As the current political events unfold in Egypt, I have often heard the actually mean?  Clearly,  decisions the US administration makes today can't influence the past or "history" since those events have already occurred.   While US government pronouncements can certainly influence  future relations with "new" governments, it remains to be ...

Losses at Afghan Bank Could Be $900 Million “Fraud and mismanagement at Afghanistan’s largest bank have resulted in potential losses of as much as $900 million — three times previous estimates — heightening concerns that the bank could collapse and trigger a broad financial panic in Afghanistan, according to American, ...

Dispute With Parliament Leaves Afghan Leader Isolated President Karzai’s isolation was preventable, and now enters a period of increased tension and uncertainty as to his ability to lead and work with “power brokers.”  The list includes:  losing parliamentary candidates who he has “deserted”; new Parliament members who were delayed more ...

Number of U.S. casualties from roadside bombs in Afghanistan skyrocketed from 2009 to 2010 The SFTT news team has been reporting IED lethal effects, propensity/increase of attacks, lack of effective equipment/tactics, and the claims of denial by JIEDDO since early 2010.  In fact, LTG Oates, Commander JIEDDO, predicted this past ...

An Uncharacteristically Upbeat General in Afghanistan While the “Happy Talk” continues, consider the accompanying charts/reports on “the progress” and the “teeth in the jugular vein”, as you read the latest coming out of US/NATO in Kabul. Afghan NGO Safety Office, 2010 4th Quarter Report 2010 4th Quarter Report Claim: Afghans ...

Karzai Agrees to Seat New Afghan Parliament Afghanistan’s fragile government still stands after President Karzai’s decision this past weekend to inaugurate the newly elected Afghan government this Wednesday, January 26, 2011.  Karzai stepped back from the precipice he created after “intense pressure from legislators and the international community.”  During the ...

Afghan Political Crisis Grows as Legislators Vow to Defy Karzai and Open Parliament You only need to read the headline to know that this situation is only to get worse.  If you can’t settle your scores via the ballot box, then what are your options?  And again, not a peep ...

Afghanistan turns to local defense groups While US/NATO continue to apply OIF lessons learned to OEF (well at least COIN-centric surge “successes”, whatever that means). This latest gambit, to create Afghan local defense groups, in a country steeped with a history of warlordism, while Karzai increasingly appears that he will ...

Costly coalition plan to recruit thousands more Afghan forces draws concerns The initial U.S. end strength goal of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) by October 2011 is approximately 300,000.  A new plan entails hiring an additional 73,000.  The bill to Uncle Sam is an additional $6 billion with unknown future ...

In Afghanistan, uptick in violence this winter coincides with less snow No brainer, lack of snow in “the passes” means mobility and infiltration, right?  Not so fast.  Actually to claim that sustained Taliban combat operations has extended into the “traditional non-fighting winter months” because of a lack of snow in ...

Vantage Point: The Challenges of Small-Unit Patrolling in Afghanistan C.J. Cheevers from the New York Times has been a go-to 24/7 resource for the SFTT news project; CJ also recently published the definitive history of the Avtomat Kalashnikov this past year in “The Gun.”  his NYT blog is a new ...

Bombs targeting Afghan intelligence service kill 6 How ironic that intelligence officials can be targeted so readily in Kabul by a suicide bomber.  That kind of intelligence is supposed to be secret. You know, the fact that there are intelligence service employees and a top intelligence official in a specific ...