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The Hidden Dangers of Helmand Province, Part I

 

Helmand Province, Afghanistan (NEW YORK TIMES) - Since last summer, the Marines have expanded their presence along the Helmand River, and as more troops flow into the country the momentum is pushing them farther into territory long out of Afghan government control.

They now operate a web of outposts and patrol bases that dot the farmland and the steppe of Helmand Province, and they patrol regularly around and between them. Their sustained presence in many districts, along with the decrease in vegetation that followed fall harvests and the onset of cold Afghan weather, has left Taliban fighters with less ability to hide in a gunfight. Winter has brought a decrease in small-arms attacks.

This is especially true at night, when the Marines’ thermal sights and night-vision equipment, along with their better marksmanship skills, give them a distinct advantage over Afghans they face. The Marines also have weapons on vehicle turrets and in bunkers at outposts — .50-caliber machine guns and MK-19 automatic grenade launchers — that provide lethal stand-off against lightly equipped men, the more so on January’s relatively bald terrain.

full article atwar.blogs.nytimes.com

Hillary Clinton: All nations must play a part in Afghanistan mission

This week, President Barack Obama reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to our core goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and prevent their return to either country. The US is sending an additional 30,000 personnel to Afghanistan, significantly increasing our civilian aid to the Afghan people, and broadening our partnership with Pakistan.

Today in Brussels, I will discuss the way forward with our allies. And I will thank those nations that have pledged additional troops. This is a crucial test for Nato. After September 11, the alliance invoked Article 5 of its charter for the first time, affirming that the terrorist attacks planned in Afghanistan and perpetrated in the US were attacks on every Nato member. The members of the alliance have paid a steep price in lives, but we must remain firm in our resolve.

For countries in the region, the stakes are particularly high. Civilians of every faith have been murdered, but Muslims have paid the highest toll. Troops from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other Muslim-majority nations are fighting extremism in Afghanistan and their participation is vital to our mission.

Along with the extra American troops, more international forces will help to deny al-Qaeda a safe haven; reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government; and strengthen the capacity of the Afghans to take responsibility for their own security.

full article at www.telegraph.co.uk

Will talk of Afghan 'off-ramps' prompt Taliban to hang tough?

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will unveil his long-awaited Afghanistan strategy in a prime-time address from West Point, N.Y. , on Dec. 1 , the White House said Wednesday, but the administration's advance remarks have sparked concern that talk of an eventual U.S. withdrawal will encourage Islamist insurgents to persevere.

full story at news.yahoo.com

Construction of a jihadi mindset

The fact that a sizeable number of those recruited by religious militant organisations for conducting terror attacks in Pakistan are between 14 to 19 years and are products of both the religious and public education systems in the country should be reason enough to revamp these educational systems.

Considering the present curricula, teaching methods and learning culture in elementary and secondary schools in particular and higher education in general, it is not surprising that there is confusion regarding the objectives of the ideological paradigm of the well-coordinated and well-networked jihadist movement in Pakistan.

full story at www.dawn.com

US confirms Saudi role in talks with Taliban

WASHINGTON: US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has confirmed that Saudi Arabia has initiated a dialogue with the Taliban and that the United States would support any Saudi initiative.

Separately, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the United States is open to the prospect of Afghan government’s talks with elements of the Taliban, but she advised Kabul officials to proceed cautiously.

full story at www.dawn.com

Obama, advisers to meet on Afghanistan

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Monday night with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the White House announced.

It will be the ninth meeting of the president's war council to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by the U.S. commander on the ground there.

full story at www.cnn.com

The AfPak Paradox

There is a new acronym in the lexicon of Obama administration national security moguls. "AfPak" stands for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The term denotes the administration's desire to take a unified approach to policy and strategy for these two countries. President Barack Obama correctly views them as the central front of the war on terrorism and — also accurately — sees so many aspects of the strategic problem of the Afghan war playing out in both countries that it is far more useful to consider them intertwined.

full story at www.fpif.org