Afghanistan Conflict Monitor

Afghan Government Reservedly Backs Tribal Cash Plan

Afghan Government Reservedly Backs Tribal Cash Plan, Reuters, 5 February 2010

EXCERPT: "The Afghan government backs a U.S. military scheme to plough aid money toward tribes who organize against the Taliban, but wants more of the cash routed through Kabul, Afghanistan's tribal affairs minister said on Thursday. The U.S. military has been keen to reach out directly to tribes in Afghanistan's volatile Pashtun areas, offering them aid if they disavow the insurgency and promise to fight the Taliban. The program has been billed, in part, as a way of bypassing the Kabul government, which is often viewed both in Afghan provinces and Western capitals as ineffective or corrupt. Last week, the military reached an agreement with the Shinwari tribe in eastern Nangarhar province. Acting Tribal Affairs Minister Arsala Jamal confirmed that $1 million had been promised to the tribe for development projects. The money will directly fund projects in the community rather than pass through the Afghan government, but Kabul nonetheless backs the scheme and sent officials to participate in the meetings, known as 'shuras.'"

Read the full story.

Related articles:
US tries to undercut Taliban at tribal level, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 February 2010
Governance and exit strategies in Afghanistan, UPI, 3 February 2010
Risks seen in Afghan anti-Taliban tribal uprising plans, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 3 February 2010
Tribal Police Force, The Huffington Post, 2 February 2010

Related posts:
Afghan tribe to fight Taliban in return for and from US, 28 January 2010
US ambassador halts plan to utilize Afghan militias against Taliban, 21 January 2010
Militias battle Taliban with aid of US, 23 November 2009
Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias", 16 February 2009

Afghan Tribe to Fight Taliban in Return for Aid From US

 Afghan Tribe to Fight Taliban in Return for Aid From US, The New York Times, 28 January 2010

EXCERPT: "The leaders of one of the largest Pashtun tribes in a Taliban stronghold said Wednesday that they had agreed to support the American-backed government, battle insurgents and burn down the home of any Afghan who harbored Taliban guerrillas. Elders from the Shinwari tribe, which represents about 400,000 people in eastern Afghanistan, also pledged to send at least one military-age male in each family to the Afghan Army or the police in the event of a Taliban attack. In exchange for their support, American commanders agreed to channel $1 million in development projects directly to the tribal leaders and bypass the local Afghan government, which is widely seen as corrupt. 'The Taliban have been trying to destroy our tribe, and they are taking money from us, and they are taking our sons to fight,' said Malik Niaz, a Shinwari elder. 'If they defy us now, we will defeat them.' The pact appears to be the first in which an entire Pashtun tribe has declared war on Taliban insurgents."

Read the full story.

Related posts:
US ambassador halts plan to utilize Afghan militias against Taliban, 21 January 2010
Militias battle Taliban with aid of US, 23 November 2009
10,000 tribesmen hired to secure polls, 11 August 2009
Tribal engagement in Afghanistan, 26 February 2009
Enlisting tribes against militants carries risks, 24 November 2008

US Ambassador Halts Plan to Utilize Afghan Militias against Taliban

US Ambassador Puts Brakes on Plan to Utilize Afghan Militias against Taliban, The Washington Post, 21 January 2010

EXCERPT: "The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and senior Afghan officials have resisted moving forward with a bold and potentially risky initiative to support local militias in Afghanistan that are willing to defend their villages against insurgents, according to U.S. officials. Their concerns have slowed the implementation of a key effort to provide security in places where there are relatively few NATO forces or Afghan police and Army units. U.S. military officials had wanted to get the initiative -- developed under the leadership of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan -- off to a quick start this year. The plan was to take advantage of the emergence of informal village security forces that were taking up arms against outside insurgents. The hope was that the new program could yield thousands of new security forces relatively fast, bridging the gap until more Army and police forces could be trained. But before the initiative can be implemented on a broader scale, Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry must approve the release of more money for it."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
US defence chief in Pakistan seeking action on Afghan Taliban, Canada.com, 21 January 2010
Afghanistan is not Vietnam, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 January 2010
Afghans answering the call to fight, The New York Times, 2 January 2010
Afghanistan needs a national guard, not a national army, UPI, 29 December 2009

Related posts:
Can Afghanistan's new "guardian" militia restore security?, 9 July 2009
Locals wary of US-Afghan patrol program, 3 June 2009
New Afghan force joins fight against Taliban, 22 May 2009
Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias", 16 February 2009
Disputes cloud Afghan "public guards" plan, 23 January 2009

How Do Afghans Tick? An Ethnologist's View

How Do Afghans Tick?, Foreign Policy // The AfPak Channel, 16 December 2009

EXCERPT: "The following is the translation of an interview given by late Dr Bernt Glatzer to a Berlin daily newspaper in 2008. He talks about how he himself became involved in Afghanistan, gives his opinion about current events and covers the ethics of ethnologists in war. More than six years ago, the Taleban regime in Afghanistan was toppled, the war started and is not over still. On the contrary - despite a massive military build-up and billions of aid money for reconstruction, the country runs the risk of falling back to the Taleban again. Now, ethnologists are hired to advise commanders on ‘culturally appropriate measures’ in the war zone. The Pentagon budgets 400,000 dollar per person for such missions, from weapons training to insurance in the case of an abduction. The German ethnologist Bernt Glatzer works on Afghanistan since decades and explains why he would turn down such an arrangement."

Read the entire interview.

Related articles:
Should anthropologists help US military in Iraq, Afghanistan wars?, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 December 2009
Obama plan aims to empower Afghans beyond Kabul, officials say, Bloomberg, 11 December 2009
US pours millions into anti-Taliban militias in Afghanistan, The Guardian, 22 November 2009
Explaining Afghanistan from the inside out [interview transcript], NPR, 28 September 2009

Related posts:
Panel criticizes US military's use of embedded anthropologists, 3 December 2009
Afghanistan in 2009: A survey of the Afghan people, 27 October 2009
US creates local militias to fight Taliban, 14 April 2009
Tribal engagement in Afghanistan, 26 February 2009
Mapping the human terrain in Helmand, Part I, 15 October 2009

Militias Battle Taliban with Aid of US

'Afghan Militias Battle Taliban with Aid of US', The New York Times, 21 November 2009

EXCERPT: "American and Afghan officials have begun helping a number of anti-Taliban militias that have independently taken up arms against insurgents in several parts of Afghanistan, prompting hopes of a large-scale tribal rebellion against the Taliban. The emergence of the militias, which took some leaders in Kabul by surprise, has so encouraged the American and Afghan officials that they are planning to spur the growth of similar armed groups across the Taliban heartland in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The American and Afghan officials say they are hoping the plan, called the Community Defense Initiative, will bring together thousands of gunmen to protect their neighborhoods from Taliban insurgents. Already there are hundreds of Afghans who are acting on their own against the Taliban, officials say. . . The Americans hope the militias will encourage an increasingly demoralized Afghan population to take a stake in the war against the Taliban. 'The idea is to get people to take responsibility for their own security,' said a senior American military official in Kabul, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'In many places they are already doing that.'"

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Afghanistan's grievances and tribal splits: Ripe for exploitation?, Times Online, 23 November 2009
Afghan village armies on self defence, South Asian News Agency, 23 November 2009
How the US funds the Taliban, The Nation, 11 November 2009

Related posts:
10,000 tribesmen hired to secure polls, 11 August 2009
Can Afghanistan's new "guardian" militia restore security?, 10 July 2009
New Afghan force joins fight against Taliban, 22 May 2009
US creates local militias to fight Taliban, 14 April 2009
Local force to guard against Taliban, 26 March 2009

10,000 Tribesmen Hired To Secure Polls

'10,000 Tribesmen Hired To Secure Polls', The Associated Press, 11 August 2009

EXCERPT: "Authorities have hired some 10,000 Afghan tribesmen to protect this month's presidential election, an Afghan official said Tuesday, raising the possibility that village militias could be enlisted to fight against the Taliban. The hired guns highlight attempts by authorities to bolster security in Afghanistan's insurgency-hit provinces but also underscore a renewed focus on raising tribal militias to deal with the growing Taliban threat just as Sunni Arab militias were engaged to help reduce violence in Iraq. The new force will initially help secure polling centers in 21 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces during the Aug. 20 election, said Arif Noorzai, the head of the Independent Directorate for the Protection of Public Properties and Highways by Tribal Support. 'We are trying to provide security for the polling centers and pave the way for the people to participate in the elections,' Noorzai said. 'They are filling the places where there are no police or the government has a shortage of security forces.'"

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Afghanistan enlists tribal militia forces', The Wall Street Journal, 11 August 2009

Related posts:
'Can Afghanistan's new "guardian" militia restore security?', 10 July 2009
'Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias"', 16 February 2009
'NATO to engage Afghan tribes in Taliban fight', 22 December 2008
'Tribal leaders to sabotage West's assault on Taliban', 4 December 2008
'Enlisting tribes against militants carries risks', 24 November 2008

Record Number Of Security Incidents In June 12-18

'Security Sector Reform Monitor: Afghanistan - July 2009, Number 1', Center for International Governance Innovation, 28 July 2009

EXCERPT: "Security Environment: While Kabul has seen a decline in the number of security incidents in recent months – whether criminal in nature, such as kidnappings and thefts, or terrorist attacks, such as suicide and roadside bombings – this pattern has not been replicated outside the capital, even in neighboring provinces, where insecurity remains acute. The week of June 12-18 witnessed a record high number of security incidents, with the Taliban carrying out 126 attacks across the country, resulting in 78 deaths, including 30 policemen, and 170 wounded. Several Afghan Members of Parliament have expressed concern over the viability of the August 2009 presidential election if security conditions remain unchanged."

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

See also:
'Taliban peace deal was "bought" for £20,000', The Telegraph, 28 July 2009
'US push to put an Afghan face on Helmand offensive', The Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2009
'Capacity-building critical for Afghan security: US expert', China View, 18 July 2009

Related posts:
'Trends in local Afghan conflicts', 11 June 2009
'Afghanistan in 2009: The first quarter', 4 May 2009
'A strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan-Pakistan', 2 April 2009
'Progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan', 2 February 2009
'NATO figures show surge in violence', 31 January 2009

Can Afghanistan’s New "Guardian" Militia Restore Security?

'Can Afghanistan's New "Guardian" Militia Restore Security In The Provinces?', The Jamestown Foundation / Terrorism Monitor Volume 7, Issue 20, 9 July 2009

EXCERPT: "As the security situation in Afghanistan worsened, there was an increase in Taliban attacks in south and central Afghanistan, especially in Wardak province, 30 kilometers west of Kabul. The government and international forces decided to distribute arms to local people to defeat the Taliban and other insurgents in their respective villages and districts. The formation of the Afghan Public Protection Force (better known as the Guardians) is a pilot project operating in the Jalriz district of Wardak province and in Wardak's provincial capital of Maidan Shar. Wardak Province is located in central Afghanistan and has a majority Pashtun population with a significant Hazara (Shi'a) minority. Recruits to the new militia are chosen by local elders before receiving Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles and three weeks of training from the Afghan national police. The militia is not intended to confront the Taliban in combat but is instead meant to serve as a kind of local watch. As such, they are equipped with radios and cell phones to call for assistance from American forces or the Afghan National Army when necessary. Most of the Wardak Guardians are loyal to Tor Gol, a former anti-Soviet mujahid."

To continue reading the report, click here.

See also:
'Factbox: Security developments in Afghanistan, July 10', Reuters, 10 July 2009
'Taliban infiltrate once-peaceful Afghan north', BBC News, 8 July 2009

Related posts:
'New Afghan force joins fight against Taliban', 22 May 2009
'US creates local militias to fight Taliban', 14 April 2009
'Local force to guard against Taliban', 26 March 2009
'Tribal engagement in Afghanistan', 26 February 2009
'Afghan militia gears up to fight the Taliban', 18 February 2009

US Creates Local Militias To Fight Taliban

'Lessons From Iraq? US Creates Local Militias To Fight Taliban', The Christian Science Monitor, 13 April 2009

EXCERPT: "At first sight, Muhammad Nasim Gul and his men – in drab, olive-colored fatigues and baseball caps to match – look like Cuban guerrillas. They slowly patrol the muddy streets of Wardak Province, weapons drawn in a constant state of alert. Mr. Gul and his fellow tribesmen are part of an ambitious new American-backed program that started here two weeks ago to train, uniform, and arm locals against the Taliban. Officials turned to the idea following the success of a similar plan in Iraq, known as the Anbar Awakening, in which Sunni tribes were armed to fight Al Qaeda. They hope the program, dubbed the 'Afghan Public Protection Force,' can help stem the worsening violence here. Under the plan, members of each district shura (council) in Wardak nominate locals for the force who are then trained for three weeks by Afghans (with the involvement of American advisers). They then return to their home districts, receiving nearly $125 dollars a month in salary – more than the typical police income, which is usually less than $100 a month. If successful in Wardak, officials plan to expand the program to more than 40 other districts across the south and east."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Afghan unrest will rise in 2009: US military chief', AFP, 14 April 2009
'US launches new covert Afghan unit against narcotics', Middle East Times, 14 April 2009
'Ragtag Afghan force trying to keep Taliban at bay', The Associated Press, 4 April 2009

Related posts:
'Local force to guard against Taliban', 26 March 2009
'US, NATO forces in advanced plans to create citizen militias', 11 February 2009
'Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias"', 16 February 2009
'Disputes cloud Afghan "public guards" plan', 23 January 2009

Local Force To Guard Against Taliban

'New Afghan Local Force To Guard Against Taliban', Reuters, 26 March 2009

EXCERPT: "The first recruits graduated on Thursday to a new Afghan community force the U.S. military hopes will boost local security against the Taliban and do for Afghanistan what Sunni militias did in Iraq. The U.S. military says the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) will free up police by guarding schools, mosques and roads and boost traditional power structures fractured by war and threatened by the Taliban's hardline brand of justice. Some 243 recruits have received three weeks of training and will soon return to their embattled home district of Jalrez in Maidan Wardak, 55 km (35 miles) southwest of Kabul, in a pilot scheme U.S. commanders hope can be extended across the country. In the last year Taliban insurgents have expanded into the mountainous province and attacked fuel and supply convoys on the highway between the capital and the south. Greatly strengthening both the Afghan army and police, U.S. officers acknowledge, is the only long-term exit plan for the 70,000 mainly Western troops now in Afghanistan."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'US trains local guards to take on the Taliban', The Telegraph, 25 March 2009

Related posts:
'Afghan militia gears up to fight the Taliban', 18 February 2009
'US, NATO forces in advanced plans to create citizen militias', 11 February 2009
'Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias"', 16 February 2009