FORMER TALIBAN COMMANDER KILLED BY AIRSTRIKES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Precision Airstrikes Kill Former Taliban Commander, Associates
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2015 – The Defense Department announced today the deaths of eight individuals, including a former Taliban commander, killed during precision airstrikes in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby told Pentagon reporters the airstrikes are a “reminder,” and emphasized using all available methods to dismantle terrorist groups threatening U.S., partner and allied interests.
“Yesterday, U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducted a precision strike in Helmand province,” he said, “resulting in the death of eight individuals, to include Abdul Rauf Khadim, a former Taliban commander.”

“These are both reminders,” Kirby said, “that we’re going to continue to use all the tools at our disposal -- financial, diplomatic, certainly military -- to dismantle al-Shabaab and other groups [and] networks that threaten U.S. interests as well as the interests of our allies and partner nations.”
ISIL Nascent in Afghanistan

Kirby discussed ISIL’s desire to spread to other areas outside of Iraq and Syria.
“We’ve talked about this in the past,” he said, “that this is a group that does want to grow and expand its influence.”

Kirby noted that Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, commander of U.S. Africa Command, and Army Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, said they “certainly are looking very sharply to see if they’re expanding in other areas outside Iraq and Syria, and we know they have those designs.”

The admiral said he’d describe the group in Afghanistan as “nascent at best.”
“In fact,” Kirby said, “I would say more aspirational than anything else at this point. This guy Khadim -- we assess that he decided to swear allegiance to ISIL probably no more than a couple weeks ago. And he didn’t have a whole lot of depth to any network resources or manpower when he did it.”

Kirby emphasized he was not “diminishing or trying to dismiss” the threat ISIL poses, “but what I’m telling you is, here in this case, it’s nascent and aspirational, and that would be an aggressive characterization right now.”

The admiral noted Khadim, and his associates, were targeted because “we had information that they were planning operations against U.S. and Afghan personnel there in Afghanistan.”

“If they’re going to threaten our interest, our allies, our partners in Afghanistan,” Kirby said, “they’re fair game.”

Recidivism

Additionally, Kirby acknowledged Khadim was a detainee at the Guantanamo detention center before his 2007 release to Afghan authorities in Kabul.
This is a great example, he said, of the long discussion held regarding recidivism.
“We said that they return to the battlefield and to the fight at their own peril,” Kirby said. “Mr. Khadim is proof of that.”

DOD OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE IN AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Kirby Confident Afghans Can Take Full Security Control Next Month
By Nick Simeone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2014 – With less than a month to go before the U.S-led NATO combat mission ends in Afghanistan, a senior Defense Department official said today Afghan security forces will be ready to take over the job of securing their country come January first.

“We believe that we have achieved the mission of getting Afghan national security forces to that level,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters. “They are in the lead right now and by the end of this month they will have full responsibility.”

Some 9,800 U.S. troops are set to remain in Afghanistan next year, as part of Operation Resolute Support. That NATO mission follows 13 years of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, and will no longer include a combat role but will instead focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces.
“There’s still some enabling capabilities that they may need going forward and we’re talking about that. That’s part of the Resolute Support NATO mission,” Kirby added.

In recent days, there has been an increase in attacks claimed by the Taliban on key sites around the country, including in the capital, Kabul. Kirby said the attacks did not signal a Taliban resurgence but were to be expected during periods of transition.

“Those attacks have had no strategic effect and I might add that the Afghan national security forces and police reacted bravely and quickly to each one,” he said.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL VISITS TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Brings Holiday Wishes, Listening Ear to Afghanistan
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 8, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spent a full day today with two sets of people he seldom sees in Washington: deployed U.S. troops and Afghan military leaders.

Hagel left Afghanistan’s capital this morning and flew south -- first to NATO International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command Southwest, which includes Helmand and Nimroz provinces, and then to Regional Command South, which encompasses Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan and Daykundi provinces.
Hagel brought holiday wishes, thanks and reassurance to troops at both Camp Bastion in Helmand and at Kandahar Airfield. Both places, he noted in his talks, have consistently been combat hot spots during the long war here.

“I want you to know how much President Obama and our country appreciate what you’re doing,” he said in Helmand. “I know more than occasionally you wonder if anybody’s paying attention, whether anybody cares -- but we do. Our country cares. We do know what you’re doing, and we appreciate it very much.”
Hagel told the men and women in uniform standing in ranks before him in both hard-frame tents -- the “Camp Leatherneck town hall” in Helmand and the “fest tent” in Kandahar -- that they’ve made an astounding difference to Afghanistan’s fight against terrorism.

Warm weather and sandy terrain disguise the season down south, but both of the expansive, yet austere, bases the secretary visited today were decked with Christmas trees, lights and other holiday decorations amid the plywood and aluminum buildings that mark a U.S. outpost.

“I know this is a tough time, especially [with] the holiday season coming,” the secretary said. “You’re away from your families and your home, so I know it’s a particularly difficult. I want you to tell your families how much we appreciate their work, their sacrifices, and their service, as they support you.”
During both visits, service members asked Hagel about the military’s budget. He responded that he sees some hope for progress from Congress.

“There is some speculation in Washington that there may be a budget deal … when both the House and the Senate come back into session, which may well give us two years of budget certainty and reduce the current level of sequestration,” he said in Helmand.

The secretary noted that currently, the military faces a second sequestration cut of more than $50 billion this fiscal year, following a $32 billion reduction previously programmed into this fiscal year’s allocation.

No matter the cuts the military faces next fiscal year and beyond, Hagel said, the department’s leaders will prioritize people, readiness and combat power. “You will get everything you need to do your mission,” he said.

In Kandahar, he told his audience they and all of America’s forces are the most talented and motivated, best-educated, best-trained, best-equipped and best-led military the world has ever seen. “That requires a commitment from the nation,” he said. “Are they willing to pay for that? Are they willing to pay for the best and the brightest?”

The secretary also discussed the stalled bilateral security agreement that is intended to set conditions for a follow-on mission when ISAF concludes at the end of 2014.

“I know this is a time of great uncertainty for you,” the secretary said, noting that the degree of U.S. and international involvement in Afghanistan in 2015 and beyond is unclear until that agreement is in place. Hagel said he knows that uncertainty leaves troops wondering, “Will we be here? How long will we be here?”

Those unknowns can make the troops’ jobs harder, he acknowledged. “I want to reassure you we will work through this,” he pledged.
“We are making huge investments here for the future of this country,” Hagel said. “Thank you for your continued focus on your jobs [and] what you’re doing for your country. It matters, [and] it will continue to matter.”

The secretary said the Afghan national security forces have been doing “a very good job of transitioning to their full capabilities and responsibilities.” Valid and important missions nonetheless remain for U.S. troops and coalition partners in sustaining the still-fragile Afghan forces, he said: countering terrorism and training, advising and assisting the Afghan forces.

“There is a role for our coalition partners and the United States here, but that depends on the people of Afghanistan,” the secretary said.

A senior defense official who accompanied Hagel on today’s travels told reporters also on the road with the secretary that the Afghan military commanders Hagel spoke with today all said they still want help in sustainment -- particularly, learning to manage maintenance: supply chains, ordering, distribution and scheduling.

The Afghan national security forces have developed remarkably rapidly over the summer fighting season and show significant improvement, the official said, “but they still have some needs.”

“Every Afghan the secretary spoke to was crystal clear,” the official said. “It’s time to sign the [bilateral security agreement].” And all Afghans who Hagel saw today similarly expressed confidence that their president, Hamid Karzai, will sign the agreement in a timely manner, he added.

“I certainly hope they’re right,” the senior official said, noting that planning any future contributions in the absence of that accord is extremely difficult for the United States and its allies.

Hagel, who will travel tomorrow to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, wrapped up his remarks to troops at Helmand with a holiday wish.

“I hope Santa stops in Afghanistan,” he said. “I know you’ve all been good. We’re very proud of you, and we’re proud of your families.”

AFGHAN ELECTIONS SEEN AS IMPORTANT BY NATO OFFICIAL

Afghanistan.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Official Stresses Importance of 2014 Afghan Elections

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2013 - The Afghan presidential elections now set for April 2014 are looming ever larger as a milestone for measuring progress in the country, NATO officials in Afghanistan said yesterday.

How the Afghan forces protect voting and how the Afghan people accept the results will be key to the long-term success of the country, said a senior International Security Assistance Force official speaking on background.

Things are looking up in Afghanistan, the official said, but there are many hurdles to overcome. Only 22 months remain in the ISAF mandate. By spring, Afghan forces will be leading security operations throughout the country. By the end of 2014, Afghan forces will shoulder the security burden themselves as the NATO mission ends.

The Taliban are also looking forward, the official said. "There will be a '13 fighting season," he said. The Taliban will be up against 352,000 members of the Afghan security forces. That force has grown in capability as it has grown in size, the official said.

There will be negotiations and talks between the Taliban and the international community. "From my vantage point I think it's a delaying tactic," he said. "They've gone through 12 years of war and they are 22 months away from a very small presence."

He said Afghan Taliban leaders in Quetta, Pakistan, are looking at three key things over the next two years. First, how good are the Afghan security forces? Second, what will be the U.S. and NATO investment in the country after 2015? And the third are the April 5, 2014, elections.

"[The elections] are probably the most critical thing that will happen in the next 22 months," he said. Afghans will go to the polls to elect a new president and provincial councils. The last election, in 2009, was marred by allegations of vote fraud. It is supremely important that these new elections go well and that Afghans accept the outcome, the official said.

The official spoke about the changes in Afghanistan since the surge of U.S. and NATO forces ended. The surge did what it was supposed to do, he said, buy time for Afghans to field their forces. Now Afghan soldiers and police are in the lead in security through most of the country and have grown in size and capabilities.

This is a long way from January 2009, the official noted, when the entire Afghanistan campaign looked like a failure. "In January 2009, Kandahar was at risk [and] the central Helmand Valley was at risk," he said. "There were a number of attacks into Kabul."

Then-ISAF commander Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's assessment was that the actual campaign was at risk and asked for additional troops. "Take where we were in 2009 and jump to the end of the surge ... in September 2012," the official said. "As I see the battlespace, I can honestly say that you have a less capable, less popular and less of an existential threat when you look at the insurgency. But you still have a threat."

And the threat will remain in January 2015, but the Afghans should be able to manage it.

Like Afghanistan itself, statistics that look at violence in the country are complex. "When people look at statistics, they say that you have virtually inconsequential changes from '11 to '12," he said. "If you just look at those numbers without the context there is so much you miss."

Last year was about holding the gains that the surge made possible, he said. The Afghans moved to the lead as the United States pulled 23,000 personnel out of the country in September 2012. Afghan forces held the ground and actually expanded their control in the area west of Kandahar and in the Helmand River Valley, the official said.

Another piece of the statistics equation is where the violence was happening. "What we were able to do in 2012 was slowly start separating the insurgency from the major population centers," he said.

The violence in 2012 happened increasingly in sparsely settled rural areas, the official said, noting that in surveys, Afghans report they feel safer and believe the Taliban is not coming back.

Violence is still a problem and the official said 17 districts out of the 402 in the nation are where 50 percent of the violence occurs. Put another way, 80 percent of the attacks occur where 20 percent of the population live. The worst districts are in northern Helmand.

The Haqqani network specializes in high-profile attacks, the official said. "If there is an attack in Kabul it gets the press ... It gives the impression that Kabul is under siege, which is not the case."

Afghan forces have responded quickly and professionally to attacks in the capital, another sign of their continued maturation, he said, but high-profile attacks are going to happen, and they are going to get through.

There were 18 high-profile attacks in Kabul in 2011 and nine in 2012. While there were just nine attacks, the official said, there were "hundreds of threats." And while Afghan capabilities are improving, he added, "even the best goalie in professional soccer is going to get scored on."

Afghan forces are not going to let the Taliban have the rural areas, the official said. The Afghan Local Police -- now with some 20,000 members -- are becoming a security net for the people. "The ALP becomes a hold force for you," the official said. "You have police who live and work in the rural areas."

The official sees three tiers to the threat to Afghanistan. The first tier is tactical -- the 20,000 to 30,000 mostly local insurgents in the country.

The next level is the operational cadre -- the leadership, the shadow government and the Taliban in Pakistan, he said. These men can recruit, train and supply fighters. The leaders in Pakistan are problematic for ISAF, the official said. "We've heard that the Pakistanis are changing their strategic calculus, but there is 'what you say' and 'what you do,'" he said. "I'm waiting for the 'what you do' to see how that works."

The third threat is not the insurgency, the official said, but the degree of corruption and criminality that exists within the government.

"If you can get some rule of law and move forward, then you can pull the carpet out from under the insurgency," he said. Putting in place a legal system and service infrastructure will be a key outgrowth of the April 2014 elections, the official noted.

The world will be watching those elections as well. After 2015, there are 28 NATO nations and eight partner nations that have already said they will invest in Afghanistan. "And all will be watching the elections," the official said.

NATO PLANS FOR CONTINUED PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN

An Afghan girl and boy walk along a dirt path after watching coalition service members during a key leader meeting in Bala Boluk, Afghanistan, Jan. 2, 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
NATO Planners Look to Enduring Force in Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service


BRUSSELS, Jan. 17, 2013 - With just 23 months until the end of the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, Afghan forces are poised to move into the lead operationally, and NATO and partner nations are discussing the scope and missions of the enduring presence force that will remain in the country.

The conversations within NATO are about this transition, a senior NATO officer, speaking on background, told reporters today. The alliance's chiefs of defense, including Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are here for meetings.

"It has been less a conversation about numbers than it has been about capabilities and requirements," the senior officer said of discussions concerning NATO's role going forward in Afghanistan.

"Milestone 2013" is the shorthand NATO uses referring to Afghan forces taking the security lead. Last week, President Barack Obama and Afghan President Karzai announced this will occur in the spring.

This milestone marks a long road for the Afghan national security forces, the officer said. In 2012, Afghan forces demonstrated their battlefield abilities and proficiencies. Now, he said, the need in Afghanistan is for NATO support forces and advisors rather than the combat troops Afghanistan needed in the past.

The post-2014 needs are a training-and-advising capability and a focused counterterrorism capability, the officer said. How to execute those missions at various troop levels are the conversations that are going on within NATO, in Afghanistan and in the capitals of partner nations, he told reporters, adding that ISAF has not been asked to provide advice with respect to a zero-troop option.

The way forward can be seen with an eye to the past, the officer said. The nature of the enduring-presence force will be to facilitate an Afghan national security force that will still be conducting counterinsurgency operations, he added.

Just a year ago, the officer noted, people asked when ISAF was going to shift the main effort in Afghanistan from Regional Command South to Regional Command East. They didn't realize the main effort was already shifting, he said, because that mission was shifting to Afghan forces.

For a counterinsurgency to succeed, the officer said, indigenous forces have to be the lead. Foreign forces can provide the breathing space for these forces to develop their capabilities, but ultimately it is up to local forces to work with the people. "That's been what has been happening over the last 18 months," he said.

The drawdown of U.S. surge forces in Afghanistan created the space and necessitated innovation for Afghan forces. "They are doing corps-level operations today using counterinsurgency type tactics, techniques and procedures, with us firmly in an advisory role," he said.

In 2015 and beyond, the nature of NATO presence will be on training, advising and assisting to ensure the continued development of the Afghan forces, the officer said, and the counterterrorism mission will be to prevent al-Qaida from putting down roots in Afghanistan again.

The Afghan forces will be ready for the full security load by 2015, the officer said, but the road hasn't been easy. "We're building this military virtually from scratch," he noted.

Once trained, the officer said, the Afghan military "has gone from the training field to the battlefield, it has gone from training straight into combat." The Afghan military needs to have cohesion and loyalty to the nation, but it still must incorporate and adjust to the dynamic of tribalism and ethnicity, he added. And on top of this, he said, less than a quarter of all Afghans are literate, and the use of modern weapons and tactics requires literacy.

There are problems, he acknowledged, and ISAF and the Afghan ministries are addressing them. Attrition in the army is an unsustainable 3.5 percent per month, the officer said. Other national security elements such as the police and air force are within the norms needed, around 1.4 percent per month.

The army's difficulties, he told reporters, stem from four basic problems: quality of leadership, quality of life, access to leave, and pay.

The pay issue has been largely solved with the adoption of electronic funds transfer. Quality of life issues are being addressed by building new garrisons, the officer said. "We're getting these soldiers out of barracks that are falling down, that are cast-offs, and getting them into the new facilities and bases that we are building for them," he said.

Leave was a problem last year and directly contributed to a rise in the attrition rate, the officer said, noting these soldiers went straight from the training ground to a tough fighting season in 2012. "We have worked very closely with the Afghan army and the Ministry of Defense to get leave back on the books for these kids," he said.

Finally, the officer said, leadership is a systemic problem that is being addressed. The Afghan defense minister is scrubbing the leadership of the Afghan military and weeding out those who can't cut the mustard or are corrupt, while promoting those who have demonstrated their worth.

The attrition is coming down, the officer said.

All this is important for the Afghan security forces in 2013, the officer said. "This is the first summer where Afghans are in the lead for security operations throughout the country," he said. "We want their forces to come out of this fighting season to be successful, but really to be confident in their abilities."

The Afghans already are conducting corps-level operations around Afghanistan and routinely oversee 10,000 to 12,000 Afghan troops in an operation from multiple brigades, the officer said. Between 1,000 and 1,500 ISAF personnel will be scattered about the battle space as advisors or providing support capabilities.

One Taliban tactic is simply to wait out the NATO ISAF mission and take on the Afghan national security force, the officer said, but he added he does not believe that is the Taliban's strategy.

"Have the Taliban taken a knee for a couple of fighting seasons to sustain their own combat power and lull us into a false sense of confidence?" he said. "We have concluded they have not taken a knee. They are going to continue to come at us hard. That's where the insider threat has been, and our sense is they are not going to husband or marshal their combat power for a post-2014 offensive."

The fighting seasons from 2009 to 2012 each saw decreases in enemy activity. What's more, the officer said, where the fighting is happening also is instructive. In 2011, NATO surge forces permitted ISAF to push the enemy out of the cities. "In 2012, as the Taliban sought to get back into the population centers, they were really unable to do that," he said. The officer said he expects fewer Taliban attacks this year, but he still expects the Taliban to go after the Afghan national security forces.

And all this has to happen so the footprint for an enduring force is ready by the end of 2014, the officer said. About 220 bases in Afghanistan have to close over the next 23 months. "The strategic end state is to seek the final basing platform for our mission that converts naturally into the basing platform for the enduring presence force," he explained.

Some of that force will be in and around the Afghan capital of Kabul, working with the various government ministries and with the training establishments that have grown up around the city. The officer said he anticipates a presence at Bagram Airfield. Other enduring-presence forces could be based regionally in corps or police-zone areas, or they could be mobile training teams that go from one regional headquarters to another.

There is enthusiasm in NATO to continue to make a difference in Afghanistan, the officer said. "We've put 11 years of fighting into this, and the right kind of force in the post-2014 period can sustain these gains for a long time," he said.

Over the next 23 months, commanders must work to maintain the cohesion of the coalition -- 50 nations have been successful working together in the country -- and they must guard the integrity of the campaign plan, the officer said. Beyond that, he added, commanders must lead and manage the redeployment of the force, the retrograde of materiel and the closing of more than 200 bases.

"That requires extraordinarily detailed planning, and 23 months is the blink of an eye," he said. "We are seriously going to use every second to fight the campaign, clear the theater and set the enduring presence force."

ISAF REPORT FROM AFGHANISTAN

Photo Credit:  U.S. Department of Defense.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Combined Force Detains Taliban Leader
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader in the Panjwa'i district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The Taliban leader directed attacks throughout northern Kandahar, in addition to supplying weapons and explosives to other insurgents operating in the region, officials said.

Officials said the security force also detained two suspected insurgents during the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- In the Ghazni district of Ghazni province, a combined force apprehended a Taliban improvised explosive device specialist, killed one insurgent, detained two suspects and seized multiple firearms, grenades and explosives. The detained IED expert coordinated and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the region.
-- A combined force detained several suspects during a search for a Taliban leader in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak province. The leader coordinates insurgent activity, transports weapons, and facilitates attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
In July 1 Afghanistan operations:

-- In the Deh Rawud district of Uruzgan province, a combined force discovered a drug cache containing 33,660 pounds of hashish and detained three suspects. The drugs were destroyed.

-- A combined force-requested airstrike killed numerous insurgents during a search for an al-Qaida leader in the Watahpur district of Kunar province. The al-Qaida leader trains other insurgents operating in Kunar, Nuristan and Laghman provinces. No civilians were harmed and no civilian property was damaged during the operation.
-- In Paktika province's Yosuf Khel district, a combined force responded when an insurgent self-detonated an improvised explosive, killing himself in the process. Coalition forces detained one suspect.

-- A combined force killed nine insurgents during a firefight in Paktika province's Bermal district.
-- An insurgent self-detonated an improvised explosive, killing himself in the process, in Nagarhar province's Rodat district.
-- A combined force detained one suspect in Logar province's Charkh district.
-- A combined force killed nine insurgents during a firefight in Kunar province's Watahpu district.
-- A combined force detained two suspects in Khowst province's Bak district.
-- A combined force detained a Haqqani leader, killed one insurgent, captured two other insurgents and seized multiple grenades and an AK-47 rifle in the Nerkh district of Wardak province.
-- A combined force killed several insurgents during a firefight in the Sar-e Pul district of Sar-e Pul province.

-- In the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province, a combined force detained multiple suspects and seized several weapons during a search for a senior Taliban leader. The Taliban leader controls insurgents in the Nawah-ye Barakzai, Washer and Nad 'Ali districts.
-- A combined force detained a Taliban weapons specialist as well as two other suspects and seized explosives in the Ghazni district of Ghazni province.
In June 30 operations:

-- In the Ahmadabad district of Paktiya province, a combined force-requested airstrike killed numerous insurgents during a search for a Haqqani leader. The airstrike caused no civilian injuries or property damage.

-- A combined force detained three insurgents in Paktiya province's Jaji Maidan district.
-- A combined force detained three insurgents in Paktiya province's Yousef Khel district.
-- A combined force detained one insurgent in Khowst province's Khowst district.
-- A combined force detained six insurgents in Ghazni province's Muqer district.

ISAF JOINT COMMAND NEWS RELEASE JUNE 27, 2012

Photo:  Blackhawk Helicopter Flying Over Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force. 

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Detains Taliban Weapons Facilitator

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban weapons facilitator in the Zharay district of Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

Officials said the facilitator coordinated the transportation and storage of equipment and supplies used in insurgent attacks across the region.

The security force also detained several suspected insurgents, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- In the Tsamkani district of Paktiya province, a combined force searching for a Haqqani leader called in an airstrike that killed several insurgents. The leader is responsible for coordinating, financing and leading attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. No civilians had been harmed and no property had been damaged.

-- A combined force detained a Haqqani leader and several suspected insurgents in the Sharan district of Paktika province. The detained Haqqani leader was responsible for building improvised explosive devices used throughout the region. He also provided IED instruction to other Haqqani insurgents.

In June 26 operations:

-- A combined force killed multiple insurgents, detained several others and seized a weapons cache containing six rocket-propelled grenades, six IEDs, some homemade explosives, eight AK-47 rifles, one machine gun, three grenades, and communications equipment in the Shahid-e Hasas district of Uruzgan province.

-- A combined force killed one insurgent during a firefight in Ghazni province's Gelan district.

-- Coalition forces killed two insurgents in the Qarah Bagh district of Ghazni province.

-- A combined force detained two insurgents in Khowst province's Sperah district.

-- A combined force discovered a cache containing some RPGs in Khowst province's Nadir Shah Kot district.

-- A combined force killed six insurgents and detained three others in Logar province's Pul-E Alam district.

-- A combined force detained 12 insurgents in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces discovered a cache containing several mortar rounds in the Deh Bala district of Nangarhar province.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces detained three insurgents in Parwan province's Bagram district.

-- Afghan soldiers and coalition forces killed one insurgent in the Siaghird district of Parwan province.

And on June 24, a combined force captured an insurgent leader in the Tarin Kot district of Uruzgan province. The detained insurgent had planned, directed and executed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

PENTAGON SAYS AFGHAN TRANSITION ROCEEDS

Photo:  U.S. Pentagon Under Construction.  Credit:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 

Afghan Transition Remains On Track, Officials Say

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012 - Despite the threat of insider attacks in Afghanistan, coalition forces continue to apply pressure against insurgents in the country, Defense Department spokesmen said today.


During a Pentagon press conference, Navy Capt. John Kirby acknowledged multiple attacks by those in Afghan uniform in Kandahar, which left nearly 10 International Security Assistance Force troops wounded.


"[It was] clearly a tough day in Kandahar, or [the] last couple of days. There's no question about that," Kirby said. "We still believe, and it still appears to be, what we consider a green-on-blue, an insider threat attack ... three attackers that were dressed in Afghan national security force uniforms."


Kirby said it was unclear if the attackers wore Afghan police or army uniforms, but all three are still at large. Two other attacks were also reported in the area.


"In one of them, we do believe that it was at least facilitated -- potentially facilitated by an individual dressed in an Afghan National Police uniform," the Navy captain said. "But again, details are very sketchy right now. ISAF is certainly looking into this."


Kirby also provided details about a recent attack on Forward Operating Base Frontenac, in Kandahar's Arghandab Valley.


"It does appear that some insurgents dressed in [Afghan security force] uniforms were able to breach the perimeter of the operating base and were engaged very quickly by friendly forces inside," he said.


"There was a quick response force from a nearby combat outpost that responded almost immediately, and of course, all the casualties were evacuated to Kandahar Airfield," Kirby said.

Although there were no U.S. forces reported killed, Kirby said several were wounded in the course of killing at least seven insurgents.


Kirby noted it's too early to say with certainty whether these attacks are connected beyond the fact that all occurred in or around Kandahar.


"It's not uncommon that in the warm months of the year, violence will increase," he said. "Part of that is because of the weather. Part of it is because ISAF and coalition forces are being more aggressive."


"They're out and about much more, particularly in the south," Kirby said. "So they have occasion to be in more contact with or more of a problem for the enemy, and therefore, eliciting some of these attacks."


Even so, the withdrawal of 23,000 surge forces remains on track and will be complete by the end of September, Kirby said.


Pentagon Press Secretary George Little stated ISAF will continue to overcome threats from al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan, even during the transition phase from ISAF to Afghan security forces.


"As we transition to a new phase in our relationship with Afghanistan, we believe that the Afghans themselves, working with ISAF countries that could maintain a presence beyond 2014, are going to be able to effectively suppress this threat," Little said.


"Al-Qaida should take no comfort in 2014 as an end date for the Lisbon transition," he said. "[This] will be a continuing priority and focus of the United States and our allies, to include Afghanistan. They will continue to see pressure brought to bear against them ... pressure [that] is happening now, and it will continue in the future."

AFGHANISTAN: INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE PRESS RELEASE JUNE 18, 2012

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 

Combined Force Detains Taliban Leader in Helmand

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 18, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force in the Nad-e Ali district of Afghanistan's Helmand province detained one of the senior Taliban leaders for the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported.


The leader controlled several insurgent cells throughout southern Afghanistan and coordinated the construction and use of homemade explosives and bombs for attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.
The combined force also detained another suspected insurgent.


Also yesterday, an Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents and seized assault rifles and bomb components during an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Kandahar's Panjwai district. The leader is responsible for multiple attacks against coalition forces in the region, and supplies insurgents with weapons, explosives and ammunition.
In June 16 operations:


-- A combined security force detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader in Ghazni province's Ghazni district who was directly involved in multiple attacks against coalition and Afghan forces in the region.


-- In the Jani Khel district of Paktia province, a combined force detained several suspected insurgents and seized ammunition and assault rifles while searching for a Haqqani network leader responsible for supplying, coordinating and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout the Jani Khel and Tsamkani districts.

ISAF JOINT COMMAND REPORT FOR AFGHANISTAN JUNE 14, 2012

Photo:  U.S. and Afghan Forces Fighting Insurgents.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 - An Afghan-led, coalition-supported security force killed the Taliban commander, Fayez Jan, and one additional insurgent during an operation in the Daman district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

As Afghan and coalition troops approached Fayez Jan's location, they were attacked with small-arms fire, officials said. The security force returned fire, killing Fayez Jan and one additional insurgent.

Fayez Jan constructed, distributed and directed the placement of improvised explosive devices throughout Daman and Shah Wali Kot districts, officials said. At the time of his death, Fayez Jan was planning to launch an IED attack against Afghan and coalition convoys in the area.

Two Afghan males injured in the battle were transported to coalition medical facilities for treatment, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and detained two suspects in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province. The captured leader armed and coordinated the movement of Taliban insurgents throughout the region. He also instructed insurgents on the use and placement of IEDs.

-- A combined force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Kajaki district of Helmand province. The leader commands more than a dozen Taliban insurgents and directs attacks throughout the region.

In June 13 operations:

-- Combined forces killed three insurgents during a firefight in Kunar province's Watahpur district.

-- Combined forces detained four insurgents in the Maidan Shahr district of Warkak province.

-- Combined forces detained one insurgent in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province.

In June 11 operations:

-- Combined forces killed several insurgents, detained several suspects, and seized drugs, weapons and ammunition during a helicopter-enabled operation in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district of Helmand province. Afghan forces stopped a suspicious vehicle and conducted a search, resulting in the detention of several individuals. The search of the vehicle yielded 1,606 pounds of dry opium and 3,500 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. One of the detainees led the security forces to another vehicle that was hidden in the desert. Within the second vehicle the security forces found one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, four RPG anti-tank rounds, four machine guns, five hand grenades, several IED-making components, and 440 pounds of homemade explosives.

IN AFGHANISTAN: DRUG CACHES OF HASHISH FOUND AND ORDER ISSUED TO HALT AERIAL STRIKES OF HOMES

Photo:  Predator Drone.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMEICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
Combined Forces Seize Large Hashish Caches
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - Combined Afghan-coalition forces seized 1,180 pounds of hashish during operations conducted over the past two days in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, military officials reported.
An Afghan-coalition patrol discovered more than 220 pounds of hashish in the Panjwai district today, officials said.

Yesterday, officials said, combined patrols discovered drug caches totaling more than 960 pounds of hashish and detained one suspected insurgent in the same district.
Drug samples were collected and the hashish was burned at both sites, officials said.

Also yesterday, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, gave the order to coalition forces that no aerial munitions will be delivered against civilian dwellings in Afghanistan. This measure, officials said, is a further step in U.S.-coalition efforts to protect the lives of Afghan civilians.

Other conventional methods will be deployed against the insurgents, in coordination with Afghan National Security Forces, officials said.

As always, Afghan and coalition forces retain the inherent right to use aerial munitions in self-defense if no other options are available, officials said.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE NEWS RELEASE IN AFGHANISTAN MAY 30, 2012

Photo:  Helicopter Flying Over Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Kills Several Insurgents

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 30, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents during an operation to detain a Taliban facilitator in the Sayyidabad district of Afghanistan's Wardak province today, military officials reported.

The Taliban facilitator works directly for the senior Taliban leader in Sayyidabad and also supplies weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition troops, officials said.

As the combined force approached the leader's location, multiple insurgents fired on the troops from within a building, which was later determined to be a mosque. The security force returned fire, killing the insurgents. The Afghan troops entered the building to ensure no insurgents remained.

As the Afghan force cleared the area, they discovered one of the insurgents killed in the exchange had an unstable grenade rigged to his equipment. The Afghan troops requested a coalition explosives expert enter the building and defuse the grenade. The explosives expert rendered the grenade safe, removed it without incident, and departed the area as the Afghan forces finished clearing the building.

During the subsequent search, the Afghan forces recovered a machine gun, multiple AK-47 rifles and several grenades.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force detained a Taliban facilitator in the Washer district of Helmand province. The facilitator worked for Taliban leaders in the district and provided weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also performed investigations for the Taliban and attempted to intimidate Afghan civilians who supported the government of Afghanistan.

-- A combined force detained numerous suspected insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban leader plans and coordinates attacks against Afghan government officials, as well as Afghan and coalition troops. He also coordinates the movement of insurgents and weapons into the Panjwa'i district.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined force called in an airstrike that killed several insurgents, and it also seized AK-47 rifles, several magazines and multiple grenades, and detained numerous suspects during an operation to capture a Haqqani facilitator. The facilitator supplies weapons, ammunition, rockets and explosives to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout the district. As the security force approached the insurgent leader's location, several armed insurgents appeared. After ensuring no civilians were in the area, the security force called for a precision airstrike to engage the enemy fighters. Several insurgents were killed and a follow-on assessment determined that no civilians were harmed and no civilian property was damaged.

-- A combined force detained several suspects during an operation to capture a Haqqani facilitator in the Musahi district of Kabul province. The facilitator is involved in the preparations for an attack in Kabul City against Afghan officials and Afghan and coalition troops. He also coordinates the movement of explosives, weapons and equipment between Haqqani leaders and subordinate insurgents.

And in operations yesterday, a combined force killed several Taliban fighters and seized multiple AK-47 rifles, grenades and IEDs during an operation to detain a Taliban leader in the Almar district of Faryab province. The leader plans and organizes roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and is responsible for distributing funds to Taliban district commanders.

MORE DRUGS INTERCEPTED IN AFGHANISTAN

Photo:  Marijuana Field.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Afghan, Coalition Force Detains Taliban Facilitator

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban facilitator in the Zharay district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator supplied insurgents in the district with weapons, ammunition and equipment for attacks against Afghan and coalition troops and coordinated suicide bombings and indirect-fire attacks against Afghan police compounds and checkpoints throughout Zharay, officials said.

The security force also detained two other insurgents and found 11 pounds of illegal narcotics.

In Kandahar's Panjwai district yesterday, a combined security force found and destroyed about 1,500 pounds of hashish.

An Afghan-led security force supported by coalition troops captured a senior Taliban leader and two other insurgents in Kandahar's Dand district May 19. The leader, who operates in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district, tried to control the local population through murder and intimidation and is suspected in coordinating the assassination of a government official in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

In May 18 operations:

-- A combined security force detained several insurgents, seized and destroyed explosives and weapons and destroyed an opium field in Baghlan province's Baghlan-e-Jidid district.

-- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported security force detained several insurgents while searching for a senior Taliban leader in Helmand's Nad-e Ali district. The leader, an explosives expert, directs attacks in the Nad-e Ali and Lashkar Gah districts and coordinates with other Taliban leaders to supply weapons, ammunition, equipment and explosives to subordinates.

-- In Kandahar's Panjwai district, a combined security force found and destroyed about 300 pounds of hashish, and a combined security force in Kandahar's Zharay district found and destroyed 220 pounds of hashish.In other news, a combined security force captured a senior Taliban leader and two other insurgents in Kunduz province's Aliabad district May 16. The leader was the Taliban liaison for the Peshawar Shura, a group responsible for insurgent activity in eastern and northern Afghanistan. He also served as a facilitator for the Nuristan Taliban shadow governor and organized the transportation of weapons, foreign fighters and suicide bombers for attacks throughout the region.

NATO COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN POSITIVE ON PAKISTAN RELATIONS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
ISAF Commander Sees Positive Signs for Relationship with Pakistan
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. , May 16, 2012 - The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan pointed to indications today that Pakistan is preparing to open cross-border NATO supply lines into Afghanistan.

Speaking by video teleconference, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, told the sixth annual 2012 Joint Warfighting Conference he would welcome the move as well as improved relations with Pakistan for the stability of the region.

"There have been in the last several days, some very important signals coming out of Islamabad that there is a consideration to re-open the ground lines of communication, and we, frankly, would welcome that, we would applaud that decision," Allen said. "It would, in fact, be helpful to us if the ground lines of communication were opened, not just because of what could flow into Afghanistan but what could flow out of Afghanistan."
Relations between ISAF and Pakistan have been strained since a November 26 engagement near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. Pakistan closed ISAF ground supply lines into Afghanistan in response. Allen noted the closing of the routes has not affected the ISAF mission.

"I will tell you the effect of the closure of that route on the campaign has not slowed us at all," he said. "The air bridge into Afghanistan and the flow of materiel across the Northern Distribution Network were modulated in a way that continued to support the campaign in every operational respect."

He said there has been a general review by the Pakistani Parliament of relations with the United States and some "very hopeful signs".

Allen also said Pakistan has "paid a great price" in fighting terrorism on its own soil. "I have to take a few minutes to honor the sacrifices of the Pakistani military who have fought across the border from us against their own insurgent elements."

Pakistani casualties in just the last two years, Allen said, far exceed ISAF casualties in the entire 10 years of the Afghan war. "The numbers of their troops that have been wounded by IEDs, the civilians who have been killed by suicide bombers – the price has been very high in Pakistan as well," he said. "And often, that has been overlooked."
There have been occasions when ISAF and Pakistan have conducted "coordinated operations" along the border for a common interest in security, although "there haven't been any for a couple years now," he said.

"So I would say that over the next several months, we may well see, between ISAF and the Afghan national security forces and the Pakistani military, an ability to work very closely to ensure that we can coordinate operations along the border," Allen said, ensuring an avoidance of any new cross-border incidents.

Allen said he believes there could "conceivably" be coordinated operations between ISAF, Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure "a stable, peaceful and secure Afghanistan."
"My hope is, in the weeks and months ahead, we can leverage all of that opportunity for common ground, both to improve the relationship at a policy level, but certainly to improve the military to military relationship as well," he said.

MEMBER OF HIGH PEACE COUNCIL MURDERED IN AFGHANISTAN

Photo:  Sunset in Afghanistan. Credit:  U.S. Air Force
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
ISAF: Murdered Afghan Official Rejected Insurgents' Agenda
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 13, 2012 - An influential member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council and Islamic Council member, Moulavi Arsala Rahmani, was murdered while reportedly riding in a vehicle on his way to work today, International Security Assistance Force officials reported.

The ISAF offers its condolences and prayers to Rahmani's family and loved ones, officials said.

Rahmani, a former Taliban member, chose to make a positive contribution to his nation by turning his back on an insurgent movement that continues to be wholly detrimental to the future of Afghanistan, officials said.

Rahmani's decision to help make the future brighter for Afghans serves as an inspiration to all, and his contributions will be missed, officials said.

The only possible aim of this attack is to intimidate those, who like Rahmani, want to help make Afghanistan a better place for its citizens and the region, officials said. This attack is clear evidence that those who oppose the legitimate government of Afghanistan have absolutely no interest in supporting the peace process on any level but through murder, thuggery, and intimidation.

No one is underestimating the challenges in Afghanistan, or the desires of the enemies of peace to continue threatening the Afghan people and their government, officials said. The entire coalition is steadfast in its resolve, officials added, and remains ever-more confident that the government of Afghanistan is up to the tasks that lie ahead.

The ISAF and Afghan National Security Forces remain committed to stop acts of terror in order to build a secure environment that promotes lasting peace and prosperity for the Afghan people, officials said

AFGHAN FORCES CONTAIN TALIBAN ATTACK

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Afghan Forces Contain Taliban Attack in Kabul
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 - Afghan security forces led a capable and quick response in containing a Taliban attack in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul today, military officials reported.

All of the attackers were killed, officials said. According to initial International Security Assistance Force reporting, a small group of insurgents attacked a private compound. The attack was unsuccessful in killing any ISAF personnel, but it resulted in Afghan civilian casualties, including children.

"This is another desperate attack by the Taliban, but again another noteworthy performance by Afghan security forces for taking the lead in putting down another desperate attack by insurgents," said German army Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, ISAF spokesman. The insurgents' attack "resulted in the deaths of innocent Afghan civilians, with most of that being children from a nearby school," Jacobson added.
In operations around Afghanistan today:

-- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force killed an insurgent, detained several suspects and seized assault rifles, magazines with ammunition, and multiple grenades and rocket-propelled grenades during a mission to capture a Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader as well as multiple insurgents and confiscated bomb-making materials in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. The insurgent leader directed roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. The leader plans and coordinates roadside bombings, suicide attacks and other operations against Afghan and coalition forces. He also attempts to impose Taliban law on Afghan civilians in the Musa Qalah, Now Zad and Baghran districts.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and another suspect in the Gelan district of Ghazni province. The insurgent leader conducted roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan security forces and coalition troops along Highway 1.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized a manual for constructing improvised explosive devices during an operation to capture a Haqqani network facilitator in the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan officials, Afghan troops, and coalition forces in Kabul City.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized several weapons and a grenade during an operation to capture a Haqqani facilitator in the Sabari district of Khost province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and IEDs to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
Yesterday, a combined force found and destroyed about 2,035 pounds of homemade explosive materials and multiple IED-making components in the Ab Band district of Ghazni province.

ACTIONS TAKEN IN AFGHANISTAN BY AFGHAN AND COALITION FORCES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Captures Several Insurgents

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force captured several insurgents during an operation to capture a senior Haqqani facilitator in the Baraki Barak district of Afghanistan's Logar province today, military officials reported.

The Haqqani facilitator is suspected of providing weapons and ammunition to insurgents for a planned attack against Afghan government officials, Afghan security forces and coalition security forces in Kabul City, officials said. Additionally, the facilitator has ties to the Pakistan-based leaders of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

No shots were fired and no civilian property was damaged during this operation.

In yesterday's Afghanistan operations:

-- An Afghan-led force captured a Haqqani leader and detained two other suspects in the Terayzai district of Khost province. The leader directed roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the Bak district.

-- A combined force found two weapons caches comprising 17 mortars, two rocket-propelled grenades, and five recoilless rifle rounds in the Aliabad district of Kunduz province. The items were destroyed.

In April 21 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained one other suspect in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. The facilitator provided weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents in Kandahar City and the Kandahar district for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In April 19 Afghanistan operations:

-- In the Lash-e Joveyn district of Farah province, a combined force discovered a weapons cache containing 36 120 mm mortar rounds, 96 81 mm mortar rounds, four rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and 200 12.7 mm rounds. The cache was destroyed.

In April 18 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined force detained one suspect and destroyed a RPG launcher and multiple rockets while searching for a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator and explosives expert in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province. The facilitator is responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in northern Afghanistan. He is also suspected in plotting bombings and suicide attacks in Kabul.

GENERAL DEMPSEY VISITS AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Chairman's Afghanistan Visit Focuses on Afghan Forces' Progress

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 22, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  will focus on progress in Afghanistan's national security forces during a visit here.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived this evening, and after a private dinner with a small group of field grade officers, met for about an hour with Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force.

Discussions here also will center on Allen's plan to draw down the U.S. presence in Afghanistan to 68,000 troops by the end of September, the chairman told American Forces Press Service during the flight here from Amman, Jordan.

Dempsey's visit to Afghanistan comes between last week's meetings in Belgium among NATO foreign and defense ministers and the alliance's summit in Chicago next month.

"The ministers get together and provide [the defense chiefs] with political guidance, and we discuss how we turn that into military advice and planning," the chairman explained. But the summit will focus on the way ahead after 2014, when Afghan forces will have security responsibility for all of Afghanistan, he added.

In the meantime, Dempsey said, the key for military leaders is to work along with their Afghan partners to ensure Afghanistan's national security forces continue their progress toward full security responsibility and to work together in addressing the challenges that lie ahead in that effort.

Earlier today, Dempsey met in Amman with Lt. Gen. Mashal al-Zaben, Jordan's defense chief. They discussed the long-standing U.S. Jordanian partnership and regional security issues, including Jordan's perspective on the situation in neighboring Syria.

ISAF KILLED 13 INSURGENTS AND CAPTURED SIX SUSPECTS IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 13 Insurgents, Detain 6 Others

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, April 19, 2012 - Afghan and coalition forces killed 13 insurgents and captured six suspects during operations in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.

-- A coalition airstrike killed 10 armed insurgents posing an immediate threat to nearby ground troops in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province.

-- Another coalition airstrike killed three insurgents after ground troops received small-arms fire in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district.

-- Afghan soldiers detained six suspected insurgents in Dand Patan.
 

TALIBAN LEADER CAUGHT; SUICIDE ATTACK PREVENTED

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force today captured a Taliban leader who was planning a suicide attack against an upcoming gathering of local Afghan civilians in Afghanistan's Kunduz province, military officials reported.

As the security force approached the Taliban leader's suspected location, an insurgent armed with an assault rifle was killed as he prepared to fire, and the Taliban leader was wounded in the arm.

The security force provided medical treatment to the Taliban leader and later took him to a coalition medical facility. He is expected to fully recover and will be detained, officials said. Several other insurgents were detained in the operation.

In other operations today:

-- In Paktia province's Gardez district, security combined force captured a Taliban leader who coordinated suicide bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces. He also provided weapons and ammunition to insurgents in the area. The security force also detained another insurgent in the operation.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents and destroyed more than 330 pounds (of bomb-making materials while searching for a Taliban leader in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district. The wanted man supervises construction and placement of roadside bombs and facilitates the movement of Taliban fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

-- In Ghazni province's Khugyani district, Ghazni province, security combined force detained two suspected insurgents during an operation launched to capture a Taliban leader who plans kidnappings and conducts attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces. He also supplies local insurgents with weapons and equipment.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Shah Wali Kot district detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to capture a Taliban leader who directs attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.

-- In Nangarhar province's Chaparhar district, security combined force detained several suspected insurgents an operation to capture a Taliban leader who directs attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.

In other news, Afghan security forces supported by coalition troops found and destroyed 1,100 pounds of ammonium nitrate and a 115 mm rocket in Nangarhar province's Achin district yesterday. Ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer banned by the Afghan government because insurgents use it to make explosives.

And in an April 11 operation, a combined security force in Faryab province's Maimanah district killed Ammar Sahib, a senior facilitator for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist group.

Ammar Sahib, also known as Qyamuddin, provided weapons, ammunition, and equipment to terrorists across northern Afghanistan. He also recruited suicide bombers and coordinated with Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leaders in Pakistan for newly trained fighters.

In 2006, he was arrested for a bombing that killed two civilians and two members of the coalition's provincial reconstruction team. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but served only six months.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan organization is linked closely to al-Qaida and the Taliban. It operates in northern Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia, officials said.