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Military News Highlights: January 20, 2011

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 refuse to seat a legitimate Parliament, can and will lead to arming the populace just when racial/ethnic tensions are about to spill out into the street.

US/NATO views the ...

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Military News you may have missed: November 9, 2010

Gates Hopes Taliban Think U.S. Will Leave Afghanistan

In interviews conducted in Australia, where public support for the war in Afghanistan is faltering, Secretary Gates made it very clear that only one option exists, and that is to maintain an increased US/NATO presence in Afghanistan past the July 2010 date and forgo significant troop reductions.  In fact he wants the Taliban to believe that July 2010 will be the end date for US/NATO operations – he wants them to be surprised.   ...

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Afghan government falls short in Kandahar

In an article published by the Washington Post on November 2, it would appear that the Afghan government falls short in Kandahar.  A “learning” experience for the US military.

Highlights: 

  • Despite months of American prodding, the Afghan government has failed to fill dozens of key positions in Kandahar, leaving an ineffectual local administration that U.S. officials fear will cripple the battlefield progress the military says it is making in the Taliban stronghold.  Just a month before President Obama ...
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Military News you may have missed: Oct 26, 2010

Policy – A Firefight Exposes Afghan Weakness

(Wall Street Journal – Pay to View: Article Obtained via OSINT) 

Key Highlights: 

  • An account of the six-hour siege on the U.S. agency on July 2, drawn from interviews with witnesses and survivors and an internal investigation by the aid agency, shows an Afghan force that appears ill-equipped to take over national security from their foreign counterparts.
  •  About 15 to 20 minutes after the attack began, the Afghan army and police occupied a ...
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