Unfamiliar Feelings in a Familiar Land

YASMINE MOUSA | At War | When I first set foot at Baghdad International Airport in March 2010 to work for The New York Times, I was no stranger to Iraq. Until 2003, Baghdad had been my home. I still had family and friends here, and they remained dear to me, and I to them. Here, I had experienced wars, so many I almost lost count. Here was where I weathered it all, the good with the fear, yet never lost hope. I wish I still felt that way today. (READ MORE)

Insurgents Seize Afghan Government Offices in Deadly Attack

AZAM AHMED | New York Times | April 3, 2013 | Kabul - Eight Taliban insurgents dressed in Afghan Army uniforms staged a complex assault on a provincial government compound in western Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, killing at least six officials and civilians and seizing several hostages in one of the buildings, officials and witnesses said.  The attack in Farah Province coincided with the anticipated return of Afghanistan’s powerful intelligence chief, Asadullah Khalid, who was seriously wounded in a December suicide attack. (READ MORE)

The Real Road to an Afghan Peace

AMIR TAHERI | New York Post | 04/02/2013 | With snow starting to melt in the mountains of the Hindu Hush, Afghans are preparing for another season of fighting in the 34-year-long war that has ravaged their country. And, like every year this time, there is much talk about “peace talks” between the government of President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban. This year’s talk about talks is hotter than previous seasons, for two reasons. First, the Obama administration, preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan next year, has asked Qatar (now Washington’s closest Arab ally in the Middle East) to open a dialogue with the Taliban. The oil-rich state has obliged by contacting Taliban figures and promising to let the group open an “information office” in Doha. Last week, Qatar also hosted Karzai to discuss possible “peace talks” with Sheik Hamad, the emir. (READ MORE)

Al Qaeda in Iraq claims 'storming' operation in Baghdad

The Long War Journal | Bill Ardolino and Bill Roggio | Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) claimed credit for last week's deadly suicide assault on the Justice Ministry in Baghdad that killed 22 Iraqis. Seven Iraqi policemen and 15 civilians were killed in the March 14 attack. AQI claimed the "storming" operation, as it refers to such offensives, in a statement that was released yesterday on jihadist Internet forums. The statement was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. The operation began with "storming the main entrance of the ministry with an explosives-laden vehicle driven by" a suicide bomber. Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed that the attack disoriented and disabled the Iraqi security forces guarding the compound, allowing the main assault team of four heavily armed fighters to attack a secondary gate, breach the defenses, and enter the ministry. (READ MORE)

Pakistan government completes term, reaching historic milestone

The AfPak Channel | Jennifer Rowland | Pakistan's government made history on Saturday when it stepped down after completing the first full, five-year term by an elected, civilian government since the country's inception. Outgoing officials continue to hold talks with the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, to decide on a caretaker administration to lead the country until elections in May. The Associated Press and Reuters take a look at some of key political players and political risks to watch for during the upcoming elections. (READ MORE)

Pak Taliban Suspends Talks with Govt. for not 'Being Serious' with Peace Process

Afghanistan Sun | The Pakistani Taliban have suspended peace talks with the Pakistani government, claiming that they are "not serious" with the peace initiative. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan said that the militant organisation has suspended talks with the government and claimed that the army and government were not serious in conducting peace dialogue and talks, reports The Dawn. (READ MORE)

Afghan-US Deal on Table in Key Region

Global Times | Agencies | Afghan and US officials are working on a compromise deal to allow US special forces to stay in a strategically key province near the capital in return for full Afghan control of a controversial jail, a top Kabul official said. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's previous decision to expel special forces from Wardak province has angered US defense officials who worry their exit could allow insurgents to strengthen their presence in the area and use it as a base to attack Kabul, only 25 kilometers away. (READ MORE)

Grants To Rural Afghan Villages Pays Off

NPR | One area of rural development where the Afghan government has had some success is the National Solidarity Program. Funded by international aid, it distributes small grants to rural villages. For more on its successes, Renee Montagne talks to Wais Ahmad Barmak, who heads the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry.  (LISTEN TO MORE)

Afghanistan's Karzai Agrees to New Deadline for Prison Handover

CNN | There's a new one-week deadline for handing over control of a U.S.-run detention center near Bagram Air Base to Afghan authorities, Afghanistan's president said Sunday. On Sunday, Hamid Karzai's office said in a statement that he had agreed to a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel for one week "to carry out the full handover the prison." (READ MORE)

US Military Sanity Board to Assess Robert Bales in Trial Over Afghan Deaths

The Guardian | Reuters | A US soldier charged with killing 16 civilians, most of them women and children, near his army post in Afghanistan is set to undergo a medical review on Sunday to determine his state of mind at the time of the killings and ability to stand trial. The review, known in the military as a "sanity board," will be conducted by three doctors at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, and will be completed by 1 May, according to a US army spokesman. (READ MORE)

Al Qaeda in Iraq claims ambush that killed Syrian, Iraqi troops

The Long War Journal | Bill Roggio |  Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed credit for the March 4 attack in Anbar province that killed 48 Syrian soldiers who were fleeing their civil war and nine Iraqi troops who were escorting them to Baghdad. The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, claimed to have 'liberated' the border crossing the day before the Syrian troops fled and were ambushed. The Islamic State of Iraq, which is al Qaeda in Iraq's political front, released a statement yesterday on jihadist forums that claimed credit for the attack. The statement was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. (READ MORE)

What civilian casualties? Afghan forces' implausible denials

The AfPak Channel | Jennifer Rowland |  In January, Afghan forces shot grenades and bullets at a remote village in Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan. One civilian died, and villagers rushed six other injured residents to the hospital in Jalalabad. Nasir saw it all happen. He then had to beg $11,000 from friends and relatives to cover medical care for his injured family members.  Several days later, Nasir asked the district chief of police why Afghan forces fired on the village.  "We had an intelligence report that insurgents were in the village and we wanted to scare them, so we just started firing on the village," the police chief told him. Furious, Nasir complained to the Afghan Army Regional Corps Commander and the Provincial Governor's office to no avail. He went to the Governor's office itself to demand an investigation and financial help for the medical bills. An official there told him to rewrite his complaint letter to blame opposition forces. When Nasir refused to lie, he was turned away.  (READ MORE)

Back in the 'Stan

By FaST Surgeon (in Afghanistan) | I have arrived. Or so the saying goes. It's cold in Afghanistan and I made it to my final destination just in time before the snow closed the passes. Movement in Afghanistan is limited by weather and terrain. Helicopters need to have clear weather to fly through the mountain passes. So, it's not uncommon to get stuck in a particular location for many days if not weeks during the winter months.

I am still trying to make a final decision on what to write about this go-round and where to post. I may abandon the old blog format and move over to only posting on Facebook. If you haven't yet clicked on the Facebook "Like" button, please do so now. :) (READ MORE)

US, Afghan troops killed in apparent insider attack

AP - New York Post | KABUL, Afghanistan | Officials say an Afghan police officer opened fire inside a police station while US forces were visiting, sparking a firefight that killed two US troops and three Afghan policemen.
Monday's incident in Wardak province appears to be the latest in a series of insider attacks against coalition and Afghan forces. It comes a day after a deadline given by Afghans for US special forces to withdraw from the province.

Deputy provincial Police Chief Abdul Razaq Koraishi says three Afghan officers were killed. A coalition military official says two U.S. forces were killed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose information pending an official statement.

The majority of US troops in Wardak are special operations forces. (READ MORE)

Syria Update 13-01: Iraq-Syria Overland Supply Routes

By Joseph Holliday at The Institute for the Study of War | March 8, 2013 | Sunni insurgents ambushed a convoy of Iraqi and Syrian troops inside Iraq on March 4, 2013, marking the clearest example of spillover from the Syrian conflict into Iraq since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in early 2011. The attack illuminates the involvement of Iraqi actors on both sides of the conflict. The ambush is indicative of broader cross-border cooperation between Sunni militant groups seeking to disrupt Assad regime security forces on both sides of the border. The attack location is just as significant as the militants involved because it sheds light on the status of Iraq-Syria border crossing points as the Assad regime and Iraqi government seek to secure overland supply routes between the two countries. With three of four border crossing points impassible due to rebel gains in Syria, the Al Walid-At Tanf border crossing will be critical for the Assad regime and the Iraqi government to secure if they hope to maintain a ground line of supply between Baghdad and Damascus.  (READ MORE)

U.S. Secretary of State Announces Non-Lethal Aid to Free Syrian Army

By Elizabeth O'Bagy at the Institute for the Study of War | 02/28/2013 | Following the February 28 Friends of Syria meeting, Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced that the U.S. will provide non-lethal aid, including food and medicine, to Syrian rebel fighters under the auspices of the Supreme Military Command of the Free Syrian Army.  This is the first time that the U.S. has publicly committed itself to sending nonlethal support to Syria’s armed opposition. The shift is intended to empower Syria’s moderate forces, although it falls short of the weapons and equipment that Syrian rebels have requested.  This policy decision against providing lethal aid is largely due to concerns over the emergence of powerful Islamist brigades and extremist groups in Syria. By offering support through the new military command, the U.S. is looking to build a better relationship with Syria’s armed opposition and check the radical elements within its ranks.

As the U.S. looks to support Syria’s opposition in new ways, understanding the composition and structure of the Supreme Military Command will be vital in determining the viability of the organization and the effect such limited support will have.  (READ MORE)

Friday's Protests Will Gauge Direction of Iraqi Crisis- 2013 Iraq Update #5

By Stephen Wicken and Sam Wyer | The Iraqi Army’s fatal shooting of eight anti-government protesters in Fallujah on Friday, January 25, has increased fears that violence will escalate further. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has attempted to use a combination of concession and repression to deescalate tensions and gradually force the reduction of anti-government protests.
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense, for example, quickly opened an investigation into the Fallujah shooting. The army also withdrew from Fallujah to avoid further confrontations with angry protesters or radical elements. Maliki then held a joint security meeting with provincial security officials in order to stress the Iraqi Government’s “keenness to deal positively with the demonstrations and the demonstrators.” Meanwhile, the head of the committee tasked with addressing demonstrators’ demands, Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani, announced on January 29 that the government would increase the salaries of around 41,000 members of the Sahwa movement. The move is likely aimed at discouraging Sunni tribesmen from joining or supporting al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

Maliki has also begun to move against the tribal leaders who have assumed leadership of the protest movement, however. Maliki was reported to have removed the security detail of prominent Anbari Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha on January 30. In response, the Council of Anbar Tribes pledged to protect Abu Risha in the absence of government protection. Then on January 31, an Iraqi Army force—reportedly deployed from Baghdad—arrested Sheikh Meshaal Nawaf al-Hassan and his two sons in Tikrit. Hassan is thought to be a strong supporter and prominent organizer of the Salah ad-Din protests.

Sunni tribal leaders largely have refrained from calling for a violent reaction to the Fallujah incidents, and many have urged restraint. It is possible that Abu Risha and Dulaimi tribal leader Ali Hatem al-Suleiman are awaiting Maliki’s response to the former’s ultimatum that the government turn over the troops responsible for killing protesters in Fallujah within seven days – a deadline that would expire this coming weekend. Various Iraqi tribal representatives held a Conference of Iraqi Unity in Najaf  on January 28,in which they called for the rejection of sectarianism, the release of uncharged detainees, the unity of Iraq, and the de-escalation of the tension in Anbar. The possibility remains, however, that tribal leaders are quietly mobilizing forces in anticipation of further clashes.  (READ MORE)

Normal Days; 2: The Work Of The Day

From Afghan Blue III by Old Blue
The Germans won’t allow your interpreters, or “Language Assistants,” sometimes referred to as “LA’s” for short, stay on the base you live on.  There are several methods for meeting up with and transporting them to the Headquarters each day so that you can get productive work done.   This means that greetings are exchanged after dismounting the vehicles at the the ABP headquarters.  Traditionally, there are handshakes and hugs.  Over time, you have gotten to know each of them and have worked with them all, but for the sake of continuity you are typically matched up with the same linguist each time you work.   Daweed, an intelligent young Hazara who studies journalism, is the LA you usually work with.

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Joint Missions Rise Again in Afghanistan

Jennifer Rowland | The AfPak Channel | Joint missions in Afghanistan, in which Afghan security forces work directly with NATO troops, are on the rise again following a directive last week creating a formal approval process for all joint operations below the battalion level, as a precaution against the growing threat of "insider attacks" (NYT, AP, WSJ, AFP, Reuters, Post). U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said at a news conference on Thursday that the approval system is operating efficiently, and "most ISAF units have returned to their normal partnered options at all levels."
Dozens of British-built schools and health clinics in the southern Afghan province of Helmand may be forced to close down as NATO countries transition out of Afghanistan, because the Afghan government cannot afford to keep them open (Guardian). (READ MORE)

The Power of Widows' Might

Micahel Tomberlin | Yellowhammering Afghanistan | KABUL, Afghanistan - A special group of ladies from Liberty Baptist Church in Chelsea have been a blessing to me and other soldiers before and they continue to be for the Fourth Alabama soldiers today.

Widows' Might Ministry is a group of Christian ladies from Liberty Baptist who honor God and their late-husbands by their outreach in a number of areas. One of them is care packages to soldiers. Their name is a play on the popular Bible story of the widow's mite that talks about a women who gave all she had for God.
(READ MORE)