Afghanistan Conflict Monitor

US New Counternarcotics Strategy: Promises & Potential Pitfalls

'The Obama Administration's New Counternarcotics Strategy in Afghanistan: Its Promises and Potential Pitfalls', Brookings Institution, 29 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Nearly eight years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime, Afghanistan remains far from stable. As President Barack Obama considers alternatives to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, his administration's new counternarcotics strategy meshes well with counterinsurgency and state-building efforts in the country. It is a welcome break from previous ineffective and counterproductive policies. The effectiveness of the policy with respect to counternarcotics, counterinsurgency and state-building, however, will depend on the operationalization of the strategy. The details are not yet clear, but the strategy potentially faces many pitfalls. Efforts to bankrupt the Taliban through eradication are futile and counterproductive since they cement the bonds between the population and the Taliban. But interdiction is very unlikely to bankrupt the Taliban either. Security needs to come first before any counternarcotics policy has a chance of being effective."

To continue reading the article, click here [pdf].

See also:
'Afghanistan's drug czar - world's toughest job', CNN, 30 September 2009
'Afghanistan needs more NATO help to fight drugs', 27 September 2009
'Opium war: How should US fight drugs in Afghanistan? [video]', Russia Today, 27 September 2009

Related posts:
'Taliban drug proceeds lower than thought', 12 August 2009
'US to hunt down drug lords tied to Taliban', 10 August 2009
'No more opium, no more money', 4 August 2009
'Drug cultivation plummets as demand falls', 24 June 2009
'Poppies pose dilemma', 31 March 2009

Afghanistan's Hard Summer

'Afghanistan's Hard Summer: The Impact On European Troop Contributing Nations', The Finnish Institute of International Affairs, 30 September 2009

EXCERPT: "The summer of 2009 has been without a doubt a bad one for ISAF, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The increase in fighting this summer has led to debates in most of the troop contributing nations as to how they perceive Afghanistan’s future and their role in it. A complex insurgency has spread across the country as different groups have come together under the banner of the Taliban fighting both the international troops and the Afghan government. In the south and the east of Afghanistan, where guerilla warfare has been ongoing for at least three years, the fighting has intensified and an increase in the technical abilities and tactical skill of the Taliban insurgents has taken a heavy toll on coalition soldiers. In the north and west of Afghanistan—previously considered safer areas—the security situation has worsened considerably and troops who had been able to focus predominantly on reconstruction work are increasingly finding themselves soldiering in far more traditional ways."

To continue reading the report, click here.

See also:
'Younger Finns most eager supporters of Finnish peace-keeping operation in Afghanistan', Helsingin Sanomat, 30 September 2009
'If Afghanistan is its test, NATO is failing', Asia Times Online, 30 September 2009
'NATO official: Afghanistan war not just US burden', NPR, 29 September 2009
'NATO's trouble in Afghanistan gives courage to Al-Qaida, Taliban ', China View, 27 September 2009

Related posts:
'2009 deadliest year for NATO troops', 25 August 2009
'Govts place restrictions on NATO forces', 20 August 2009
'Critical failures in resourcing Afghan and Iraq wars', 11 August 2009
'NATO: From Kosovo to Kabul', 15 July 2009
'NATO Afghanistan report 2009', 1 April 2009

Canadian PRT Could Remain In Afghanistan

'Canadian PRT Could Remain In Afghanistan, MacKay Hints', The Canadian Press, 30 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Canada could still have soldiers in Afghanistan beyond 2011, although the government maintains that 'combat' operations will cease. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said Canada will pull its troops out of Afghanistan by 2011. But the government is considering many options for continuing to help the Afghan population - including security, which would undoubtedly involve an unspecified number of soldiers, said Defence Minister Peter MacKay. 'It involves securing, but working to develop the countryside, working to invest in infrastructure,' said MacKay. 'Working to help build capacity, immunizing children, educating children, building democratic institutions - all of which Canada is involved in now.' Much of that development, medical aid and reconstruction work falls to Canada's provincial reconstruction team, or PRT, based in Kandahar. When specifically asked Tuesday whether Canada's PRT would remain in the volatile region, MacKay would not rule it out."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'What's next for Canada in Afghanistan?', The Globe and Mail, 30 September 2009
'Independent Afghan security still a long way off', The Canadian Press, 27 September 2009
'Afghan stability improves with more troops, Canadian chief says', Bloomberg, 25 September 2009
'Canada's top civilian in Kandahar vows to "connect" with Afghans', Canada.com, 23 September 2009

Related posts:
'MacKay to NATO: No more Canadian troops', 26 August 2009
'Dutch withdrawal harbinger of Canadian dilemma', 24 July 2009
'54 percent of Canadians oppose Afghan mission', 16 July 2009
'Canada's fourth quarterly report on Afghanistan', 3 June 2009
'Canada's Afghan mission costs $11.3 billion', 26 February 2009

Mullah Omar Not In Pakistan: Taliban Commander

 'Mullah Omar Not In Pakistan, Taliban Commander Says', Reuters, 30 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is not in Pakistan and the United States is only saying he is there to justify an expansion of its drone missile strikes, a Taliban commander said on Wednesday. The Washington Post said this week U.S. officials had expressed concern over the ability of Omar and his lieutenants to launch attacks into Afghanistan from sanctuaries around the Pakistani city of Quetta. Pakistan has long denied that Omar or any of his commanders are based in Pakistan but it has been unable to dispel the suspicion in Washington and Kabul. Several Taliban members have been detained in Pakistan. Mounting U.S. concern about Omar and his so-called Quetta shura, or leadership council, comes as the United States weighs options on how to deal with an intensifying Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. A Taliban commander, Hayatullah Khan, told Reuters by telephone that the entire Taliban leadership was in Afghanistan."

To continue reading the articles, click here.

See also:
'US Ambassador says Quetta Shura high on US list', DAWN, 30 September 2009
'Troop surge revealed Taliban strength, Natynczyk says', The Globe and Mail, 30 September 2009
'Taliban commander killed in north Afghanistan', China View, 29 September 2009
'Obama says Afghanistan, Pakistan stability key to his goals', VOA News, 25 September 2009
'Factbox: Insurgency in Afghanistan: who are they?', Reuters, 25 September 2009

Related posts:
'Taliban widen Afghan attacks from base in Pakistan', 24 September 2009
'Taliban growth in north threatens to expand war', 31 August 2009
'ISAF commander's counterinsurgency guidance', 28 August 2009
'The Afghan-Pakistan war: The shifting nature of the threat', 12 August 2009
'A strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan-Pakistan', 1 April 2009

Insecurity Continues To Plague Afghanistan: UN

'Decisions On Forming Effective Government In Afghanistan Will Determine Prospects For Ending Conflict, Top Official Tells Security Council in Briefing', United Nations Press Release - Security Council 6194th Meeting (AM), 29 September 2009

EXCERPT: "The Security Council had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (document A/64/364-S/2009/475), which reviews the activities of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) since the Secretary-General’s report of 23 June (document A/73/892-S/2009/323). According to the report, the results of the 20 August presidential and provincial council elections have not been certified yet, but the Independent Election Commission’s success in opening, equipping and staffing thousands of polling centres was an achievement in itself, since it was the first time it had run elections entirely on its own, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). However, voting was unquestionably marred by irregularities, and a campaign of intimidation by the Taliban stifled voter turnout, particularly in the south. "

To continue reading the press release, click here.

To continue reading the report, click here [pdf].

See also:
'Security remains number one obstacle in rebuilding Afghanistan', China View, 29 September 2009
'West should redirect Afghanistan money to north, says UN aide', The Guardian, 28 September 2009
'UN warns Afghan vote results could spark more violence', VOA News, 26 September 2009
'Legitimacy and the Afghan army', The New Yorker, 24 September 2009

Related posts:
'UNAMA split over how to deal with election fraud', 16 September 2009
'Years-wasted in Afghan effort', 1 September 2009
'1013 civilian deaths in the first six months of 2009', 31 July 2009
'Mid-year review of the 2009 humanitarian action plan', 21 July 2009
'Terrorism kills more civilians than military action', 13 July 2009

Afghan Vote Result Up To Officials: Karzai Spokesman

'Afghan Vote Result Up To Officials: Karzai Spokesman', AFP, 29 September 2009

EXCERPT: "The final result of Afghanistan's fraud-tainted presidential election will be determined by electoral authorities investigating suspect ballots, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday. Based on preliminary results, Karzai has 54.6 percent of the votes declared valid, against 27.8 percent for rival Abdullah Abdullah. The result however will not be finalised until several electoral fraud investigations are resolved. The Washington Post reported on Monday that the US and NATO countries with forces in Afghanistan have told Karzai's government they believe he will be re-elected despite problems with the August 20 vote. Reacting to the report, Karzai's spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said: 'The outcome of the Afghan election will be determined by the votes of the Afghan people. The institution that is responsible for counting those votes is the Afghan Independent Election Commission and it is only their verdict that will determine the outcome of the elections,' he said."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'US, Allies vow support for Karzai', The Washington Post, 28 September 2009
'High stakes in Afghan vote recount', BBC News, 28 September 2009
'Abdullah vows to fight it out for fair vote recount', Gulf News, 28 September 2009
'Two perspectives on resolving the Afghan postelection crisis', Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 28 September 2009
'First results in provincial Afghan elections released', AFP, 26 September 2009

Related posts:
'Partial vote recount starts in Afghanistan', 25 September 2009
'Toward an Afghan democracy?', 17 September 2009
'Political quaqmire in Afghanistan', 17 September 2009
'Election commission throws out suspect votes', 10 September 2009
'Polling day fraud in the Afghan elections', 4 September 2009

Taliban Sowing Fear Along Afghanistan's Highways

 'Taliban Roadway Attacks Spread Fear In Afghanistan', The Associated Press, 29 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Taliban militants are sowing fear along Afghanistan's highways with stepped-up checkpoints, hijackings and bombs — including one Tuesday that killed at least 30 bus passengers in the south. Afghan authorities say the attacks, often carried out by only a handful of militants, are part of a psychological campaign to convince civilians that Taliban control is spreading. 'It is quite possible for a group of three to five insurgents to come out on the highway and attack a convoy,' said the Interior Ministry spokesman, Zemarai Bashary. 'Maybe thousands of people will travel that day and they are watching that convoy burning.' Militants are planting more roadside bombs than ever, killing far more Afghan civilians than Afghan or coalition soldiers. The bombings — and ambushes with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades — are increasingly taking place on main roads against trucks and buses. Some attacks are in areas where Taliban have long held sway, such as Kandahar, the group's spiritual birthplace, but others are in regions where militant activity has risen only recently, such as in the north."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'30 killed when Afghan bus hits roadside bomb', Los Angeles Times, 29 September 2009
'Escalating insurgency, conflicts claim over 150 lives in Afghanistan in one week', China View, 29 September 2009
'Taliban insurgency', PRI, 29 September 2009

Related posts:
'Taliban present in 80% of Afghanistan', 10 September 2009
'Afghan highway symbol of mission in crisis', 9 September 2009
'The Taliban's winning strategy in Afghanistan', 7 July 2009
'Afghan security obstacles "interconnected": UNSG', 26 June 2009
'NATO figures show surge in violence', 31 January 2009

Securing Helmand

Jeffrey A. Dressler, 'Securing Helmand: Understanding And Responding To The Enemy', Institute for the Study of War, 28 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Southern Afghanistan is ground-zero for the Taliban insurgency, and this is especially evident in Helmand province. Helmand is notorious, if not for the flourishing narcotics trade, then for the Taliban insurgency that dominates large swaths of territory. The coalition’s lack of sufficient resources and a clear strategy has resulted in an overstretched force incapable of maintaining the initiative against a determined, organized and well entrenched enemy. Although the situation in Helmand is serious, a coherent, sufficiently-resourced strategy that focuses on the proven principles of counterinsurgency can reverse the course of the war in one of Afghanistan’s most menacing provinces. Indeed, the hard-fought security gains in the province over the 2009 summer months have helped to establish the necessary preconditions for efforts going forward. Yet, a discussion of the way forward in Helmand necessitates a clearer understanding of the enemy, the terrain, and past failures of coalition efforts."

To continue reading the report, click here [pdf].

See also:
'Afghans cool to prospect of more US troops', ABC News, 29 September 2009
'Out in force - Military operations in Helmand province', Jane's, 28 September 2009
'The Afghanistan problem: Why are we in Helmand?', TIME, 17 September 2009

Related posts:
'Taliban grip on Helmand remains strong', 7 May 2009
'Militants, criminals plague south Afghanistan', 12 September 2008
'Helmand: The world's most dangerous place', 18 July 2008
'Rotation of coalition forces brings new hope to Helmand province', 12 June 2008

NATO Tactics Must Change: NATO Chief

'NATO-Led Force Must Change Afghanistan Tactics, NATO Chief Says', Bloomberg, 28 September

EXCERPT: "NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said nations fighting the war in Afghanistan must change their tactics and tout successes or risk losing public support there and at home. 'Reaching our goal in Afghanistan is not guaranteed,' Rasmussen told an audience at the Atlantic Council policy group in Washington today. It was his first speech in the U.S. since taking over as the alliance’s top official on Aug. 1. 'We cannot continue to do exactly what we’re doing now,' Rasmussen said. 'Things are going to have to change.' The North Atlantic Treaty Organization leads the 41-nation military campaign to end the insurgency by the Taliban, which shielded al-Qaeda in Afghanistan before being ousted by the U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The U.S. has 65,000 troops in the country, with the remainder of the 103,000-strong foreign force contributed by NATO members and other allies. President Barack Obama is reviewing whether to continue with a strategy in Afghanistan that focuses on protecting and supporting the population."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:

'NATO chief on Afghanistan: We're not running from the fight', The Christian Science Monitor, 28 September 2009

'NATO chief to allay US "doubts"', BBC News, 28 September 2009

'Rasmussen: "Things are going to change" in Afghanistan', Atlantic Council, 28 September 2009

Related posts:

'Winning in Afghanistan: How the US will win or lose the war', 15 September 2009

'US, NATO general completes review, calls for change', 31 August 2009

'ISAF commander's counterinsurgency guidance', 28 August 2009

'A "new" strategy for Afghanistan and its region', 12 August 2009

'The Afghanistan campaign: Can we win?', 22 July 2009

Canadian Soldiers Ordered To Report ANA Child Abuse

'Soldiers Should Stop Or Report Abuse In Afghanistan: MacKay', The Toronto Star, 28 September 2009

EXCERPT: "Canadian soldiers have been explicitly ordered to stop or report incidents of Afghan soldiers or interpreters raping young boys, the defence minister says. Peter MacKay maintains there is no evidence to support allegations that senior officers have turned a blind eye to the troubling abuse, which is the subject of an ongoing military investigation. Even so, he felt compelled to lay out the law Monday to clear any possible confusion. 'We require that any wrongdoing that a Canadian soldier would see in Afghanistan or anywhere would be no less than the expectation that we would have in Canada — to do the right thing, to prevent, to pre-empt, to intervene,' MacKay said. The Canadian Forces have launched two probes into allegations of child sexual abuse at military bases in Kandahar."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:

'The Afghanistan papers', The Ottawa Citizen, 22 September 2009

'Former soldier still fights to protect Afghan boys from abuse', The Ottawa Citizen, 21 September 2009

'Sex abuse and silence exposed: DND brass told of rape of boys by Afghan allies', The Ottawa Citizen, 21 September 2009

'Military investigation of sex abuse "doesn't ring true"', The Ottawa Citizen, 20 September 2009

Related posts:

'Mental health problems in Afghan youth', 21 August 2009

'Sexual violence against children common in Afghanistan', 8 June 2009

'Violence against Afghan children rising: UN', 24 November 2008

'Canadian troops sickened by Afghan rapes', 17 June 2008

'Little support for victims of child sexual abuse', 16 June 2008