Q1vEmE9YHD3fGAcn7MZpW1X1TBshmZL6Q_3Ve4aHOQ3zWTN55Tb6omKY2Il03G10e/s1600/kabul-hotel-bombing_62883930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ix1mkIi9mdQ-FyQ99_VURYNHP7xo0fkuEMYYZ7ckMtL6_cF1uuMAs1sELfjV6YmcN11Q1vEmE9YHD3fGAcn7MZpW1X1TBshmZL6Q_3Ve4aHOQ3zWTN55Tb6omKY2Il03G10e/s320/kabul-hotel-bombing_62883930.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Reuters, 6-29-2011: Smoke billows from the Intercontinental Hotel</i></span></span></div><br />
Within one week of that statement by my dear colleague Gen. Azimi, known to you who've followed along as Spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense, came the latest test of that resolve -- an assault on Kabul's iconic Intercontinental Hotel this past Tuesday. The link below provides details, most troubling of which may be the accounts by witnesses of some police fleeing the scene rather than fighting the insurgents. As always, I caution those trying to understand the security situation there to separate army from police, a practice made all the more difficult by the insistence of the training command responsible for their collective development to lump them together into a vague "Afghan National Security Force" category. As we often pointed out in my office, we are not the "Armed Force" of the United States, and that doesn't even take into account law enforcement...so why we foist a strange term on their makeup of security forces is beyond me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-security-20110630,0,6255890.story"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Afghan Taliban sends message with hotel attack</span></a><br />
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More significant than the most recent attack, though, is the drastic change in war -- er, counterterrorism -- policy just announced by our administration in the US. If the early speculation is correct, it amounts to a complete and total re-imagining of how we plan to combat our sworn enemies in the not-too-distant future. My initial reaction is that limiting our effort, at least in Afghanistan, to strikes of a "targeted, surgical" nature appeals to most of the American public (at least those aware that we are at war) who are weary of a long conflict and its costs and sacrifice, and to a largely risk-averse leadership anxious to see fewer Americans return in coffins. My concern, however, is that abandoning an approach of more carrot than stick will greatly fray the trust between coalition members and the Afghans...the very trust desperately needed to obtain intelligence that will deliver <i>'enemies of Afghanistan'</i> to justice, rather than settle old feuds between families or tribes. The fewer boots we have on the ground (both military and civilian), the harder it is to tell when we are being played by one side or another. <br />
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<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/29/2291587_white-house-unveils-retooled-plan.html#storylink=addthis"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">White House unveils retooled plan to hunt al-Qaida</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELtXLi33rzNL3uBEC_-On8q2Ettarr8bbQ1O6o5i8RG43yUBfJRXjX5qzCB0wVq7ckV4FfbNtbwZQk5bdjSaIR3ZZMscHx-vj34j0-5k-fRzxid1lx8qnZfy7KcAPNC-RFUr5/s1600/Afghanistan_war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELtXLi33rzNL3uBEC_-On8q2Ettarr8bbQ1O6o5i8RG43yUBfJRXjX5qzCB0wVq7ckV4FfbNtbwZQk5bdjSaIR3ZZMscHx-vj34j0-5k-fRzxid1lx8qnZfy7KcAPNC-RFUr5/s320/Afghanistan_war.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'll say it a million times if I have to...beyond a core group which mainly hides safely in Pakistan, the Taliban today is not one cohesive entity, as it's often thought of and may once have been. It's often a moniker of convenience, more akin to a collective term for an array of those who have an interest in bringing down the Afghan government or taking over regional control, whether it's fundamentalists in the South, arms dealers on the Pakistan border in the East, or Uzbek separatists in the Northwest, or any other insurgent group. It takes a great deal of conversation on the ground by many participants, leading to long relationships built among the community's influencers, to sort out who is who and what the various agendas really are. While this report focuses on al Qaeda, its implementation in Afghanistan specifically may mean what many of us someday expected: A pull back from nation-building and a reborn reliance upon <i>'light-footprint' </i>death from above. <br />
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The big lurking question is, again, how ready are the Afghan military and police forces for vastly increased responsibility? The answer, I'm afraid, is not very. As I observed back in 2006, it will take generations of effort to stand a chance of leaving a nation capable of fending off takeovers from within and from its often-nefarious neighbors. Abandoning that, while perhaps necessary from our national self-interest, will most likely have dire consequences for its survivability and the protection of its women and minorities...and that should at least be acknowledged by those making the decisions. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx_31M3CHlR5K4Eic4W0jtPYtUjQ01rbU4DDd-fVpq-9oH6U5FF038IH207rEJWYn-4HLzNXXYu6lkAOlPNdpFsJcQH5lcCBp4l6Tz7M_N6imVtKJPpfCgIuZGOaJQhZGLK_f/s1600/10262010229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx_31M3CHlR5K4Eic4W0jtPYtUjQ01rbU4DDd-fVpq-9oH6U5FF038IH207rEJWYn-4HLzNXXYu6lkAOlPNdpFsJcQH5lcCBp4l6Tz7M_N6imVtKJPpfCgIuZGOaJQhZGLK_f/s320/10262010229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>NCO graduation ceremony, Camp Ghazi - Oct '10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>Another point worth mentioning is that <b>TRANSITION</b> is so much more than just training forces to ably fight the enemy. It is everything imaginable, from introducing basic hygienic practices to the slaughterhouses which feed the army to teaching handyman maintenance to unskilled workers. It is rudimentary literacy training (as often detailed), not to mention administration, communication, logistics, etc...the list goes on. A recent story from NTM-A highlights how early in that process we still are, at this point in time.<br />
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<a href="http://ntm-a.com/wordpress2/?p=5084"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Coalition plans first building transition to Afghans</span></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6liLPM_bOyJaM5J6iY4wVqzp-LhrkbtBMNjV192LQZ4T8rwg3z8z9bkjrgFTGefTFvOywbkfR1yGRWPLItDEKeOhBPrrpmN2-LpjTNp83lTkWOzbwwXfkxdnNoBd1YxaxwgwB/s1600/A1-300x178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6liLPM_bOyJaM5J6iY4wVqzp-LhrkbtBMNjV192LQZ4T8rwg3z8z9bkjrgFTGefTFvOywbkfR1yGRWPLItDEKeOhBPrrpmN2-LpjTNp83lTkWOzbwwXfkxdnNoBd1YxaxwgwB/s1600/A1-300x178.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>That must be the clearest day ever in dusty Kandahar</i></div><i><br />
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On an entirely different subject, this week marks my younger brother's deployment to the Middle East as a 2nd Lt in the Army, and I couldn't be prouder of Steve. He's mature beyond his age, and he'll need it as a platoon leader taking on various training missions in a few different countries. It's a strange feeling being on the other end of a deployment in the family for the first time in many years...it's not me off to parts unknown, it's the kid who arrived when I was beginning high school! If he manages to blog on his experiences, I'll certainly link to it...he's in for an interesting adventure over the next year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zYCGa315Gy5SVGs25hw9wpZI6XZpJwrFb2Y7GpxTlm-pqe28yKpOlEW2Bo1Zx0rEtXAr3RRE6XWm1Kts6kJ0q_NxcHs_Y5SARM9ZJn9b9nWU0uRESaFZNbv-c08gRIEwtUa5/s1600/Me+%2526+Goo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zYCGa315Gy5SVGs25hw9wpZI6XZpJwrFb2Y7GpxTlm-pqe28yKpOlEW2Bo1Zx0rEtXAr3RRE6XWm1Kts6kJ0q_NxcHs_Y5SARM9ZJn9b9nWU0uRESaFZNbv-c08gRIEwtUa5/s320/Me+%2526+Goo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Jan '11 - Year of transition for our family, too</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>Last year at this time, I wrote of how I better be doing something special for the Summer Solstice, and visiting him during his last days before leaving Fort Lewis was exactly that. In fact, we caught the legendary Solstice Parade in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, and then ushered in the longest day of the year with in Olympia (WA) with my good friend from NTM-A, Chief Gordon. There are worse ways to greet the Summer than catching up with an outstanding leader over delicious craft brews and standout bluegrass music while wishing my brother a safe and successful deployment. As our dad is fond of saying...Vaya con Dios, hermano!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNU9-8a_zNZ8E_2q_oFPtoWkX1SKeI5ok46O0inYi2O234lZ0YvJHpWTnHzItWJuCJkUkMcbuAft6LEZlUzp6XWIyHTvppMkvDkknxE8pxFguvrpp-olr5EW_0R3WvDziCbUw/s1600/IMG_2676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNU9-8a_zNZ8E_2q_oFPtoWkX1SKeI5ok46O0inYi2O234lZ0YvJHpWTnHzItWJuCJkUkMcbuAft6LEZlUzp6XWIyHTvppMkvDkknxE8pxFguvrpp-olr5EW_0R3WvDziCbUw/s320/IMG_2676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Crusty major & fresh-faced lieutenant - Seattle, June '11</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUayXdfmfIjdXRofodd5caCS9O3t4obmPUo2FikT66-E__yPjjtq-7NOZnkNP10RGP5nCtEMfDkO9fBrSu9vbjMjCnpdFFzSPQwm2K_iwbTc_VNB2Iv54FAMZY6VZ1hq4vZxl2/s1600/Chief+%2526+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUayXdfmfIjdXRofodd5caCS9O3t4obmPUo2FikT66-E__yPjjtq-7NOZnkNP10RGP5nCtEMfDkO9fBrSu9vbjMjCnpdFFzSPQwm2K_iwbTc_VNB2Iv54FAMZY6VZ1hq4vZxl2/s320/Chief+%2526+me.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Good times in the Pacific NW w-Chief Gordon</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ThK88FtWqX_9lhZzgel9UfoeGGcs9TLgcorN-FqGq5cEs0Krv_yeZhemC1_LJN1cNIhBXgBJJfvW8GT62GQBDqiR_1M1d-zag0PWH7BSgIGpmiuY561kBc4eQLeJdhahvpoN/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ThK88FtWqX_9lhZzgel9UfoeGGcs9TLgcorN-FqGq5cEs0Krv_yeZhemC1_LJN1cNIhBXgBJJfvW8GT62GQBDqiR_1M1d-zag0PWH7BSgIGpmiuY561kBc4eQLeJdhahvpoN/s320/IMG_0977.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>April 2011 - Reuniting with my director Dave Beeksma in LA.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The highly inappropriate backdrop for two Afghan hands was my idea.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmp8oygzEU6RkuF1ztfwE2vBBt664YbXdCnCHrvW06yGCh1dc_DJdKAbBO_IxuotOXvhOtIj2dj7Yebk9SRb28syDEr97fNQf4e0_QsCGmoRKruUsXAA62WRdYJpQYl4Tuu3V/s1600/IMG_3103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmp8oygzEU6RkuF1ztfwE2vBBt664YbXdCnCHrvW06yGCh1dc_DJdKAbBO_IxuotOXvhOtIj2dj7Yebk9SRb28syDEr97fNQf4e0_QsCGmoRKruUsXAA62WRdYJpQYl4Tuu3V/s320/IMG_3103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just because...</i></div><br />
</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-5688423410311652572011-06-16T02:30:00.001-06:002011-06-16T02:58:35.642-06:00Steps forward, and back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWMV105ChjCf244TaTDi1D2LDabVPozwIfvU6wMNUJ6zX0diU0wy5MrQiB1QItP31k8vn0AzdYMumLbLhywN2m00oz7myU78PJvbGDrFDFGUpP9TC21txZQDaj50wzMMfCz-e/s1600/PB080407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWMV105ChjCf244TaTDi1D2LDabVPozwIfvU6wMNUJ6zX0diU0wy5MrQiB1QItP31k8vn0AzdYMumLbLhywN2m00oz7myU78PJvbGDrFDFGUpP9TC21txZQDaj50wzMMfCz-e/s320/PB080407.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Minaret of the great mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif, Nov 2010</i></div><br />
Note upfront: I've been working on this entry for more than a week, and still struggle with whether or not it's a good use of time and effort to blog about a place and experience that are further removed from my consciousness all the time. It's not that I don't still follow every development that I can out of Afghanistan, and it's certainly not that I'm lighting the web on fire with my pace of "updates" -- it's that I doubt that I can contribute a worthy narrative when I'm not there. So while my search continues for something purposeful on this side of the world, and really the clarity and peace to determine what that something may be, it seems backwards sometimes for me to attempt to revisit the past or even do my best to highlight its present from a vantage point in the States. It may just be my personal frustration, but it keeps me from sharing the trove of photos & stories I still have from this deployment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlb95-oNPNPIchP8aRgku10D_mVWIWIfOgCoac7F68hkWYc40sAq_JZeJuojN9cTJUKLLKLwblsFH1kGKMKf8hXqFloEGS-YcJszcOyNV62p9b-lyn-pdCtxXQY6zWwGHg6wC/s1600/PB080478-+buzkashi+riders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlb95-oNPNPIchP8aRgku10D_mVWIWIfOgCoac7F68hkWYc40sAq_JZeJuojN9cTJUKLLKLwblsFH1kGKMKf8hXqFloEGS-YcJszcOyNV62p9b-lyn-pdCtxXQY6zWwGHg6wC/s320/PB080478-+buzkashi+riders.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Riders enroute to play buzkashi, Nov 2010</i></div><br />
It's been well over a year since I dove into the advisory role that became my life for most of 2010, and the debate in this country is again heating up over the anticipated drawdown of US forces (NATO allies and other Coalition partners each have their own internal pressures centered on the same question, of course). What everyone wants to know from those of us who've served in Afghanistan, it seems from casual conversation, is when the troops will come home, or (still) why we are even there. The cost appears to be mind-boggling, and the effort thankless when indicators are raised that point to failure or stagnancy. For every story of a successful counterinsurgency program in one district, it seems there is another of a worsening security situation...and target dates for transition and the like seem to be based more on how much time can be squeezed from reluctant politicians, rather than realistic estimates of what it will take to leave a stable, functioning government and nation in our wake.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-gZMJXgIwTO9dmrSTjPMAlNA2zYfioQzTFIvAZHgooye3T70LFuNinB61_cGYVqX1FGq8Gq6GR-NvO5pGBjgIX8WkTj3qStE6RgkYblu3qapoVU92rVHU-dIXVXpWqR-sShu/s1600/PB080372-+village+people.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-gZMJXgIwTO9dmrSTjPMAlNA2zYfioQzTFIvAZHgooye3T70LFuNinB61_cGYVqX1FGq8Gq6GR-NvO5pGBjgIX8WkTj3qStE6RgkYblu3qapoVU92rVHU-dIXVXpWqR-sShu/s320/PB080372-+village+people.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Residents of a village outside Mazar, Nov 2010</i></div><br />
In particular, the increased rate, audacity and lethality of attacks in the north of the country have many worried. I was personally shocked when I learned that the UN personnel killed in the post-Koran-burning riots of early April were in Mazar-e-Sharif, a city seemingly stable and safe enough to be in the forefront of complete transition to Afghan security and administration. The capital of the northern regions had effectively already been handed over, from what I could tell...and politically that wasn't too surprising, given that it was the power base of the Northern Alliance, those most amenable to the current Afghan government. Massoud territory, to put it simply. But lately it's not moving in the right direction, as the assassination of police chief Gen. Daud Daud recently demonstrated.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div style="clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><i>"The Taliban are spreading like wild fire," said an angry Mohammad Jan, who had come from neighbouring Kunduz province. </i><i>"Try and take the road from north-eastern Baghlan province to Takhar via Kunduz. You are guaranteed a Taliban ambush."</i></div><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13559494">BBC: Ominous signs for Afghanistan's north</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEMMzAIZf3HGJdlvnA5fNYu8dEVluICfeIPjLyrKe8mylX9TeZdepcG2aIJpByHJhVj54Vcf2tegO4aEFp7uZf4HV6NtxwC2dxicZLGP8BzzSKm55BwT2ZBN93O1g-bxd_0Ai/s1600/_51978879_011673149-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEMMzAIZf3HGJdlvnA5fNYu8dEVluICfeIPjLyrKe8mylX9TeZdepcG2aIJpByHJhVj54Vcf2tegO4aEFp7uZf4HV6NtxwC2dxicZLGP8BzzSKm55BwT2ZBN93O1g-bxd_0Ai/s1600/_51978879_011673149-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Aftermath of the attack on the UN agency in Mazar</i></div><br />
Another story from last week points to how heavily dependent the Afghan government is upon US, UN & other international funding. While this is an issue apparent to anyone with an understanding of how we are proceeding to achieve stability, there is shockingly little knowledge of (a) how much we actually are collectively spending, (b) how little capacity there is for internally generated net revenue, and (c) how little we know about what plan there is, if any, to significantly change the situation by 2014, the supposed Year of Transition. Usually I try to vary my sources, but few news organizations are covering developments in Afghanistan with the regularity that the BBC is.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13692954">BBC: Afghanistan faces 2014 "cash crisis" when troops leave</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpriQ8CFkKAfpfYfycN7JGZUWHcGIknXb2ZPq2E9CQQNNBNKoFqnwH1lizkC9qk6GoL0W5ptH_bJH-oNDMNz8gNsMdshk7LT-T9cvoOTOQW-mSuiGF0-h1CtlsDVJsywFhMfH4/s1600/_53301297_000214047-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpriQ8CFkKAfpfYfycN7JGZUWHcGIknXb2ZPq2E9CQQNNBNKoFqnwH1lizkC9qk6GoL0W5ptH_bJH-oNDMNz8gNsMdshk7LT-T9cvoOTOQW-mSuiGF0-h1CtlsDVJsywFhMfH4/s1600/_53301297_000214047-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>US foreign aid - now in "wheat" form!</i></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While the conclusion that "misspent foreign aid can result in corruption" is the most hilariously obvious understatement of the decade -- and a mere fact of life in Afghanistan -- the need for "more scrutiny" of contracts is just as obvious and just as evasive, no matter how many Coalition positions are added to do just that. From what I saw at the level of senior advisors to government ministries, there are numerous initiatives around the country to start or re-start profitable enterprise, agriculture and trade...someday. There are very few that likely will fit that profile within three years. The obstacles are just too many. So once again, a note of caution: If you believe that by the big year 2014 that we'll be out of Afghanistan, in terms of troops and serious funding, without a total collapse of every gain we've made...then I've got a Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge to sell you. Name your price.<br />
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On the good news front, the rapid boost of literacy programs for Afghanistan's security forces is highlighted in this story. One of the lessons learned at NATO Training Mission Afghanistan is just how operationally crucial, how sorely needed, and how beneficial to all of society these programs can be. It's a classic example of what some observers call mission creep, but what others point out as a necessity for mission accomplishment. If you say that transition is the goal, but the forces to which you're transitioning can't count to ten or write down names, then what's the point?<br />
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<a href="http://ntm-a.com/wordpress2/?p=4796">NTM-A: Literacy enhancing ANSF training, professionalism</a></div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH5GQUs_0Ka5M2PaWiZauiD3JnynwWfQ-c8kmIBF9vdZ8gdeAshOb8l6Ewmfh9urydrKJqGZ-oypNunO44LU08NliOhlipNolaZ2aou_al2UJvV_MJq1xBh1ONjWfzZLY1tS1/s1600/DSC_0039-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH5GQUs_0Ka5M2PaWiZauiD3JnynwWfQ-c8kmIBF9vdZ8gdeAshOb8l6Ewmfh9urydrKJqGZ-oypNunO44LU08NliOhlipNolaZ2aou_al2UJvV_MJq1xBh1ONjWfzZLY1tS1/s1600/DSC_0039-300x200.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Could the pen actually be mightier than the sword?</i></div><br />
</div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-44717793653305075562011-05-12T21:24:00.002-06:002011-05-17T21:39:01.907-06:00Where things stand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSmp2YI-nuD2Y4yGMKwdDFMmiRoRXzpaPsz2jSnxjhXaCJG__ZdDJMKY4PYQtZEtrpLkJQZYe0E5-QjXcgxqYc_2lDzO4knKNfHj0xtadUEyWyb3b7l1RhTR4UJ5TTVQzcw5p/s1600/Afghan+watch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSmp2YI-nuD2Y4yGMKwdDFMmiRoRXzpaPsz2jSnxjhXaCJG__ZdDJMKY4PYQtZEtrpLkJQZYe0E5-QjXcgxqYc_2lDzO4knKNfHj0xtadUEyWyb3b7l1RhTR4UJ5TTVQzcw5p/s1600/Afghan+watch.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>A photo from my successor, Edward Faircloth. </i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>December, 2010</i></div><br />
Since it seems impossible to avoid the ubiquitous questions about how <i>his </i>removal could/should alter our entire approach in Afghanistan, I feel the need to weigh in again.<br />
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It's dissipating already and inevitably of course, this sense of gleeful upheaval in America in the wake of Osama bin Laden's demise. The few days following that bastard's takedown struck me as ones of tremendous relief and satisfaction for the nation, and for all of humanity. The celebrations in my old home of New York City were a sight to behold, even from afar...all the weariness of a decade of the (ridiculously named) "War on Terror" or the (more apt but still terribly lame) "Long War" was broken up briefly for a moment of pride and even jubilation. I understand perfectly well -- I think most of us do -- that it's not following the tenets of compassion and forgiveness to celebrate the killing of anyone, no matter how vile. But for the good of civilization, he had to go...and we can sincerely hope that it weakens the movement he fronted.<br />
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I am bothered by the sobering thought that the other shoe -- the reminder that the fight against al Qaeda, and really any terrorist gang with an axe to grind or a West to blame, must continue -- is yet to drop for most of the jubilant or even relieved. As for the perspective that the death of bin Laden weakens our case for staying in Afghanistan any longer, I can understand it on its face...if only in terms of logic at its simplest. We sent our troops in to apprehend or kill those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, and to overthrow the Taliban regime which sheltered al Qaeda and refused to turn them over. But if the era of asymmetrical warfare has taught us anything, it's that things get quickly messy on the ground, and missions grow more complicated each day. So what began as "Let's go get 'em!" transitioned to "Let's clean up this place" (with far too few troops), to eventually, "Wait, let's build the Afghan capacity to protect and govern themselves so we can eventually excuse ourselves without a failed state back on our hands." And that's pretty much what we've been working on in earnest and with proper resources for only about two years. There is a long, LONG way to go to see that through.<br />
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<div style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Qwcd8AEK0biILJH1FSr9YHlNxJVQ0KnDiBctfqb7UoE09s-Omi5kzw6GEhJqITYYni0s2UYIVITo0d0m_dageluXAturGrRZKfSElcpyRFdBumYCS9lVJMCO5piJrMowdIbS/s1600/Farewell+to+MoD+1.jpg" style="color: #2244bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Qwcd8AEK0biILJH1FSr9YHlNxJVQ0KnDiBctfqb7UoE09s-Omi5kzw6GEhJqITYYni0s2UYIVITo0d0m_dageluXAturGrRZKfSElcpyRFdBumYCS9lVJMCO5piJrMowdIbS/s400/Farewell+to+MoD+1.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>With colleagues at the Ministry of Defense, Jan. 2011</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>These are the type of good men who are targeted by insurgents for trying to build a better Afghanistan rather than a primitive one.</i></div><br />
We're mired chest-deep, or maybe scalp-deep, in that mission now. And I'd guess we're pretty damn far from anything close to a consensus on how much more we're willing to dedicate (whether we're doing that <i>right</i> is another story...more on that another time). What those who'd automatically shut it down and bring everyone home might wish to consider is that we've left Afghanistan in the lurch before, with serious consequences...and that many commanders and even independent observers insist that we are making progress now ("fragile and reversible gains," but still, gains). What those who'd continue the rebuilding endlessly might wish to consider is that the number of attacks by Afghans in uniform on Coalition members, or on their government, or on their own civilians, point to a worsening situation. At the very least, we must be willing to constantly and truly re-evaluate our approach and have the courage to alter it as needed.<br />
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One of those incidents took place just two weeks ago at the base located alongside Kabul Airport; eight airmen and one civilian of NTM-A lost their lives when an Afghan pilot opened fire on them. When attacks this disturbing were far more rare, I was troubled by the overreaction to them by those who didn't work alongside Afghan soldiers...and now I feel instead the helpless reaction from half a world away, wondering how many more our public (those paying attention, anyway) have the stomach for.<br />
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<div style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTdtIpgKGJRWWAHSgVZ7fy0nP2SD0woJbuUQAA8Mc603vRyZtkTByvmjuPRAxg4pMpoPAi4lH9xhVS-XwuM_stBegRtyRkSWSbEreyWiebtKern4cE-t5Bt5BtTFKNZxq-v7k/s1600/Eggers+memorial+service+-+Apr+2011.jpg" style="color: #2244bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTdtIpgKGJRWWAHSgVZ7fy0nP2SD0woJbuUQAA8Mc603vRyZtkTByvmjuPRAxg4pMpoPAi4lH9xhVS-XwuM_stBegRtyRkSWSbEreyWiebtKern4cE-t5Bt5BtTFKNZxq-v7k/s400/Eggers+memorial+service+-+Apr+2011.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Memorial service at Camp Eggers, April 2011</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Photo from Edward Faircloth</i></div><br />
The week before that, on April 18, a bold attack aimed at the Ministry of Defense made headlines. It unfolded just a few steps from where I worked most of the time there. My trusted colleague and friend John was there that day, advising our counterparts in the MoD and Afghan National Army, as was one of our indispensable interpreters, Masoud. As the news unfolded (it wasn't easy to find in US media), I experienced relief that my guys were alright, sadness that observant Afghan soldiers were killed, worry that the infiltrators got as close as they did to the minister's office, and fear that the will of the opposition -- no matter who that means -- could be greater than that of those who support the government. It doesn't help that it's awfully hard for fair-minded, patriotic Afghans to support the Karzai & cronies regime.<br />
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Anyone wishing to dig deeper into some analysis of why Osama's death is not a game-changer in Afghanistan should read this excellent post by a blogger named Old Blue. I particularly felt the passage below acutely...<br />
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<a href="http://afghanquest.com/?p=562" style="color: #2244bb;" target="_blank">Deceptively Satisfying (on 'Afghan Quest')</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Lucida Grande', 'Franklin Gothic Medium', 'URW Gothic L', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Once the complexity and difficulty of Afghanistan became clear, the “good war” came under fire. Most of us who were personally involved in Afghanistan while it was still the “forgotten, good war” (as opposed to the “bad war” in Iraq), knew that the goodwill towards Afghanistan would wane as the nature of the conflict proceeded to baffle the minds of the ill-informed and idealistic. Now there is a more plausible reason to declare victory and abandon Afghanistan to its fate, as if it will never again influence the world it is a part of.</span><br />
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</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-37364665662221912452011-05-01T23:58:00.005-06:002011-05-02T03:37:22.882-06:00Osama bin Laden, BIH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>"We will be relentless in our defense of our citizens and our friends and allies," President Obama said. "And on nights like this one, we can say to families who lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: justice has been done."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKO8PRb3N6DfEWqLSTtg99kyYfnmRhdPRM4BRg3xtfliGkgsRlgJF4r8vEh3oKC41TZBdEpyVbNqckaxVQfH_qtRwsvPkmvIXyHc_FBWKMkhqxwM-Nkt8r81nqAMYWiSOx9CB/s1600/bin+laden+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKO8PRb3N6DfEWqLSTtg99kyYfnmRhdPRM4BRg3xtfliGkgsRlgJF4r8vEh3oKC41TZBdEpyVbNqckaxVQfH_qtRwsvPkmvIXyHc_FBWKMkhqxwM-Nkt8r81nqAMYWiSOx9CB/s1600/bin+laden+image.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">First, and most importantly: Bravo Zulu ("well done," for those not of the sea services) and thank you to the Navy SEALS, CIA operators and whoever else took part in, planned and gathered intelligence for the risky covert operation which delivered this enemy of civilization to justice.</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i><br />
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The "BIH" in this post's title is in place of the traditional RIP (Rest in Peace). I'm using it as shorthand for "Burn in Hell." If you think for a moment of the nearly 3,000 victims of September 11, the sailors of the USS Cole and possibly the families of the Khobar Towers, the hundreds killed in the embassy bombings in Africa, the thousands killed by the Taliban under his financing, the 2,340 service members of 28 nations killed in Afghanistan since 2001, and the 140,000 or so service members there now, half a world from their families (not to mention the thousands of civilians for which I don't have the numbers)...it was really just one incredibly wealthy, warmongering, murderous Wahhabi "prince" responsible for setting it all in motion.<br />
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This is unusual terrain for a writer who tries to relate firsthand experiences, or at least sound off only on that about which he may know something insightful...but as much as everyone who cares about peace and justice has wanted to see Osama's demise for the past decade or more, I remain convinced that this development is mainly symbolic. That does <i>NOT</i> mean that I dismiss its significance for that reason. The symbolism that he embodied is still very powerful, and perhaps he was more involved still in al-Qaeda operations than we guessed. I mean to say that from the perspective of one who has deployed to Afghanistan twice over the past five years, bin Laden has not been relevant to operations there. He certainly was on my mind back in the aftermath of 9-11-2001, when I lived in the vicinity of New York City as it reeled and then rapidly recovered from the attacks. And understandably, those in the Fire Department, the Police Department, and the Port Authority Police who were there -- not to mention, anyone at all who lost loved ones that day -- would have thought of the cretin more often.<br />
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In short, he may have been why we were there in the first place, but he did not define what we were doing there...not for the past nine years, anyway. <br />
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Operation Enduring Freedom, for all intents and purposes, ceased being about catching Osama bin Laden sometime after his escape at Tora Bora in December of 2001. Fun fact: It was largely because of that particular complex that our nation's talking heads smugly parroted the notion that he was hiding in a cave ever since...while most reasonable analysts have concluded for years was that bin Laden was in a safe house somewhere, and most likely in Pakistan. And OBL was really never a topic of conversation among those of us serving even near the border, which made it all the more absurd when some visiting journalists would claim to understand an operation and its environment, only to go on camera or go to print immediately speculating about Osama's location as if it had anything to do with the mission at hand. Now that he's been taken out in the mansion he called his hiding place, we can quit wondering about his health and whereabouts, and maybe -- just maybe -- focus on clarifying what we seek to accomplish in Afghanistan and how we can best go about it.<br />
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Today I got to sleep in, then bike for hours into Colorado mountains, then watch my Mets (finally) take out the Phillies after 14 exhausting innings, and during the game, hear the news that bin Laden is dead. My comrades still in Afghanistan go about their business, as do the tens of thousands on patrol in deadly environments each day. I wish the big news meant that we can declare "Victory!" and call 'em all back pronto...but again, this fight hasn't been about him since its earliest days. Still... Good riddance, ruthless murderer. And keep working to secure a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, brave men and women of the Coalition, and brave Afghans who seek a better future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxlD44LlXA_G599-5qzcme7qhFihXoqPJKEiGWrV5KDqseVH8ROrSlOG0sDLFgvnqlcXznJSL6JSDZ_ii-oJfDVki30F_m4-y9QU3aNQ1WmmMhrRq6B-SyUhVyXXOwa4Li3DD/s1600/bin+laden+comic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxlD44LlXA_G599-5qzcme7qhFihXoqPJKEiGWrV5KDqseVH8ROrSlOG0sDLFgvnqlcXznJSL6JSDZ_ii-oJfDVki30F_m4-y9QU3aNQ1WmmMhrRq6B-SyUhVyXXOwa4Li3DD/s1600/bin+laden+comic.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>"Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims." -- President Obama</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-13610925132775000012011-03-16T18:52:00.005-06:002011-03-17T00:41:01.237-06:00Back Where It All Begins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ju20mHUrNkE-rrwQ6Gmhvb57sK7VjquO8yRLaphYAYcNA6f5U7gWseMUy45dTSDqiL3fQTlkhI_6WQXbks_qvJtmaToZf_5W81_zi9wYxoowSJBqQELVZrv9eZfzuAaezsKpA/s1600/CIMG6983-+ABB.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5ju20mHUrNkE-rrwQ6Gmhvb57sK7VjquO8yRLaphYAYcNA6f5U7gWseMUy45dTSDqiL3fQTlkhI_6WQXbks_qvJtmaToZf_5W81_zi9wYxoowSJBqQELVZrv9eZfzuAaezsKpA/s320/CIMG6983-+ABB.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>March '09: The annual Allman Brothers' residency in NYC</i></div><br />
I'm not talking about Kabul in this case...or Khost, or Bagram, or Camp Lejeune, or even Quantico. I'm talking about New York City, and the annual run of Allman Brothers Band shows at the Beacon Theater. We each have our markers, our reminders that more time than we possibly realize is slipping on by...and one of mine is a ritual that I missed in 2010 for the first time in a decade. It was only Marine Corps service that ever caused me to miss a year since I started going 15 years ago, in fact...and as I sit in Colorado growing more grateful for what I have here, I'm positively fired up to be back there by this time next week. I couldn't quite get my young Afghan brothers to dig the band's phenomenal range the way I do, but I'm willing to bet that they'd enjoy a live show every bit as I did the entertainers I was fortunate enough to catch in Kabul.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34PIUD6yQcJuye1rAryzBnT7F7610fveFWkpx73x5FrhZ1tqZZmECdzM4Uwou6yFBjHfycCm66EBqlzIeSA0nsR0qrv7YwwIK5ScAWOjYg1V42MYFRdhmYsWr2iUB290U2WqlNw/s1600/PA210088-+KMTC+concert+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34PIUD6yQcJuye1rAryzBnT7F7610fveFWkpx73x5FrhZ1tqZZmECdzM4Uwou6yFBjHfycCm66EBqlzIeSA0nsR0qrv7YwwIK5ScAWOjYg1V42MYFRdhmYsWr2iUB290U2WqlNw/s320/PA210088-+KMTC+concert+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>KMTC concert, Oct '10: Qais, Joe and I crash the stage. </i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_Tsvp90bFzK393qwrhx8zxAJ37HrqsazsYR_tMazKtF3HnVxcC8PUMS3_l92RUx00bVPCMyVuH2JLLbitylBSlCzhBwFNgVBh7zw12Skh4fEJMeqjT99Jb80Fy5KV30it4uXoA/s1600/PA210089-+KMTC+concert+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_Tsvp90bFzK393qwrhx8zxAJ37HrqsazsYR_tMazKtF3HnVxcC8PUMS3_l92RUx00bVPCMyVuH2JLLbitylBSlCzhBwFNgVBh7zw12Skh4fEJMeqjT99Jb80Fy5KV30it4uXoA/s320/PA210089-+KMTC+concert+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Shafiq Murid & Sita Qasimi, national talents, entertain the ANA.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh5fsH4Ekjvh_IaC3KD1MmIQWjvrdkJf3IEJlN-wZ3nZH9TTzHG7w81V1IPtdM4Qc-aA780qvlzepaWj83Dk3OqMLYW2ExBNSfwUVL-jdXoqY7UPzGAd_dKrshNzH116bpQMCsg/s1600/PA210094-+KMTC+concert+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvh5fsH4Ekjvh_IaC3KD1MmIQWjvrdkJf3IEJlN-wZ3nZH9TTzHG7w81V1IPtdM4Qc-aA780qvlzepaWj83Dk3OqMLYW2ExBNSfwUVL-jdXoqY7UPzGAd_dKrshNzH116bpQMCsg/s320/PA210094-+KMTC+concert+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Esmat checks out the view from in front of the stage.</i></div><br />
March in NYC is also relevant to my beginnings as it's St. Patrick's Month (that's right...month). It's a great time to be Irish-American no matter where you are, but New York is the epicenter. As my family roots go through there, it was all the more meaningful to celebrate the 17th for years as a resident...and all the more bittersweet to spend a few anywhere else (although the surprise of coming across a bagpiper in Jalalabad made '06 just as special as any). Marching up Fifth Avenue in the world's largest parade, as the fourth generation of my family to do so, was simply one of the greatest thrills that military service afforded me. I'm not talking about donning neon green beads, shamrock-shaped glasses and a "Kiss Me, I'm Drunk" t-shirt; getting trashed at 9 am on Paddy O' Hurricanes and green-colored Bud Lite; and singing "Why don't we get drunk and screw?" until everyone pukes all over the sidewalk. Nothing against drunken shenanigans, but this time of year actually means a celebration of heritage, faith and family for a lot of us...something that enabled me to relate to major holidays in other parts of the world that would seem on the surface to have nothing in common with this one. OK, and Guinness. And maybe Jameson's. But those are strictly optional. Erin go Bragh!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vyjhyphenhyphenp3EklT_4dpcaHXfyUD0ITRtaMQbGLKryqq1Y2ku3b7LUEkdfOE5cJwxf4om7YAkFKzJtYqYo06OA_GZp0kkXExApBBbXdBCN4qQJpqZ9jG1RrwEvvm3GOuHK7ICA7Sejw/s1600/IMG_0071-+pre+friendly+sons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vyjhyphenhyphenp3EklT_4dpcaHXfyUD0ITRtaMQbGLKryqq1Y2ku3b7LUEkdfOE5cJwxf4om7YAkFKzJtYqYo06OA_GZp0kkXExApBBbXdBCN4qQJpqZ9jG1RrwEvvm3GOuHK7ICA7Sejw/s320/IMG_0071-+pre+friendly+sons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A bunch of Irish hoodlums clean up for the season's start.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiHBHhF1B1UgkPXFIFvjExpgVBx89YuHndMp1kaEoHNraO-MXr5PWY0zcPFEz99FTqfMfcfUqKmA-PBWANAMwHUbCaTflaNkkI-kj5rHJQRYJRioIxsmE0_LgYSlotRJ3VmgHjA/s1600/IMG_0189-+me+%2526+joe+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiHBHhF1B1UgkPXFIFvjExpgVBx89YuHndMp1kaEoHNraO-MXr5PWY0zcPFEz99FTqfMfcfUqKmA-PBWANAMwHUbCaTflaNkkI-kj5rHJQRYJRioIxsmE0_LgYSlotRJ3VmgHjA/s320/IMG_0189-+me+%2526+joe+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>March '11: Joe & I reunited under more civilized rules...</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtuCxDSID8XfbxLO0gaa9sXDhfKPVe0vDQU5Dv_BD-92knyOy-jfBLZd400RFcF9VYEEjAe7t5wwFEDGXwL6WWv_EDMfQ11igHMV5razKLKQ3hOjgIwl-NzbV3q_FuW92X5bK/s1600/IMG_0222-+me+%2526+joe+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtuCxDSID8XfbxLO0gaa9sXDhfKPVe0vDQU5Dv_BD-92knyOy-jfBLZd400RFcF9VYEEjAe7t5wwFEDGXwL6WWv_EDMfQ11igHMV5razKLKQ3hOjgIwl-NzbV3q_FuW92X5bK/s320/IMG_0222-+me+%2526+joe+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>...and bring a touch of Afghan-Irish class to Grand Central.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
The post title applies in another sense. While I normally wouldn't comment on an unresolved command decision in Afghanistan, it's noteworthy that my director, mentor and friend Dave is soon completing his year in Kabul, and there are no clear answers on the future structure of our Public Affairs development mission. That is not to imply that advising and training in our functional area is about to cease -- for one thing, my dear friends and dedicated teammates still there haven't let up one bit, and continue to devote themselves day after day to building the capacity and capabilities of our Afghan allies. But it does complete an arc which saw a robust team structure, one with a disproportionate share of experience, re-energize the task at hand. It was that newly-formed structure, built from what Joe, John, Pam, Esmat & Qais were somehow doing on their own last March, that I was fortunate to jump into when I arrived ten months ago. Without that lead-in and guidance, I surely would have gone crazy as I tried to figure out the ins and outs of the Defense and Interior Ministries...instead of waiting until I got back to the States to lose it (insert madman laugh here).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPrziexvZKUXugTC4sAYtoKke0oef1m5YSY-i9NDOCtDDmkimLXoUKE4dlo7BcaQKFfAAWuXhBTsIRZi16Vk5gKfAU5NvSxDVdo4lR7OMhGAjyotji7lbkF_bgzIHEoYy70_8iw/s1600/IMG_0117-+padt+%2526+mod+cols.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPrziexvZKUXugTC4sAYtoKke0oef1m5YSY-i9NDOCtDDmkimLXoUKE4dlo7BcaQKFfAAWuXhBTsIRZi16Vk5gKfAU5NvSxDVdo4lR7OMhGAjyotji7lbkF_bgzIHEoYy70_8iw/s320/IMG_0117-+padt+%2526+mod+cols.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The team as I departed: Pam, Senior, John, Qais, Esmat and Dave... </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Along with six of my favorite Afghan colonels.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw04sgby-rGS8xN5cDwNrDOhUWlYkkOI1qZ_i3WnWsRWeIg5VIR4JSV7OuTc7hLJ9aW88YXsv6ZEHdqFpHb6eLmMi5aCPrwT_SVPzrMn9G_nfKWiERNl8gCQfDsD0u_jYcFLxLaA/s1600/09162010091-+dave+in+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw04sgby-rGS8xN5cDwNrDOhUWlYkkOI1qZ_i3WnWsRWeIg5VIR4JSV7OuTc7hLJ9aW88YXsv6ZEHdqFpHb6eLmMi5aCPrwT_SVPzrMn9G_nfKWiERNl8gCQfDsD0u_jYcFLxLaA/s320/09162010091-+dave+in+garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dave in the ISAF garden, holding a periodic team meeting...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(conveniently when our camp was on a lock-down drill)</i><br />
<i> </i></div><br />
So my heartfelt wishes go out to all who remain, as they tirelessly continue the daily grind of meetings, site visits, meetings, translations, meetings, presentations, justification pitches, and more meetings. It's not glamorous work, even if you do sometimes find yourself meeting with the country's biggest power brokers and most famous faces. I hope you all know how much you're in our thoughts every day. My best wishes go out as well to the others who've moved on, from those who long preceded me and got the ball rolling, to those about to make the leap back to this side of the world in the coming weeks. In the spirit of tomorrow's great holiday, here is an Irish blessing in (hopefully accurate) Gaelic, with the translation following...<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><b>Go raibh tú daibhir i mí-áidh<br />
Agus saibhir i mbeannachtaí<br />
Go mall ag déanamh namhaid, go luath a déanamh carad,<br />
Ach saibhir nó daibhir, go mall nó go luath,<br />
Nach raibh ach áthas agat<br />
Ón lá seo amach.</b></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><b>May you be poor in misfortune,<br />
Rich in blessings,<br />
Slow to make enemies,<br />
quick to make friends,<br />
But rich or poor, quick or slow,<br />
May you know nothing but happiness<br />
From this day forward. </b></span></span></b></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ7S508LHjEviU2ZbQW1kDYJsKoS2k-I3d7vRdEnQ1zV9hmMjaB0-rVYikR0JEOdfq8_wHBsBwH7FwquLuU0ORG17LO7qzj2ZRBv_sDaoZnuspvWr8T-Wre4gwiD4l_MuF_eQ6Q/s1600/IMG_0127-+neasmith+%2526+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ7S508LHjEviU2ZbQW1kDYJsKoS2k-I3d7vRdEnQ1zV9hmMjaB0-rVYikR0JEOdfq8_wHBsBwH7FwquLuU0ORG17LO7qzj2ZRBv_sDaoZnuspvWr8T-Wre4gwiD4l_MuF_eQ6Q/s320/IMG_0127-+neasmith+%2526+me.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Another departure: Brig. Gen. Neasmith leaves today.</span></span></i><br />
<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was an outstanding leader...smart, calm & personable. </span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here he presented me with a coin on my last advisor meeting.</span></span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9idfkRw-kJNpr5kWZmw-u46KTIqfzRQ8vjUxbCCyJJbJUDDUfaszdJ2RPYdXakBsTnGVqOSlxs79NgOcxHdtR8u8sup0LfdgPw-TjfVzOgvzbipk0i-7ngkRXPWAp1jyZPd6srg/s1600/DSC_0043-+last+time+w-casper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9idfkRw-kJNpr5kWZmw-u46KTIqfzRQ8vjUxbCCyJJbJUDDUfaszdJ2RPYdXakBsTnGVqOSlxs79NgOcxHdtR8u8sup0LfdgPw-TjfVzOgvzbipk0i-7ngkRXPWAp1jyZPd6srg/s320/DSC_0043-+last+time+w-casper.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> My last time feeding Casper, who wolfed down a steak...</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Her empty belly clearly showed she had her litter!</span></span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Lcn2D1iyNYJkB3nL5jhfyyqehkvRWzkn5bR7VlfMdVa1oOH3xFgaBBk-ImZNJypH_uFeJaLXi8Ld3vEOAWo2-zJuENccqT8abiRyQG1bDCAhEcUDOmK42uAfWDLGdHl9c4R0TA/s1600/MoDPups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Lcn2D1iyNYJkB3nL5jhfyyqehkvRWzkn5bR7VlfMdVa1oOH3xFgaBBk-ImZNJypH_uFeJaLXi8Ld3vEOAWo2-zJuENccqT8abiRyQG1bDCAhEcUDOmK42uAfWDLGdHl9c4R0TA/s320/MoDPups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The pups I never got to see, courtesy of my successor, Edward.</span></span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRNil0d_Fy5jTmSd1kMHb_JSuKZQMr8pVAKag0-wowgWCeKdYMgL6cdtsDevwYUBiQzf_e7cfC9FNt20kTrchjDA4dbGJ-X5IWc5V9Su6HygmQW5Rj-KQJaM1D9sNOnFn-B5wlg/s1600/DSC_0031+-+Major+the+pup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRNil0d_Fy5jTmSd1kMHb_JSuKZQMr8pVAKag0-wowgWCeKdYMgL6cdtsDevwYUBiQzf_e7cfC9FNt20kTrchjDA4dbGJ-X5IWc5V9Su6HygmQW5Rj-KQJaM1D9sNOnFn-B5wlg/s320/DSC_0031+-+Major+the+pup.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Weeks later, the scrappy one he named "Major."</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now THAT is back where it all begins.</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-69031220592455963832011-03-05T12:49:00.002-07:002011-03-16T00:12:26.921-06:00The Pause Button<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At poor peace I sing</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To you strangers, (though song</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Is a burning and crested act, </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The fire of birds in</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The world's turning wood,</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For my sawn, splay sounds)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">- Dylan Thomas,</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Prologue to 'Collected Poems'</div>_________________________<br />
<br />
<i>Written from Boulder, CO, in late February...</i><br />
<br />
Since posting my last, I have already been warmly supported by readers, friends and family, and am extremely grateful for it. In an urge to shed more light on the disjointed transition, allow me to refer to a vexing phenomenom I call "the pause button." Not that I coined it...a chaplain who gave the mandatory post-deployment brief to a few of us at Camp Lejeune last month mentioned it. Such briefs usually focus entirely on reuniting with family and coping with combat stress, but this one contained something more relevant to my situation: the notion our minds stubbornly build that life as we know it 'back home,' and for everyone else we know, is on pause. No matter how irrational it may seem to those who haven't sequestered themselves in the deployed way of life for a time, it's a construct that becomes very real for some of us...a coping mechanism.<br />
<br />
Again I'll insist that my plan, such as it was, was simply to catch you all up on the sights and tales of Afghanistan as I experienced it...not to pour forth a series of laments about post-adventure life. But in the interest of bringing the journey full circle, it is significant as it's where I am now. Transition back has not only overwhelmed me and left me devoid of purpose, but discouraged me from looking back much thus far. Still, I do my best to stay attuned to events back in the 'stan, and feel a part of every development in the rush to build the capabilities of their nascent defense and police forces. How can I not? I just hope to focus enough mental energy on the present and future, which hopefully entails enjoying the West again and at least accepting that I won't have the answer tomorrow, or the next day.<br />
<br />
That brings me back to the pause button. When I receive updates on changes at NTM-A and in Afghanistan's Defense and Interior Ministries, I can process those. If I returned, I wouldn't be surprised to find things quite different, and would likely be able to adjust quickly...there'd be no choice. But here, head still spinning from the realization that my illusory life in the States is nothing like what I imagined it would be, it is a daily battle to get past the entrenched pause notion. Everyone and everything continues to change, whether you accept that or not, and putting off decisions about what should come next...well, that's a killer when suddenly squeezed between depression and anxiety. A key position in Kabul was easy by comparison.<br />
<br />
<i>Writing from Bronxville, NY, today...</i><br />
<br />
Too stuck and overwhelmed in place, I took off for my old environs in the NYC and area for a frenzy of visits. It's been food for the soul. Over the past week I've been so fortunate to spend time with people who mean the world to me, who care about me, and who even do their best to point out that it wasn't just an odd dream...I actually did spend most of the past year on a mission in Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
<i>* Blogger has failed me once again. The "add image" function has not been operable for a while. Therefore, you are stuck with just words and no pretty pictures for now. My humble apologies...</i></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-23963456443682699842011-02-22T23:55:00.001-07:002011-02-23T00:08:46.336-07:00Transition?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfTe_EOtP7BsKQ9Bcr1NyP0Tan3eaC0GZJok828pxTLC3luySHJMpDJjhvG19EGz7ALtdtA9dSSKjjKgm6yPaI0aVY4Xd50neNrL9Jrb37mP9E4EzQ3I_J0F_Ty14tjjiZqo-dw/s1600/DSC08038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfTe_EOtP7BsKQ9Bcr1NyP0Tan3eaC0GZJok828pxTLC3luySHJMpDJjhvG19EGz7ALtdtA9dSSKjjKgm6yPaI0aVY4Xd50neNrL9Jrb37mP9E4EzQ3I_J0F_Ty14tjjiZqo-dw/s320/DSC08038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Pier to eternity. New River in fog, April 2010.</i></div><br />
It looks like I've repeated the post-deployment no-blogging pattern so far. Somehow it's already been almost a month since my last, and I feel terrible for that. There is a real struggle though, to deal with what's here and now rather than what's past. I'll share first a note on weather and timing, jotted down on 1/27 while still in Jacksonville, only a day after that last post. Following that are some more current thoughts from Boulder, CO.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">______________________________________________</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuojAyXWYjYPrJ6wc6eUjAtcImQiLwSMVXAh3VUlXIgAyk72Ip5VbtO7jq0DM_R1pcw5MkXZ4etbvGmMVwyApdnUjYzJTdRrwf3RsJ0f4FqX8Cz2OFQ2gXLSi5XusMlJ2b-dv1Q/s1600/DSC08122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuojAyXWYjYPrJ6wc6eUjAtcImQiLwSMVXAh3VUlXIgAyk72Ip5VbtO7jq0DM_R1pcw5MkXZ4etbvGmMVwyApdnUjYzJTdRrwf3RsJ0f4FqX8Cz2OFQ2gXLSi5XusMlJ2b-dv1Q/s320/DSC08122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Not the evening described below, but a milder sunset from 2010.</i></div><br />
Just when I disparaged "down east" (as the locals call it) for its constant rain, the weather gods felt the need to remind me of how pleasant it can be, and then some. Following an absolutely miserable day of bureaucratic and systemic frustrations that every service member, Reserve warrior and veteran get to enjoy from time to time (honestly, you'd think I was the first freakin' one to ask <i>HOW</i> I can ensure I'll receive this medical coverage I've been promised for the next string of months), I went for a long run to numb that anger with some physical pain. What I got to take in as a reward was one of the most absolutely brilliant sunsets ever thrown across a sky. It killed me to not have a camera handy. What started as a long horizontal triangle of bold pink, surrounded by linings of gold and layers of purple, turned for a time into half a sky of torrid reds and violet-pink cloud. It was truly awesome, in the original meaning of the word.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BflIt0_Y5bfhUx1pkjouiwhNH2zP1rRbfd4d1Pi73PDTUAL-u-opQeAW79iL2151Hx0GfjDl1pWQtQQUxPAs7rg6nAhP50Mo330v-j0MwAsgyh8gIP9dQs3_H22dk5JIs8of2A/s1600/1-27-2011+New+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BflIt0_Y5bfhUx1pkjouiwhNH2zP1rRbfd4d1Pi73PDTUAL-u-opQeAW79iL2151Hx0GfjDl1pWQtQQUxPAs7rg6nAhP50Mo330v-j0MwAsgyh8gIP9dQs3_H22dk5JIs8of2A/s320/1-27-2011+New+River.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Well after the sky had put on a brilliant show, I got back to the river with my crappy ol' camera phone for the last gasp of color.</i></div><br />
Even this morning I knew the skies would be busy refuting my complaints...the morning's early light perfectly illuminated the sweep of fog and mist that so often clings to the scrub and the streams, before spreading across the open ground at daybreak. On days like this one, it's easy to recall what a swamp this entire coastal plain is. On a related note, from this region of eastern Carolina into northern Virginia, I keep voicing my amazement at the sheer number of trees our country has in its landscapes. Just one of those things I may have never noticed if I hadn't spent so much time in a place so starved for that feature. As you may have read in my blog entries from 2006, Afghanistan has trees prominently in just a few places, and even in those, the problem of illegal harvesting (which doesn't leave anything re-planted, of course) threatens their future while drought ensures that most of the country will continue to be barren.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVinDtS82DTlvs3y5tTbjKiVrFM1MnZ5uPXWpiLli13iQcsi9RjoQggGD2lSg8yU5xdW4oD39aWFhIZY2Seen9BfXdxXMR5pCLiuWgGgFMvQ7ugVYyHNTjVsCuaVgTDLp3zDpreQ/s1600/P1250072.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVinDtS82DTlvs3y5tTbjKiVrFM1MnZ5uPXWpiLli13iQcsi9RjoQggGD2lSg8yU5xdW4oD39aWFhIZY2Seen9BfXdxXMR5pCLiuWgGgFMvQ7ugVYyHNTjVsCuaVgTDLp3zDpreQ/s320/P1250072.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuojAyXWYjYPrJ6wc6eUjAtcImQiLwSMVXAh3VUlXIgAyk72Ip5VbtO7jq0DM_R1pcw5MkXZ4etbvGmMVwyApdnUjYzJTdRrwf3RsJ0f4FqX8Cz2OFQ2gXLSi5XusMlJ2b-dv1Q/s1600/DSC08122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>North Carolina trees, January 2011</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________________________</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cXhI-WcYp8bNo4g2UgGkdfzn-zkrnhYDtEUKMxTF_ULGoMsHcABB9C9n714oMZA6dr3o5exlQSYiG82wd48TBG3I5bdn9wQ9diJnVglShYeggoKMEV5S98lRK9YzuqsF8JVhqg/s1600/2-6-2011+snowy+Boulder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cXhI-WcYp8bNo4g2UgGkdfzn-zkrnhYDtEUKMxTF_ULGoMsHcABB9C9n714oMZA6dr3o5exlQSYiG82wd48TBG3I5bdn9wQ9diJnVglShYeggoKMEV5S98lRK9YzuqsF8JVhqg/s320/2-6-2011+snowy+Boulder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Downtown Boulder in snow, February 2011</i></div><br />
Aside from amateur meteorology description then, what's the current situation for your nomadic narrator? A full-time attempt at "transition" and "adjustment"...though those words don't mean much at all when it was a very transient, unsettled situation you left in the first place. Honestly, I thought I'd be a hell of a lot happier in at least my first few weeks. There have been some very good times, some standout moments that have welcomed me back across the first month stateside, from Virginia to NC to Nevada to Colorado...but no vacation yet from the psychological burden of doing something important with myself, with this experience...and now?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcBxRRk0HhPGKuJ9mQKNG7ovmXRKwhS2-o84OKv9QaMZlCRiabxVLe_9Vp77Iw55yBQ9kOQJ9PxjNsnA3hUjYhAKFQ3a9WnMB8vRuW-ivOTINt-HbV1J1hTQgedOiSPsX7Ik0yQ/s1600/P2020211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcBxRRk0HhPGKuJ9mQKNG7ovmXRKwhS2-o84OKv9QaMZlCRiabxVLe_9Vp77Iw55yBQ9kOQJ9PxjNsnA3hUjYhAKFQ3a9WnMB8vRuW-ivOTINt-HbV1J1hTQgedOiSPsX7Ik0yQ/s320/P2020211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You can take the "Dan" out of Afghanistan...</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRmD1ZV6UXE0AfJF2qUvSTbd7cfXhIRXN2ZJrbXmVm1gYT-dHoGXyFQfvONW53FZ4HbAKxlX84gVESjedEKe5A14N777HA_FoLenWkc6Rfk4WPm8LNFEk6nQMBvRuCsE4NOqvFQ/s1600/P2020231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRmD1ZV6UXE0AfJF2qUvSTbd7cfXhIRXN2ZJrbXmVm1gYT-dHoGXyFQfvONW53FZ4HbAKxlX84gVESjedEKe5A14N777HA_FoLenWkc6Rfk4WPm8LNFEk6nQMBvRuCsE4NOqvFQ/s320/P2020231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But still the shadows will give chase. </i></div><br />
Now the hard work begins. For whatever reason, it is far more daunting to me to establish some sort of 'normal' life than it is to log 18-hour days for 8 months straight in Afghanistan, working my tail off to try and build a government ministry and new army's capacity. That is my next thing, I think, to create stability where I've known none...and to ignore the teasing temptation to simply be irresponsible for awhile, which works counter to that. In the frequent, more depressed moments, I see myself as a homeless, jobless, car-less, even ski-less (in Colorado!) single veteran who still somehow is saddled with too much accumulated <i>stuff</i>. It's as if the last ten months were an odd dream, and I'm back trying to figure out life in the place to which I up and moved just a few months before that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrP_LN5z5z1nbqZcPmrbdH_n2v76oDtDc_XKK5yXwbFAX1BZ3uBhdn0rM0qpZGRy38xv04yLJInoUfOteQjDp8gh9TxFda6UZMGcSOw09eT7tYJqiZUI4ats27kW38OsJUpcPaQ/s1600/P2040140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrP_LN5z5z1nbqZcPmrbdH_n2v76oDtDc_XKK5yXwbFAX1BZ3uBhdn0rM0qpZGRy38xv04yLJInoUfOteQjDp8gh9TxFda6UZMGcSOw09eT7tYJqiZUI4ats27kW38OsJUpcPaQ/s320/P2040140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hike up Mount Sanitas, and Boulder drops far below.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt3bDf2MN5bwRU8V8vSyhHNAHSFtPsm031hiAKnQMFyRESyG7rXE9n9dVyE_Jfl4VI1PYxXYqcSF381XDUZcxtb4fmZSXLu69Z0ayW4I7Gwih_SMdYN76memiXfL0qQFRFy2lg/s1600/P2040151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt3bDf2MN5bwRU8V8vSyhHNAHSFtPsm031hiAKnQMFyRESyG7rXE9n9dVyE_Jfl4VI1PYxXYqcSF381XDUZcxtb4fmZSXLu69Z0ayW4I7Gwih_SMdYN76memiXfL0qQFRFy2lg/s320/P2040151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My hiking partner and buddy's best friend, Bodie</i></div><br />
I didn't plan on a segue from my Afghan chronicles to the personal lamentation of a restless, anxiety-hounded Nowhere Man who is searching for the motivation to do even some of the most basic things. But it seems that I'm doing it anyway. Bear with me...I still plan to post "lost chapters" of this deployment (hopefully in time to keep the attention of <i>some</i> loyal readers, anyway)...and your honest feedback is always welcome.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
ColoraDan<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1vdRBP-P1fYWeqFh3eX4lheg7IlQIpTRCb5cRpT8CEz5d6GkkB9FWuN-MzahviF7WcFTiDIXpe6YfCV2KzXzWKrf60j8oSKMi2SiccJAP3cSFazUDj1PqGGpilNK-UVaxd63-Q/s1600/Bellagio+fountain-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1vdRBP-P1fYWeqFh3eX4lheg7IlQIpTRCb5cRpT8CEz5d6GkkB9FWuN-MzahviF7WcFTiDIXpe6YfCV2KzXzWKrf60j8oSKMi2SiccJAP3cSFazUDj1PqGGpilNK-UVaxd63-Q/s320/Bellagio+fountain-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No place feels further from Kabul than Vegas.</i></div><br />
</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-42536443898207339192011-01-26T15:22:00.001-07:002011-01-26T15:33:21.734-07:00"Redeployment"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G1YB4qWokLSyGhWbECoeQDupDlkZUYEiOxVVQZgwx9WC3AX8rOsxb1fblRZplVHMj8_SsEraAj7nRJutnMLCZOZyPYjYaqsreFQWg3vSCSjk6b2k1fJQkWyQWqQhhzvkq1A8OA/s1600/P1090105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G1YB4qWokLSyGhWbECoeQDupDlkZUYEiOxVVQZgwx9WC3AX8rOsxb1fblRZplVHMj8_SsEraAj7nRJutnMLCZOZyPYjYaqsreFQWg3vSCSjk6b2k1fJQkWyQWqQhhzvkq1A8OA/s320/P1090105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bird-spotting: wondering which plane would take me home.</i></div><br />
REDEPLOYMENT. That's the odd name our military uses these days for <i>returning from </i>deployment. So despite whatever logical tendency you may have to assume that it would mean "deploying again" or "returning to deployment", now you know it means coming back from one. That's what I've now done, or am still doing: redeploying.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH9aWsck0aEZoxAZgWZGrKfVEkLqY5gSeWmpOpSWTH7L4-q4u1Txr301xrOB2zjXfSLPYyQNMW1wiC9FbAl8WBiEhLFCX7ASxMX9hreuHCt7T3meM-q7n69-jrYQqZnHHMzpUyQ/s1600/P1100133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtH9aWsck0aEZoxAZgWZGrKfVEkLqY5gSeWmpOpSWTH7L4-q4u1Txr301xrOB2zjXfSLPYyQNMW1wiC9FbAl8WBiEhLFCX7ASxMX9hreuHCt7T3meM-q7n69-jrYQqZnHHMzpUyQ/s320/P1100133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hurry-up-and-wait in Kuwait.</i></div><br />
Once again I am indebted to you, dear readers, for encouraging me to continue this blog. I'll post in full some of those stories I missed, and will fill in more of the return experience, but as it's now 2 weeks exactly since I landed back in the U.S., I absolutely have to get <i>something</i> up. Hence, this rambling piece.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKxZzOGeJ78ILgsQcC52FIzAuWy8cxNEMGXj3LJApVWdjXEgnr5UjgmDnWIsBZ1mXVAH93gkpMfMBGlMFwgrE8atJEMJUsThRUxgsb33aSA_478cvr1knT7A-sPy-6Fyn8TmL7g/s1600/P1100126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKxZzOGeJ78ILgsQcC52FIzAuWy8cxNEMGXj3LJApVWdjXEgnr5UjgmDnWIsBZ1mXVAH93gkpMfMBGlMFwgrE8atJEMJUsThRUxgsb33aSA_478cvr1knT7A-sPy-6Fyn8TmL7g/s320/P1100126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mural at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan</i></div><br />
It's an abrupt change, being stateside again after most of a year away. Return from deployment tests us all in different ways...for those with their own families, there is the "reintegration" of that. For us without, there are still numerous challenges...everyone you know is at a different point in their respective lives now. You've changed and they've changed, and as much as you may strive to find an immediate "normal", there is none.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDGvGja6y9ahmj6yXMjMf7VSxzN8jwccE5v35xBZjfL4aQgdu4htfNMwyu1ImTLUEjb8BwtcTCNoczwXX84xWynD2FEuUgy5CuwCr8083Ei03lIGmcJIlw-Owk_7o1wGXYmm0mQ/s1600/P1120038-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDGvGja6y9ahmj6yXMjMf7VSxzN8jwccE5v35xBZjfL4aQgdu4htfNMwyu1ImTLUEjb8BwtcTCNoczwXX84xWynD2FEuUgy5CuwCr8083Ei03lIGmcJIlw-Owk_7o1wGXYmm0mQ/s320/P1120038-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Thrilled to see some immediate family at BWI!</i></div><br />
It has rained in Jacksonville, NC, for 3 days straight, and at some point during most of the others as well. It's a drastic change from experiencing rain maybe 3 days in all of 8 months, and only briefly at that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7h0TkKecOJ4LpjcpADYB9m7uJlO8aFKQiUm_HfFgNbXf7fzU0XTTSv28a1WP26L25i6UrbdPKm2WN36b2xMvgwbikVF8hdFopT4P_7cDdlzsxwAMRVwojjs5tEfWXkM_fjbgLJg/s1600/P1260208-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7h0TkKecOJ4LpjcpADYB9m7uJlO8aFKQiUm_HfFgNbXf7fzU0XTTSv28a1WP26L25i6UrbdPKm2WN36b2xMvgwbikVF8hdFopT4P_7cDdlzsxwAMRVwojjs5tEfWXkM_fjbgLJg/s320/P1260208-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The New River, North Carolina, in rain.</i></div><br />
I check my hip constantly for my weapon. We all do. It's weird how many times you have to process the realization that it's not there -- you turned it in, dude.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR5L3SFtRvFAJ2sTdcU7eGLsr_fZuRUKCUssPvmM4YvJS_m0g1Kh4nq4UTGZJcv0atskKkEdjm__lzBWqpZgoA-xAuBW-6UbaFESwJtI1QzEapTexVxMMJc7_ckpGGEj8qb4noQ/s1600/P1110026-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR5L3SFtRvFAJ2sTdcU7eGLsr_fZuRUKCUssPvmM4YvJS_m0g1Kh4nq4UTGZJcv0atskKkEdjm__lzBWqpZgoA-xAuBW-6UbaFESwJtI1QzEapTexVxMMJc7_ckpGGEj8qb4noQ/s320/P1110026-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Last twilight in Kuwait before the return trip.</i></div><br />
I'm incredibly anxious, to what's probably an unhealthy extent, about what's next. My pattern for a few years now has been one of chucking aside the uniform for awhile, only to grow restless and return to the one known commodity: that of going to fill an open job somewhere, one that ostensibly requires my skill sets and experience. I've been offered a few already, and haven't even finished the mandatory outprocessing from this one. Wish me luck as I seek to buck that trend for once.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtec4mENhYMsitl_EZR5f9LLV1AGRYoCsmB9gJe8f0gLFhev4fHvNQfbcDoExPv-UAPi-oY9Dj_Dool-PFbG0Y0ZC1gZ1YF-jmu7IEOAdz4ipXaVMBjStoGGuy6dRtnwKcYi9Qtg/s1600/P1260204-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtec4mENhYMsitl_EZR5f9LLV1AGRYoCsmB9gJe8f0gLFhev4fHvNQfbcDoExPv-UAPi-oY9Dj_Dool-PFbG0Y0ZC1gZ1YF-jmu7IEOAdz4ipXaVMBjStoGGuy6dRtnwKcYi9Qtg/s320/P1260204-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Camp Swampy living up to its nickname this week...</i></div><br />
Some seem to anchor themselves quite easily to what's consistent or stable in their lives. Some might be free of past associations, but set about going after their goals in a straightforward manner. And some return to their struggles. I belong to that category...of those who turn inward and don't find clear goals, who overthink just about everything, who find themselves dwelling too often on things out of our control, and consequently, who wonder just where we are supposed to fit in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhDGMTy-BLyrP3w2yutXgA_s7dA21kuY0NPO5nmzWmvFfx2SrDdy7DRtNaRejUmn4utdrHZQB39bc3N05OLDBx4oBobvTJAvelx8LjxsMn0qbPlgg441KAF3WI4xj0k7yqwNyyQ/s1600/P1160060-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhDGMTy-BLyrP3w2yutXgA_s7dA21kuY0NPO5nmzWmvFfx2SrDdy7DRtNaRejUmn4utdrHZQB39bc3N05OLDBx4oBobvTJAvelx8LjxsMn0qbPlgg441KAF3WI4xj0k7yqwNyyQ/s320/P1160060-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Various members of family AfghaniDan rock their scarves.</i></div><br />
I hope I can purely enjoy life for awhile, and shake off this philosopher's lament...it comes saddled with too much attachment, too much fantasy, and often, too much heartbreak. Although I yearned every single day for all that I couldn't enjoy while deployed, there is a sudden unhappiness in being back and realizing that some things are not as you remembered, or would like them to be. I think every day about the latest struggles my team is facing, and about those whose deployment is infinitely more dangerous than mine ever was. And I have enough difficulty taking my mind off all the possible tasks to tackle without constantly being asked what I'm doing next...I know most people mean well, but please -- cut a recent veteran a break!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjql3fc51PoaGjgvXMDidZGyyLG12p1EDoGbHXmJDF2QXT7unqlfoaFeB3yBeykJ_Sl1i8qoke8UbzPXhzNjKo8jVTBA8a5K6MNshCUTs1MOVt6VSdKJzLHPtlXCr4gu9gVoDWJKQ/s1600/P1260218-+web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjql3fc51PoaGjgvXMDidZGyyLG12p1EDoGbHXmJDF2QXT7unqlfoaFeB3yBeykJ_Sl1i8qoke8UbzPXhzNjKo8jVTBA8a5K6MNshCUTs1MOVt6VSdKJzLHPtlXCr4gu9gVoDWJKQ/s320/P1260218-+web.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A little snapshot of my current neighborhood.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>My surroundings should soon be the Rocky Mountains again.</i></div><br />
</div></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-35780322325351953522011-01-10T13:47:00.004-07:002011-01-10T14:45:12.655-07:00Departure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GQ7DGrH1cbmVOMIfJVeZB0E46ASQgw63QyjCIKk0-UzTkytuG-gqXulNjrHdJ_XKAjNwXIE2FoX5rYbohorqG6LiEB8mRu0KGF9snHIoAFjcBLJYAe7oeULPdrU6ILpDqF55QA/s1600/01082011379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GQ7DGrH1cbmVOMIfJVeZB0E46ASQgw63QyjCIKk0-UzTkytuG-gqXulNjrHdJ_XKAjNwXIE2FoX5rYbohorqG6LiEB8mRu0KGF9snHIoAFjcBLJYAe7oeULPdrU6ILpDqF55QA/s320/01082011379.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just past sunrise, my last day at Camp Eggers.</i></div><br />
My time at NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan, and specifically at the Government of Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense, came to an end this past week as I began my trip homeward. The end of it all seemed abrupt -- although that's mainly due to my tendency to continue working until the very last minute, and thus refuse to pack or prepare for departure in a timely manner. Still, I found it exceedingly difficult to wash my hands of something that became my full-time work, and life, for the better part of a year. The nagging feeling (Irish guilt?) that I just could have done <i>MORE</i>, or better, persists...no matter how counterproductive it may be.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL7-K5Qjwczhlh3WXKNAcmW2vZIWti4-tG9M5HQeUh7xy245o_suTPZkfobZkMdOWeetmBNx04geNNS0sF__0UZU_k5Cxi9GvQHWR5dK89cxpKVuKzeQMK8r_YQwA0YH1WzK-Og/s1600/01082011380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL7-K5Qjwczhlh3WXKNAcmW2vZIWti4-tG9M5HQeUh7xy245o_suTPZkfobZkMdOWeetmBNx04geNNS0sF__0UZU_k5Cxi9GvQHWR5dK89cxpKVuKzeQMK8r_YQwA0YH1WzK-Og/s320/01082011380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The flags of Eggers with snowy mountains</i> <i>beyond. </i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi5BWWYjvbXAuyOk6oAVMKjSGfZWhluFDduL5OLeo2FZedcjXZSQZc9o-sVvYecrbnO_3p0nGO8VYZYk59Q77avIcnNVKUgtCr_WPZGg-S1jdLiyf61nB3tEHiFHGp9rfXE6UMQ/s1600/P1080001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNi5BWWYjvbXAuyOk6oAVMKjSGfZWhluFDduL5OLeo2FZedcjXZSQZc9o-sVvYecrbnO_3p0nGO8VYZYk59Q77avIcnNVKUgtCr_WPZGg-S1jdLiyf61nB3tEHiFHGp9rfXE6UMQ/s320/P1080001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My roommate Ken came to see me off...of course it took a Canadian lawyer for the camp to pair me with someone who took issue with our stubborn ways of doing business as much as I did.</i></div><br />
As I've noted already, it's a bittersweet feeling to leave...and it honestly got harder with each passing day. I almost lunged for yet another extension when it appeared that it would be in the best interest of my ministerial development team's mission, before deciding to press on with the (oddly, more difficult) course of calling it a day. I can't easily describe this to those who haven't deployed, or put in a similar stretch of time and effort in a challenging situation in a distant land. My brother phrased it as a form of Stockholm Syndrome, and he may be on to something with that. I'll go with an extreme case of attachment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitx2D8XRDXQGkMfU6OqwCg8f-KVl6TOilRRTcMp2l6-Mizh9WSN-7p2aKUACvqqkiYiOcoFYe54wG1HXsOha9RajAsVvbUxuzbgT9N71SZzf2tiuOEtwwaZ2SmLpT87JbVdoFS3A/s1600/P1080005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitx2D8XRDXQGkMfU6OqwCg8f-KVl6TOilRRTcMp2l6-Mizh9WSN-7p2aKUACvqqkiYiOcoFYe54wG1HXsOha9RajAsVvbUxuzbgT9N71SZzf2tiuOEtwwaZ2SmLpT87JbVdoFS3A/s320/P1080005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Most of my team, aka my Kabul family: Qais, Pam, Dave and John. Not pictured: Joe (back in the States after his year here) and Esmat, who just couldn't bear my departure ;)</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0YySH12jqbPM8UY1x9dgpfsTIzCsF-188sAHM8Gpf4Clio4uS07AxeJL4TYvGu8rLwbQSNiiBeltKn_l0G9R812UCllsS2BhjYRQhIGSaPd_ya_qF7GWZ6HjSpxNUAvkHjvCJA/s1600/P1080008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0YySH12jqbPM8UY1x9dgpfsTIzCsF-188sAHM8Gpf4Clio4uS07AxeJL4TYvGu8rLwbQSNiiBeltKn_l0G9R812UCllsS2BhjYRQhIGSaPd_ya_qF7GWZ6HjSpxNUAvkHjvCJA/s320/P1080008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My chariot awaits. It was the first time I'd taken ground transportation from Kabul to Bagram, and despite the appearance of the huge hulking obtrusive vehicle, it was a smooth ride.</i></div><br />
How is one supposed to gauge an experience like this, anyhow? I was asked a few times in the past couple of weeks about what positives and negatives, achievements and disappointments, I can name...and found that I couldn't answer very adequately, because it's all a blur. Due to the nature of advising, and building relationships, I stopped trying to see things in black-and-white terms of success or failure, and viewed what we were doing in terms of continuity of effort. That's not to say that goals and initiatives were forgotten; just that the big picture -- of trust, and independence rather than interdependence -- took priority over checks in the proverbial boxes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrkTAYTSAlJVBebG0kg79RSlyI_lMcL6Cu9P8v41jn0cmjpaccuFaPHGpKWHnkMaPUScuF4wweK0lTbkGnKBqBQRjlhKMIKsIVfCwnay14XgDTMEKCOeap8Lm5lv-xi_zzTPoCg/s1600/P1080039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrkTAYTSAlJVBebG0kg79RSlyI_lMcL6Cu9P8v41jn0cmjpaccuFaPHGpKWHnkMaPUScuF4wweK0lTbkGnKBqBQRjlhKMIKsIVfCwnay14XgDTMEKCOeap8Lm5lv-xi_zzTPoCg/s320/P1080039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ordered chaos: Kabul street scenes on my way north.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZA89DbiR_7iVAyHEFAL0jUadLegoFFNQRCg-R9qhR8GHbR7IwY5rt8InxgznXzsUSJCsf-rU5N08oLPF1mcE9LAiRsyrKzozwTvc_iRQ3z1LeTQT5w5fmbJlcd6hZOrftbDc-g/s1600/P1080043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZA89DbiR_7iVAyHEFAL0jUadLegoFFNQRCg-R9qhR8GHbR7IwY5rt8InxgznXzsUSJCsf-rU5N08oLPF1mcE9LAiRsyrKzozwTvc_iRQ3z1LeTQT5w5fmbJlcd6hZOrftbDc-g/s320/P1080043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Even Kabulis know how atrocious the air quality has become.</i></div><br />
The fact is that I don't know if I made a difference at all. I know that I gave it my all, and that I still have some regrets about how I could have handled one thing or another, or how I could have suffered less stress over developments that turned out to be inconsequential. I've done everything I could to restore faith in some Afghan partners that we stand behind them, even though uncertainty is certainly warranted -- how much of a stomach for very long-term nation-building do we really have? I am positive that my outlook on this entire conflict will never be the same after the view gained from "the inside" of Kabul's most powerful ministries, and I'm grateful to the colleagues who let me in on the real story so much of the time. It was often frustrating, sometimes hopeful, and always fascinating.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZQ4KnrpUwucQ_WsJZL2mHh3R7zZV5XUHXOJFHYqFqd6xCPRw9LEGuPB8r-zUj8DCSOe7fsvO12pb5Ivdka3-hM0AlVWTNSxiS_dAuP8WqCvhkp3bg_UwRyRzEwoTBixHTvPhGA/s1600/P1080057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZQ4KnrpUwucQ_WsJZL2mHh3R7zZV5XUHXOJFHYqFqd6xCPRw9LEGuPB8r-zUj8DCSOe7fsvO12pb5Ivdka3-hM0AlVWTNSxiS_dAuP8WqCvhkp3bg_UwRyRzEwoTBixHTvPhGA/s320/P1080057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A Kabul hill dotted with homes, whose kids play in the dry riverbed below. This drought is so severe, and has gone on so long: heartbreakingly cruel for a nation which has suffered this much.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw_fQgeodMt7iJqA3rmIGX2FbXszdR2kGWT5bkE8aQhVkhyiLSX5vPd1w6E_kq6fWR2XfTjZt8YAp-yC4D7ATE2D7d0MufiPbSiA3xxe61CXbKOVmK2sJxI2FaqC8haXzNkHjIg/s1600/P1080062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw_fQgeodMt7iJqA3rmIGX2FbXszdR2kGWT5bkE8aQhVkhyiLSX5vPd1w6E_kq6fWR2XfTjZt8YAp-yC4D7ATE2D7d0MufiPbSiA3xxe61CXbKOVmK2sJxI2FaqC8haXzNkHjIg/s320/P1080062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A peace-themed billboard features the late Ahmad Shah Massoud outside of Kabul. His legacy is often regarded as the only bond between factions which threaten still to split Afghanistan apart.</i></div><br />
I'm not done blogging about this deployment just because it's ending...not by a long shot. And unlike the last time, I hope to stick to my word on that. If you think there is little sense in doing so, just remember that most posts were long after the events they covered anyway, so it's just more of the same. There is a great deal that I did not have time to recap, from unauthorized social events to the incredible trip to Mazar-e-Sharif. On the other hand, if you've had enough and think it should end now that I'm on my way out, voice it! This blog could always stand to be more interactive...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rt_VO1Z1dojMq_2V2TMNasTxdlcalFAsZw2u_vSea7T51oxvDcU2ZcFiY2OcZvXtIrcxvv0xbypYrM7QDkKGVyunUUjgsq8TJeMoLb1T2-NzFbbYmoS3NUrPTqYSFuAKWB3DPw/s1600/P1080074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rt_VO1Z1dojMq_2V2TMNasTxdlcalFAsZw2u_vSea7T51oxvDcU2ZcFiY2OcZvXtIrcxvv0xbypYrM7QDkKGVyunUUjgsq8TJeMoLb1T2-NzFbbYmoS3NUrPTqYSFuAKWB3DPw/s320/P1080074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful snow-capped mountains emerge from obstructed view </i><br />
<i>as one climbs in elevation, heading north from Kabul.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-86855692901872740672011-01-01T14:51:00.005-07:002011-01-02T11:21:20.777-07:00Sal-e Now Mubarek!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojjsRS6UEElLe7DDC8pURaAodxOmMWvURigqWEpztSC5Emx1FrspMRmwVsFXtMDjJmtDCny-0MA7HMGXpWROV2VoAihVG9Z_R3VpzghKkXBJRehZXHEPlkgSyJFjBGs6cR8hDvw/s1600/P7110525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojjsRS6UEElLe7DDC8pURaAodxOmMWvURigqWEpztSC5Emx1FrspMRmwVsFXtMDjJmtDCny-0MA7HMGXpWROV2VoAihVG9Z_R3VpzghKkXBJRehZXHEPlkgSyJFjBGs6cR8hDvw/s320/P7110525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Departing Mongolians group photo, July 2010</i></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Or...Happy New Year! </span>Even though every one of my Afghan friends has incessantly reminded me that it's not <i>their</i> new year, which if I didn't know already, would be painfully obvious to me by now. Sprinkled throughout this late late rambling will be more leftover shots from the past Gregorian calendar year...which has only served to remind me that there are quite a few entire entries that still must go up, from wherever I am in coming months.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjfjWEfx3VMz33o6pLfWy8ixwEYGnLdqerzor4REwFlzrzVRTkqwtdhk96ySXwTj9xligCK1f234bqq6gmSOg80xsbuA6QnHqELv4XFLl5EWbhRIn89txpPlhpl-MC4ASLwnPtA/s1600/100723-M-9565H-049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjfjWEfx3VMz33o6pLfWy8ixwEYGnLdqerzor4REwFlzrzVRTkqwtdhk96ySXwTj9xligCK1f234bqq6gmSOg80xsbuA6QnHqELv4XFLl5EWbhRIn89txpPlhpl-MC4ASLwnPtA/s320/100723-M-9565H-049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Busted-up Soviet tank, Kabul - July '10</i></div><br />
I just tried for the past early-morning hour to boldly go where the AfghaniDan blog has never gone before, and add some music. I crossed my fingers, and said a prayer for it to work properly and play something for you all. I've taken video clips a number of times this deployment, some even with sound! (note to self: read camera manual next time), and tried to post two clips of live music. Alas, the weak wireless I pick up will not comply. Until post-deployment then, you'll just have to <i>imagine</i> the sounds of local music...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM1Mrd8kgi158SKdtQBRwZ6xhK1pJ39N38ztJpRjR84Fq1AT7sZOOxyzQctNEjHwbmt6lPL5O3dcv_QMtCcYxfXaSMfdmU1HUSG3HNu831QsrellVoFNeteMjGvKTW-diHRvq0Q/s1600/PA230137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM1Mrd8kgi158SKdtQBRwZ6xhK1pJ39N38ztJpRjR84Fq1AT7sZOOxyzQctNEjHwbmt6lPL5O3dcv_QMtCcYxfXaSMfdmU1HUSG3HNu831QsrellVoFNeteMjGvKTW-diHRvq0Q/s320/PA230137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This would be way cooler with music...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Afghan wedding, October 2010</i></div><br />
And now, a page from my final week. Imagine that you're in the pressure-packed world of Kabul, with its constant intrigue, jockeying for influence among bitter rivals, and ethnic and religious hatreds still simmering never far below the surface. In this environment, the slightest alteration of a word -- or more common still, the choice to translate into one word instead of another -- causes senior gov't officials, military commanders, even heads of state to lose...their heads. Imagine you are in the position of advising one of the most highly-visible personalities in the land, in his capacity as voice of the powerful Ministry of Defense (or the equivalent to our Pentagon, only proportionally even more influential...if you can imagine that). Now imagine that in that capacity, when your own command's leadership wants desperately and instantly to know what the ministry said in the press about something, you find you have to rely upon versions like this piece of work...<br />
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<b style="font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">MOD officials: “2010 was the bloodiest year for Afghanistan”.</span></b><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33XLzOYCGb7NH-3A3qd_hwvDEOgnoyvPnvmvBvMY1VcaosHBM_YnrSFW9-Gw9Oy4-G2Ct3Bc0PbsetJFn21lmO0IRgptWDL33k6kezaNw2lYPDglMwTVnc2dRLVvTc6qJ1v5qlA/s1600/azimi+podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33XLzOYCGb7NH-3A3qd_hwvDEOgnoyvPnvmvBvMY1VcaosHBM_YnrSFW9-Gw9Oy4-G2Ct3Bc0PbsetJFn21lmO0IRgptWDL33k6kezaNw2lYPDglMwTVnc2dRLVvTc6qJ1v5qlA/s320/azimi+podium.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"><br />
به گفته ي جنرال ظاهر عظیمی سخنگوی وزارت دفاع ملي در جریان سال 2010 علاوه بر کشته شدن صد ها فرد ملکی، پوليس و نیروهای خارجی بیش از 800 تن از سربازان اردوی ملی نیز جان های خود را از دست داده اند. </span><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="direction: rtl; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">“During 2010 year, in addition to killing hundreds of civilians, ANP and Coalition Forces</span><span dir="ltr" style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">, more than 800 ANA soldiers were killed</span><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">” said MOD Spokesperson.</span><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"> </span><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"><br />
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سخنگوی وزارت دفاع ملي افغانستان به<b> راديو آزادي </b>گفته است كه علت اساسی افزایش تلفات افراد ملکی و نیروهای اردوی ملی در این سال جاز سازی ماین های کنار سرک توسط مخالفان دولت بوده است. </span><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"></span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="direction: rtl; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;">“</span><span dir="ltr" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">The main reason of ANA casualties pertain to roadside bombs, which have been done through the Anti-Government militants” MOD Spokesperson told Radio Azadi.</span><span lang="AR-SA" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 170%;"><br />
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در همين حال عظیمی تاكيد كرده است که در جریان این سال به مخالفان مسلح دولت هم تلفات سنگیني وارد شده و بیشترين ضربه را ديده اند.</span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="direction: rtl; font-family: Times,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">Likewise, General Azimi added: “</span><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 170%;">During the recent year, also insurgents have been suffered heavy and further casualties.</span></div>_________________________<br />
<br />
You know how it invariably turns out, once each controversy runs its course? That my guy just repeated something that the Defense Minister said that morning. But such is the way it goes, I suppose...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUof4u7JihQEPEAem9_g0Nw1qfa080Ido0I3QjhaD2kqEZz8F9r5ykRy0oDK85MJHlGi-TDMZCoM4GV1cu6zrnZpcSmX71GRPh5wt0YYVc2bPvBWNSgFK2eq5q5B03rBs0lGCcrA/s1600/P7050484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUof4u7JihQEPEAem9_g0Nw1qfa080Ido0I3QjhaD2kqEZz8F9r5ykRy0oDK85MJHlGi-TDMZCoM4GV1cu6zrnZpcSmX71GRPh5wt0YYVc2bPvBWNSgFK2eq5q5B03rBs0lGCcrA/s320/P7050484.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kabul, Summer 2010: Election Season</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPhzcoC6Xk1gL9zduvsRU9aEfb90ee-GSoG4DEVlB_mEyDo0Xq7lOAKuH7hILf-wVfzB2XGCtXjTnzpcGL_eL9k1oUIRSbND6iXsX0nuyuzG6d-2Tsit-Uzna8nrICvmhsqAJ4g/s1600/100723-M-9565H-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPhzcoC6Xk1gL9zduvsRU9aEfb90ee-GSoG4DEVlB_mEyDo0Xq7lOAKuH7hILf-wVfzB2XGCtXjTnzpcGL_eL9k1oUIRSbND6iXsX0nuyuzG6d-2Tsit-Uzna8nrICvmhsqAJ4g/s320/100723-M-9565H-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Almost as inundated with campaign signs as Virginia...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Whoa, whoa! I only said "almost."</i></div><br />
On a related note (yes, I'm posting regularly now a portion of the nerdy stuff I spend hours reading each night...maybe it's a farewell thing?), I'm grateful to Anna Mulrine -- who also authored the link I sent about Khost province in yesterday's post -- for this story. I'm even more grateful to the anonymous senior US military official for making the point that many of us in the Public Affairs "trenches" have made for some time: highlighting civilian casualties, whether caused by ruthless insurgents or not, likely only furthers the feelings of insecurity among the population, lessening their inclination to support coalition objectives. This is the sense I get from conversations with Afghans from different age groups and backgrounds, and it's the policy of some experienced official spokespersons of Afghanistan's institutions for a reason. We like to dole out the advice: "Find the Afghan solution," but we don't like to listen to it and implement it ourselves. It ends up looking arrogant and counterproductive, if you ask me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/1231/How-Petraeus-has-changed-the-Afghanistan-war">CSM: How Petraeus has changed the Afghanistan war</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHXnBXnWLJewMYSIz1w4Q49b7w69ApW-aa9Ve2NdtfoRC_Et97imZMV6KdbKmH7BMzVpt5ZiHiCsntGSPz5FWALQ8PXoIcSAcw6T5ey1o6aKAI05NtJ6W7RpB4GP9JX3ek60SEQ/s1600/P7020305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHXnBXnWLJewMYSIz1w4Q49b7w69ApW-aa9Ve2NdtfoRC_Et97imZMV6KdbKmH7BMzVpt5ZiHiCsntGSPz5FWALQ8PXoIcSAcw6T5ey1o6aKAI05NtJ6W7RpB4GP9JX3ek60SEQ/s320/P7020305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Actual moment of Petraeus flying in to take command, 7/2/2010</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(I just happened to be on a roof at the airport compound)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What a weird period of time that McChrystal episode was.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryu3YK4ihBR5z6iTQ8xafvFc9w3UZ_xHqRyt6uPketxIiAfU4VOWapXb6i09Y_g2w0WjYn9VCaT51RzdukYCqTwJMHrItG2EvcsP9nwSi2uN7C4GxrOQ4aHBwT7_O1WY2XRsM-A/s1600/DSCF0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryu3YK4ihBR5z6iTQ8xafvFc9w3UZ_xHqRyt6uPketxIiAfU4VOWapXb6i09Y_g2w0WjYn9VCaT51RzdukYCqTwJMHrItG2EvcsP9nwSi2uN7C4GxrOQ4aHBwT7_O1WY2XRsM-A/s320/DSCF0700.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Another favorite: Bala Hissar, July '10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h7u0f5VY9vabLb9rP2_Iekp-y0Eek4HBnOyCaFgKrVYLcLE-2g7pVMfk1HmswqOHWma3MAE8F5ZaEVjtaMbnYwjGxPps15jo8omFz3GdZBI2IifIaADUUdJzLO9EGrHI9uFLvQ/s1600/09132010079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h7u0f5VY9vabLb9rP2_Iekp-y0Eek4HBnOyCaFgKrVYLcLE-2g7pVMfk1HmswqOHWma3MAE8F5ZaEVjtaMbnYwjGxPps15jo8omFz3GdZBI2IifIaADUUdJzLO9EGrHI9uFLvQ/s320/09132010079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hashing out "Strategic Communication," Sept '10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(under the grapes = best conference room ever)</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifc2707J9KOrsP8YYJxolrxBEOFZC7iHxE0_hA9Ke2NzuygLuEZQGG_5npukexyY9wLdglPLTO95-_kJx4wj2gpiIifj9a_PqPCiN5AM7Vz4mWjZ7n03eboD_4hevM89OILaBYBQ/s1600/P7110523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifc2707J9KOrsP8YYJxolrxBEOFZC7iHxE0_hA9Ke2NzuygLuEZQGG_5npukexyY9wLdglPLTO95-_kJx4wj2gpiIifj9a_PqPCiN5AM7Vz4mWjZ7n03eboD_4hevM89OILaBYBQ/s320/P7110523.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mongolian feats of strength, July '10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I love that his cap is airborne from the gut punch.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v4PJONphqKmpWsY20RE819XTVk_-upn8nQtr09TwlpN_u2AwKX98f5gPvlIEhII3c7aQv_kL365VPVbsx7Xd9t8_JMD8jNSShPqarQJE6qdvgbvUn_1X_DFDo6sqvr7A0A6z0w/s1600/P7020267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v4PJONphqKmpWsY20RE819XTVk_-upn8nQtr09TwlpN_u2AwKX98f5gPvlIEhII3c7aQv_kL365VPVbsx7Xd9t8_JMD8jNSShPqarQJE6qdvgbvUn_1X_DFDo6sqvr7A0A6z0w/s320/P7020267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>One terrified young groom.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wedding of a police general's son, July '10</i></div><br />
And as I've said before and will surely say again, the daily pressure I faced is absolutely nothing compared to the pressure faced by those who must make life-or-death decisions for their troops every day. They are the ones we must never forget to honor and remember. Two "wartime" deployments almost under my belt, and I'm still in awe when I hear the stories of daily life from a Marine or soldier who actually engages in armed combat on a regular basis...there is not enough we can do for these incredibly selfless warriors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/article_1f6df314-39e6-5e24-9d37-3b791ccf2029.html">NC Times: Bell tolls frequently for local Marines in Afghanistan</a><br />
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I know that I'm preaching to the choir, as the saying goes...that you readers of this blog are the kind of people that keep brave men and women in uniform in mind. And I know further that the work here in Kabul and in other safer spots is incredibly important. I say all that more to remind myself of the reality out there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK9EmB4unB0wFQhyt6O9_ROAfpH8x4Mi1w8ptIH6PEugAD2cBf8x49b7uE2-cyLZyRCmiShOvwfIfyIumNKc3LwrMJbxXAcfoNxid8qKLGTWhwOE6Kb35_vl-0BkHw-hCtwA5YA/s1600/PA210046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK9EmB4unB0wFQhyt6O9_ROAfpH8x4Mi1w8ptIH6PEugAD2cBf8x49b7uE2-cyLZyRCmiShOvwfIfyIumNKc3LwrMJbxXAcfoNxid8qKLGTWhwOE6Kb35_vl-0BkHw-hCtwA5YA/s320/PA210046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>ANA recruits at a special concert, October '10 </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FxBPm2LfAT0kDO7sAAU5lgCNj1ZAXjn_3bT63H0Ug5vT3qZgG2UF-qyN6Yg9q2mum9IhEVLQeHLLQFCYeeiHsk8Qb8zL9cX7zZvz5KTbQsdmc4Qi_em2xkLtPKQs1ZZczqJyfA/s1600/Fazel+2+-+Shamshad+lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FxBPm2LfAT0kDO7sAAU5lgCNj1ZAXjn_3bT63H0Ug5vT3qZgG2UF-qyN6Yg9q2mum9IhEVLQeHLLQFCYeeiHsk8Qb8zL9cX7zZvz5KTbQsdmc4Qi_em2xkLtPKQs1ZZczqJyfA/s320/Fazel+2+-+Shamshad+lunch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Before I learned to not smile in Afghan photos...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Fazel, owner/president of Shamshad TV; and Ching Eikenberry, </i><br />
<i>wife of the US ambassador to Afghanistan, July '10</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEv637MbSV__w2OLgvfyvMOYFxjXHt3HgenEyMPAeEcMKzH49ASKVOcKe8UKw_fD8K5cCsU04TYrpxcYZhB-WsXhbOpT9J8LAF-ZNJtcMfV09vpOj1FqswXdN8p8wk5D_8f7n8g/s1600/PA230117X.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEv637MbSV__w2OLgvfyvMOYFxjXHt3HgenEyMPAeEcMKzH49ASKVOcKe8UKw_fD8K5cCsU04TYrpxcYZhB-WsXhbOpT9J8LAF-ZNJtcMfV09vpOj1FqswXdN8p8wk5D_8f7n8g/s320/PA230117X.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Esmat, Esmat and Joe at a wedding - Oct 2010</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OalB-rH_jDXTpQJNwVMG7JLPJ4eluRKECmZCPfIAwvIcqV-Carw3Ui8gy7lfLdzxcZbhHIRvqEDoE-hER8a3Gm_eUgIEb1EsQ1Rh0evGyfcBwBuXiiI65a__UYPonLA2Pey0qQ/s1600/PA210089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OalB-rH_jDXTpQJNwVMG7JLPJ4eluRKECmZCPfIAwvIcqV-Carw3Ui8gy7lfLdzxcZbhHIRvqEDoE-hER8a3Gm_eUgIEb1EsQ1Rh0evGyfcBwBuXiiI65a__UYPonLA2Pey0qQ/s320/PA210089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Shafiq Mureed and Seeta Qasimi perform for Afghan troops, Oct '10</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T2bXXT5Li_MoC11ET-C8fGm4AJL5yyRmuSK-ZcRPqVaXGzx5B9vwb5JofNxkZzb2rpR8dzgD1SiJkr6sCq3MG__345clgdqevstB_1Dwgi2TQ0zLedwDPh6kOiSXk-wDdxB6hw/s1600/P7020300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T2bXXT5Li_MoC11ET-C8fGm4AJL5yyRmuSK-ZcRPqVaXGzx5B9vwb5JofNxkZzb2rpR8dzgD1SiJkr6sCq3MG__345clgdqevstB_1Dwgi2TQ0zLedwDPh6kOiSXk-wDdxB6hw/s320/P7020300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dutch soldiers cheer on their World Cup upset of Brazil.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kabul Airport, July '10</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q8dZfAMh01wK5N4ez7ftAEk719b8aWXqGeKxOTvKkr-t9-xhB1zcJJGiPn7M98K9LIBo4UIZVZfj89LWWTJ8qKLXkAlMXpQjVVULIE5MjyqFdVvGoOGsVUBpOOUD1x7g0x7T6A/s1600/P7230158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q8dZfAMh01wK5N4ez7ftAEk719b8aWXqGeKxOTvKkr-t9-xhB1zcJJGiPn7M98K9LIBo4UIZVZfj89LWWTJ8qKLXkAlMXpQjVVULIE5MjyqFdVvGoOGsVUBpOOUD1x7g0x7T6A/s320/P7230158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Someone want to tell me already that the new dame is whack?"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bala Hissar, Kabul - July '10</i></div><br />
There'll be more...some more postings hopefully from the 'stan (should dwindling time permit), and certainly more galleries from after I've left and can sort through some more of it. But it's on now to see what 2011 delivers...even if in Afghanistan, it's still 1389 for another 3 months or so. <i>No wonder</i> people seem to think that they are "stuck in time" here!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVekhmZnzYgLFRetHsf9ZS4sLJ-XREnkYJV1-iwT8dfwE4xk1F0sqyPgTisz1bsYd-HBRQK_fwXpmnQp6zYW-WScsgcdUeADbjtfIj5M_Tnh6j-Ks5Bufz46PAA3w_MUsaK7kmg/s1600/P7040324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVekhmZnzYgLFRetHsf9ZS4sLJ-XREnkYJV1-iwT8dfwE4xk1F0sqyPgTisz1bsYd-HBRQK_fwXpmnQp6zYW-WScsgcdUeADbjtfIj5M_Tnh6j-Ks5Bufz46PAA3w_MUsaK7kmg/s320/P7040324.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Casper comes running...a sight I'll dearly miss.</i><br />
<em>She just became a mom!</em></div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20639917.post-32261334451791144642010-12-31T16:01:00.003-07:002011-01-01T11:01:06.361-07:00Salaam alaikum, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCE22R8wC6wMThT3x-2I50cAd2X0wbOeeBRBQoFosn5ts9FcIOYZ7bXAvTSbdptqV4WNXXnEG7XSmf2UvyE-NMtfNnJdh-vjIUofgtxoQq0CLhJKHkbbvFnZfFO1GWqaDm3IUQw/s1600/08102010016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCE22R8wC6wMThT3x-2I50cAd2X0wbOeeBRBQoFosn5ts9FcIOYZ7bXAvTSbdptqV4WNXXnEG7XSmf2UvyE-NMtfNnJdh-vjIUofgtxoQq0CLhJKHkbbvFnZfFO1GWqaDm3IUQw/s320/08102010016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My favorite from 2010: The Lineup</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's the first minutes of 2011 in Kabul...and I find that when you consider time, it's weird enough that we make such a big deal out of one moment of a year, and even more so when the entire culture of our hosts doesn't recognize anything significant at all taking place except a new day about to begin (it doesn't change over to solar year 1390 until March). Here at Camp Eggers, there was some sort of party being held...but honestly, a New Year's Eve party bereft of alcohol makes about as much sense to me as Christmas without gifts, Thanksgiving without turkey, Halloween without a costume, or Labor Day without rest. And since I did all of those and more, I'm good on short-changing holidays for now, thank you!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJi6LvuqLYmWyEiQ5XKhGLPhbGV23VWr08wyGrIaGRY0QjBEZMXFMfNbU9XEOUEM-NNLjB9tKTjYdrI3jNexgJVRsA6xz4dE9A8ZKLS9Rut4vvq59w6lH_nqVGJQEHnbThiDQ-Q/s1600/12212010312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJi6LvuqLYmWyEiQ5XKhGLPhbGV23VWr08wyGrIaGRY0QjBEZMXFMfNbU9XEOUEM-NNLjB9tKTjYdrI3jNexgJVRsA6xz4dE9A8ZKLS9Rut4vvq59w6lH_nqVGJQEHnbThiDQ-Q/s320/12212010312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Downtown Kabul, late December 2010</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJi6LvuqLYmWyEiQ5XKhGLPhbGV23VWr08wyGrIaGRY0QjBEZMXFMfNbU9XEOUEM-NNLjB9tKTjYdrI3jNexgJVRsA6xz4dE9A8ZKLS9Rut4vvq59w6lH_nqVGJQEHnbThiDQ-Q/s1600/12212010312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiywIBU6h_5ymIRRWzcopn33xG22zoyhqIxiu9FQ2iVrE67GI0kNHmq1lf0UrFhFUC2M0427tumq-VQpVcggWONcRmFFVPXwUU-_ArWiClY-lz0M2uh4PrajJNoL_2rhPMeA1Aw/s1600/12212010314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiywIBU6h_5ymIRRWzcopn33xG22zoyhqIxiu9FQ2iVrE67GI0kNHmq1lf0UrFhFUC2M0427tumq-VQpVcggWONcRmFFVPXwUU-_ArWiClY-lz0M2uh4PrajJNoL_2rhPMeA1Aw/s320/12212010314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Why study hard when you can learn tricks?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And who do you think the English "Stop" is for?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJi6LvuqLYmWyEiQ5XKhGLPhbGV23VWr08wyGrIaGRY0QjBEZMXFMfNbU9XEOUEM-NNLjB9tKTjYdrI3jNexgJVRsA6xz4dE9A8ZKLS9Rut4vvq59w6lH_nqVGJQEHnbThiDQ-Q/s1600/12212010312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax8Kt9Hd-TexhMEp9SPJ8hpXBu9JnyD0yP5rTju7NQuIKmaBKuHwa5rec7v6BP6A785uk_hHjNv8VmAZabs0pv2oRoCE_SeAArynSSrn4J8PPm2_HjgyS7O7bnesuR3GwzaB5nw/s1600/12222010324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax8Kt9Hd-TexhMEp9SPJ8hpXBu9JnyD0yP5rTju7NQuIKmaBKuHwa5rec7v6BP6A785uk_hHjNv8VmAZabs0pv2oRoCE_SeAArynSSrn4J8PPm2_HjgyS7O7bnesuR3GwzaB5nw/s320/12222010324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"What is wrong with you people? It's still 1389!" </i></div><br />
I don't know about most...judging by what I saw of the camp, the majority were sticking to their usual early bedtimes. I simply went up to the roof of my work building around midnight, lit up a Swisher Sweet (classy, I know -- failed to plan ahead for a cuban or anything), popped open a nonalcoholic Beck's, and stood around freezing for a while with some sailors and airmen who work in the Public Affairs Office for the command. Unlike all of those scenes on CNN of every capital city bursting into a party at the stroke of midnight, Kabul was completely and utterly silent. Honestly, it was refreshing to have a year change over without one of those silly countdowns, which always amuse the hell out of me in a grotesque sort of way. Have you ever stood on the fringes of a party and simply watched as a roomful of people frantically count down to midnight? It's fascinating! But knowing that I could have been doing one of those silly countdowns as it's led by Phish, in Madison Square Garden, with my younger brother...well, that was harder to stomach. Still, this one will be memorable in its own way. That is, if the homecoming tour doesn't demolish my memory entirely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbDEsUlfW1qYezokVEBVDXtov0fY-84pk09kuql3crfXInmbuuug24dZwu47SwQDGNGx6Yr2YI6MufvxrxgYCYESjrw_nibJas3tKeYSuxGBjQqrZbV2KiOA-F-kLy81RhsZMIg/s1600/12212010304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbDEsUlfW1qYezokVEBVDXtov0fY-84pk09kuql3crfXInmbuuug24dZwu47SwQDGNGx6Yr2YI6MufvxrxgYCYESjrw_nibJas3tKeYSuxGBjQqrZbV2KiOA-F-kLy81RhsZMIg/s320/12212010304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Taliban? Haqqani? Nope, just government thugs. Whew.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasBa4Wo3euPsolL6fSMT7zi7ngLm-L6iXXlivhwvqysrp61l0sNPO_EHOvU1FKRco5PMWBJy4f69s7MdmGinds9MvubSmHcGp1DbBiAvC-cY6cU6r9RiJoEPdNRDiWLEcOAjq-g/s1600/12212010309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasBa4Wo3euPsolL6fSMT7zi7ngLm-L6iXXlivhwvqysrp61l0sNPO_EHOvU1FKRco5PMWBJy4f69s7MdmGinds9MvubSmHcGp1DbBiAvC-cY6cU6r9RiJoEPdNRDiWLEcOAjq-g/s320/12212010309.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Traffic jams in Kabul are fierce...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeGHvNjEGYQbULQV7Ry-gHxqpbH4hN-C7ljns0Z1babaZX5tO7njSpQPCwi8kDVWQlg2mpJuo7aVaC5E01vlt7U3nKa-WKFr6W-Fb7Ahvjh47WfNfjIoz2k55-9CBYv74EUItuA/s1600/12212010315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeGHvNjEGYQbULQV7Ry-gHxqpbH4hN-C7ljns0Z1babaZX5tO7njSpQPCwi8kDVWQlg2mpJuo7aVaC5E01vlt7U3nKa-WKFr6W-Fb7Ahvjh47WfNfjIoz2k55-9CBYv74EUItuA/s320/12212010315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>...and omnipresent.</i></div><br />
So what's going on around here as the western calendar turns, you ask? In Kabul, it's politics, politics, and...did I say politics? Everything is political in nature here: the alliances, the business relationships, foreign policy, monetary policy, social policy, and on it goes. Within the bubble, it can be very difficult to gauge how things look to the commanders, foot soldiers, aid workers and others in the field...and as a few seasoned reporters have pointed out, it remains night and day: you get one story in the capital, you see another in the provinces. Now and then, a piece of journalism stands out, and I thought this one to be an astute and honest look at the challenges taken on by the overall commander (and by extension, all 150,000+ NATO/US/Coalition troops and civilians here)...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/28/AR2010122804001.html">Washington Post: Questions for Gen. Petraeus</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Q8lr_ZVIhV5IrGqiHBIneXkKzfpinbiWb3c8P0ghSVwgLSuW3HZZixHzyOwAEVSgB3gn_Sb3B972lIzbE4ZDdxtrF8eRkAkorZeDf5cnXUNCjhmIswqr6MpIdGXvPQWX-aJ8w/s1600/12212010308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Q8lr_ZVIhV5IrGqiHBIneXkKzfpinbiWb3c8P0ghSVwgLSuW3HZZixHzyOwAEVSgB3gn_Sb3B972lIzbE4ZDdxtrF8eRkAkorZeDf5cnXUNCjhmIswqr6MpIdGXvPQWX-aJ8w/s320/12212010308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Why haul around that heavy load?</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DD1A2qP40rFBIIZ55qXJUeuBXyx-HLn38LNiTBwJWmQJ36QGMjd78yg5gXZhU8-HxEFcaheSWJr9XcLFccckc-_upA46bnTyTmB7lZvV_FzE_wE_GXgNKHGGelMSyiDR08sg0A/s1600/12212010311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DD1A2qP40rFBIIZ55qXJUeuBXyx-HLn38LNiTBwJWmQJ36QGMjd78yg5gXZhU8-HxEFcaheSWJr9XcLFccckc-_upA46bnTyTmB7lZvV_FzE_wE_GXgNKHGGelMSyiDR08sg0A/s320/12212010311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Just hit the Prestige Super Market for your needs!</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsoH-h8kWj1dG4PHLwKqEdHkDI8rMzmvk0KyV07jQP0eR135Cq8jEn1F5FJ6aW4baWWaFT9PpPufvnX4ddqUjrjz-yljwnRMTNyv4lqRccdsdLr-Mr5xikvgzozHBCoPFbnF7Hg/s1600/12222010325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsoH-h8kWj1dG4PHLwKqEdHkDI8rMzmvk0KyV07jQP0eR135Cq8jEn1F5FJ6aW4baWWaFT9PpPufvnX4ddqUjrjz-yljwnRMTNyv4lqRccdsdLr-Mr5xikvgzozHBCoPFbnF7Hg/s320/12222010325.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Chillin' at the traffic circle umbrella.</i></div><br />
You know, I rant plenty about the frustrations of duty in Kabul...while careful always (I hope) to caveat that with the admission that we do enjoy safety and security here, compared to troops in daily danger in some places around the country. But working under the big flagpole has its upside, which is particularly illustrated when you get to unexpectedly cross paths with some guests of the command you're happy to see around. (<em>What's that, a teaser? Damn straight it is...</em>) Consider especially how marginalized Marines are in the joint forces commands of this city, and everywhere in Afghanistan but for Helmand (aka "Marine-istan"), with very Army-heavy ranking officers, staffs and troops...then you might understand the lift from this surprise.<br />
<br />
General Amos, the newly minted Marine Corps Commandant, came to town the other day after spending a whirlwind Christmas visiting every command and outpost in the Southwest of Afghanistan where he could find Marines...which is a lot. Read a bit about it here from a reporter who traveled with him:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/12/26/u-s-general-makes-big-impact-on-christmas/">US General makes big impact on Christmas</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAS5lLHYXaD6ZKANfwTsjhfF91nzC7k7Fy9Uc5LnFVwV0E5ACZFL3tYRLUoI-W4O2VnBT7GmDNqT0gFQ-1YWZay6duXg7PAV8KmU6ZVQaI6JKSoxLTj5XysYiGkUYLiFtZsGtHA/s1600/DSC_0029%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAS5lLHYXaD6ZKANfwTsjhfF91nzC7k7Fy9Uc5LnFVwV0E5ACZFL3tYRLUoI-W4O2VnBT7GmDNqT0gFQ-1YWZay6duXg7PAV8KmU6ZVQaI6JKSoxLTj5XysYiGkUYLiFtZsGtHA/s320/DSC_0029%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Say General, can you spare a jacket?"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Suck it up, Marine." "Aye aye, Sir!"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A sobering example of the challenges faced around the country can be found in eastern Khost province, where I spent the majority of my last tour. I'm not sure I agree that it was a <em>model</em> province then, but it did seem to be relatively secure despite a long border with Pakistan, a Pashtun majority, and weak government institutions. It then seemed to be sliding, and it's unclear still if that slide has been arrested. This report is worth a read, as a capsule of the many unstable areas we hope to turn around...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/1230/Afghanistan-war-how-a-model-province-tumbled-into-violence">Afghanistan war: How a model province tumbled into violence</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now for some 2010 leftovers. There are a number of galleries I haven't even sorted through enough to post yet, but a select shot from here or there couldn't hurt. Here are some of the moments from the past year I don't think I've shared (if I'm wrong, it could have something to do with staying up until 3 am every night)...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YtCxpU03QvxgW6zD80AmfrCb2Y5yyyGN74AgWLyyMmYW7mf5BJaNt6yz4ttcA234Lh40RWmL9we7XFwPX3kB2GdwFDgVTByrPnqzOSnPNwz_nO-Mc1dfmBaZ13cXN7d4P3W-xw/s1600/No+man+is+an+island.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YtCxpU03QvxgW6zD80AmfrCb2Y5yyyGN74AgWLyyMmYW7mf5BJaNt6yz4ttcA234Lh40RWmL9we7XFwPX3kB2GdwFDgVTByrPnqzOSnPNwz_nO-Mc1dfmBaZ13cXN7d4P3W-xw/s320/No+man+is+an+island.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No man is an island, unless he wants to be.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW10R-2X0X8u4wEEpH1i43QpcRgZcmGrbpWWFRv0L2qsrjtp64JhoNwyO0fvw3ub0Sx2AlIwwy9M3dZy7P9XDA0zU-bZp1HKPpJuN271XQpz31xL7sorsxjihAhxniD173Pt5sNQ/s1600/P6210146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW10R-2X0X8u4wEEpH1i43QpcRgZcmGrbpWWFRv0L2qsrjtp64JhoNwyO0fvw3ub0Sx2AlIwwy9M3dZy7P9XDA0zU-bZp1HKPpJuN271XQpz31xL7sorsxjihAhxniD173Pt5sNQ/s320/P6210146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The great mosque, downtown Kabul</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrvZQCYHx_4U7uqOiN-oNDFIFRnAc-dQrAiaHCL3Wr4UQVFRZdmM9syMT7ZE95Zodnan1mPhOcY3QwCN7wQyxbkHBmMOWr1-EG8HqlzyFrnE3rq1PiYS9-KtA1iwiY5NARYqdzA/s1600/P6200047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrvZQCYHx_4U7uqOiN-oNDFIFRnAc-dQrAiaHCL3Wr4UQVFRZdmM9syMT7ZE95Zodnan1mPhOcY3QwCN7wQyxbkHBmMOWr1-EG8HqlzyFrnE3rq1PiYS9-KtA1iwiY5NARYqdzA/s320/P6200047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Helicopter housing an internet cafe, Shamshad TV</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoktr4ZQ15img7ZDhAy1b3k7TPku0q9NgUCkACsIsHOcNMN2Dg6QUehbYffEFOe1jbwgmi2UkBTUpBxrxlYz27vhpnE-croh0Mzf63KL_IUxIJxYO5YPHU6ETRHScXiCdQD3QCyQ/s1600/P7040379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoktr4ZQ15img7ZDhAy1b3k7TPku0q9NgUCkACsIsHOcNMN2Dg6QUehbYffEFOe1jbwgmi2UkBTUpBxrxlYz27vhpnE-croh0Mzf63KL_IUxIJxYO5YPHU6ETRHScXiCdQD3QCyQ/s320/P7040379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Palaces of old...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Darul Aman, the King's Palace, in ruins)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZmonpGDxCfiQ8pHwh3o71kUeCNqgWvARM5bpUZOWDrD8KuiJh6ULaq9jDD5-ywj_W48D7fYNDWwNC78-hVSdrHycKtV8FhEO1b6ZSOqht9bZes647WyUD3Et2VarQ9pwBuFxBA/s1600/P6210161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZmonpGDxCfiQ8pHwh3o71kUeCNqgWvARM5bpUZOWDrD8KuiJh6ULaq9jDD5-ywj_W48D7fYNDWwNC78-hVSdrHycKtV8FhEO1b6ZSOqht9bZes647WyUD3Et2VarQ9pwBuFxBA/s320/P6210161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Palaces new.<br />
(Kabul Shahan, one of many glitzy wedding halls)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMXeuJRRZ_DBhhihQgNbJ5egWlAwWrogYqU75O1kehThNvqo-q-p21rZRxxHCbbUYlyObwPzqI7q3Td4avFz5_w-TQ_jm4C_Ye_PNb9rj63mblkMLhBzN01gtqGG8s9BscfFjpQ/s1600/P8010044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMXeuJRRZ_DBhhihQgNbJ5egWlAwWrogYqU75O1kehThNvqo-q-p21rZRxxHCbbUYlyObwPzqI7q3Td4avFz5_w-TQ_jm4C_Ye_PNb9rj63mblkMLhBzN01gtqGG8s9BscfFjpQ/s320/P8010044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Still packin' heat, but in civvies...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(the only time in the past 8 months!)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHl106qKNrb4Bgx69wdOnBzXdPaS9shlflNiFDbnszxEbf4ORg8i7C1lwuwkXBSK7zND7MffHK9foErQrajc1ihHU_IMofKDOyQnMe7R1_eGY3_esPEdQIJy1u_R7sDjJuXQ-wNg/s1600/100918-MPRI-PS-015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHl106qKNrb4Bgx69wdOnBzXdPaS9shlflNiFDbnszxEbf4ORg8i7C1lwuwkXBSK7zND7MffHK9foErQrajc1ihHU_IMofKDOyQnMe7R1_eGY3_esPEdQIJy1u_R7sDjJuXQ-wNg/s320/100918-MPRI-PS-015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pam's photograph: She gets a sly smile from Minister of the Interior </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(and former Chief of Staff of the Army) Bismullah Khan Mohammady</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73nf9yh4k-gUu9MEKVakJo94PGacyoq23zK4j8N7YzXo3MpAVtEbIFD1dCj33wTQ59ifxHoqpe-JcVJDeRf5TWGhGjA3yxBqtIF3IYxsiz689YLiEzO860HLexy9UjbNKQ5k2Mg/s1600/P9120045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73nf9yh4k-gUu9MEKVakJo94PGacyoq23zK4j8N7YzXo3MpAVtEbIFD1dCj33wTQ59ifxHoqpe-JcVJDeRf5TWGhGjA3yxBqtIF3IYxsiz689YLiEzO860HLexy9UjbNKQ5k2Mg/s320/P9120045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A lazy cat amused us for hours at the Gandamack...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfHpELZQevIYiWufuD_7fmc3zPW886sdcdAHCsx4KFrgXW6lU5m67mk1BfO5j_NAKDS3XEfEFsmhucmxsWoNxbpWOjsjHAnyY5Iu7aNy1zhfczexarPggg4r13mPEqIMZI-hJ0g/s1600/DSC_0001_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfHpELZQevIYiWufuD_7fmc3zPW886sdcdAHCsx4KFrgXW6lU5m67mk1BfO5j_NAKDS3XEfEFsmhucmxsWoNxbpWOjsjHAnyY5Iu7aNy1zhfczexarPggg4r13mPEqIMZI-hJ0g/s320/DSC_0001_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>...while I amused myself with an ancient British arsenal.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Those Brits and their colonialism...will they ever learn? ;)</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Happy New Year, loyal readers!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>DagarDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147536721447977860noreply@blogger.com6