ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

 

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Wolfe scans for security threats from a rooftop during a meeting with the Farah provincial council at the governor's compound in Farah City, Afghanistan, April 18, 2013. Wolfe, a platoon leader, is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Josh Ives

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Security Force Kills Insurgents in Helmand Province

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Nad-e Ali district of Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.

The leader is believed to be responsible for purchasing and distributing improvised explosive device components to other Taliban members. He also has participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and provides intelligence to senior Taliban leaders in the province, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Helmand's Nahr-e Saraj district killed an insurgent during a search for a Taliban leader who is believed to oversee IED operations in the district. He also has participated in assassinations against Afghan national security force members and provided intelligence to senior Taliban leaders.

-- Afghan Provincial Response Company Zabul, enabled by coalition forces, detained several insurgents and seized and destroyed 132 pounds of ammonium nitrate aluminum powder in Zabul province's Shinkay and Qalat districts. Insurgents use the powder in making IEDs.

GENERAL POLUMBO OUTLINES FUTURE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Presenter: Director, ISAF Air Component Coordination Element and Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan Major General H.D. Polumbo Jr. 
April 23, 2013

Department of Defense Press Briefing with Maj. Gen. Polumbo from the Pentagon Briefing Room
COMMANDER BILL SPEAKS: Good morning here in the Briefing Room, and good afternoon in Kabul, Afghanistan. I'd like to welcome Major General H.D. Polumbo, Jr., to the Pentagon Briefing Room.

Major General Polumbo is commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force in Afghanistan. He oversees three air expeditionary air wings and two expeditionary groups, consisting of more than 450 airmen directly engaged in combat operations, and he advises and assists with joint expeditionary tasked individuals in the Afghanistan Combined/Joint Operations Area.

Additionally, the general serves as the Central Command coalition air component commander's personal representative to the commander of headquarters ISAF, as well as the deputy commander for air to the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, ensuring the optimal integration of air and space power and supports headquarters ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom missions.

This is Major General Polumbo's first time here with us in the Pentagon Briefing Room. He will provide brief opening remarks and take your questions.

And with that, sir, I'll turn it over to you.

MAJOR GENERAL H.D. POLUMBO JR.: Hey, Cmdr. Speaks, thank you. Good morning, everybody there at Washington and good evening from over here in Kabul, Afghanistan. I'm Jake Polumbo and would let you all know that it's been my distinct honor, actually, to serve as the senior NATO and U.S. airman here in Afghanistan for the last year. And I'll take the next 30 minutes or so, or as long as you need to -- and welcome the opportunity to share some of my recent experiences with all of you as this campaign here in Afghanistan enters a new phase. And that phase is Afghans taking the lead for their own security and ISAF stepping back into a supporting role.

Throughout this campaign, coalition airpower has provided a critical asymmetric advantage over those who threaten the security of Afghanistan. And air will continue to do so for the remainder of the ISAF campaign, I'm confident. But in the weeks to come, our focus is going to shift -- will shift to supporting the Afghan national security forces, and I will continue to emphasize the Afghan Air Force, so that the core commanders, the ground commanders can hold and expand on the significant security gains they've made that were enabled by NATO forces.

You all can imagine that building an air force from the ground up is no easy task. It takes skilled, confident, bold air crews, proud maintenance specialists who have the technical expertise and language skills needed to operate and maintain their aircraft through a variety of challenging roles and missions of the Afghan air force and in the rugged terrain found here in Afghanistan.

Austere conditions, challenging weather patterns, remote locations, and combat conditions only increase the degree of difficulty of these tasks, but the Afghans -- and particularly the Afghan airmen -- are hardy people and have eagerly embraced these challenges.

The results are showing not only in the training environment, but more importantly on the battlefield. And Afghan air force airmen have conducted winter resupply missions to remote Afghan National Army locations in Nuristan Province in the east, and they've provided direct support to Afghan border police in Paktika, Zabul Province in the east, and also down in the south, in Kandahar Province.

During recent combat operations, Afghan air force helicopters flew life-saving casualty evacuation flights, and they also conducted independent air assaults into contested areas. Admittedly, Afghan air force capacity is still very limited, and it'll need continued assistance from NATO to increase their capabilities to conduct missions like air surveillance, air support, and mobility operations, and the like.

But the early signs are, indeed, encouraging, and continued Afghan air force development will bolster the confidence of the rest of the Afghan security forces as they increasingly meet their specific security needs with their own organic capabilities.

As we assist the Afghans in developing their own organic military capabilities, our proven coalition airpower will provide vital protection -- force protection and sustainment for the NATO force, even as we set the theater for the end of the ISAF mission in December 2014 and transitioned to the anticipated NATO resolute support mission during the decade of opportunity.

In the new NATO mission, we'll work -- continue to work side by side with our Afghan partners to achieve some mutual goals. And those goals include the following: a competent, self-reliant Afghan national security force; an operationally ineffective al-Qaeda deprived of safe havens from which to conduct their operations; an acceptable political transition defined by free and fair elections next year; and, finally, improved regional security relationships between Afghanistan and our neighbors, in particular Pakistan.

The ISAF commander is confident these goals are achievable, but he also reminds us, his staff, every day that they're not inevitable. A firm commitment to these objectives is necessary to achieve a positive result for the Afghan people and the air component, the airmen that I work with every day will always be ready to do their part.

It's been an honor to command the truly remarkable airmen in our U.S. and coalition air forces in Afghanistan and continue our vital air mission in support of the ground commanders. With that, ladies and gentlemen, I'd be glad and happy to take any of your questions.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Spencer?

Q: Thank you, General Polumbo. Spencer Ackerman with Wired. I'm hoping we can quantify some of the aspects of the air operations you've talked about. What percentage of air assault missions are being conducted solely by the Afghan national security forces' air components? We hear a lot about the size of the ANSF on the ground. What still remains to be done in terms of the size of the ANSF air presence, both in terms of personnel and also in terms of the actual air fleet, the aircraft that it still needs?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Yeah, Spencer, that's a great question. And to be -- to put it into macro terms for you, as we drive the Afghan national security force towards their number, their sustained number of over 350,000 troops, only 6,000 or so right now are in the Afghan air force.

And so you can imagine that the percentage of Afghan air force support forward is small, and that's okay, because what truly is happening now is we assist the Afghan security forces, the core commanders, the kandak commanders, we assist them with all of our sustainment capabilities that we have, which is very robust. Our NATO forces are very capable.

And so it's a small percentage that the Afghan air force supplies, in terms of resupply missions, in terms of their other ways to connect the kandaks to the battle space, but over the next two years, it will increase. And, again, this is what's so important to me as an airman, is there is a pipeline for increased capacity with the air crew members, the pilots, copilots, the load masters, the crew chiefs, as those increase the ability to -- and capacity will increase for them to resupply their own ground operations.

Q: About the air assault, what percentage of air operations right now are conducted by the ANSF air force independently?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Again, it's a small percentage. And I can get you those numbers and would be happy to do that. It's a small percentage where their air assault is done -- they have more than just the Afghan air force air wings that they have at their locations. They have a special mission wing that also, with Mi-17 helicopters, is able to provide lift for their helicopter assault force, or assault forces, into specific regions in -- in the east primarily.

So -- but it's a very small number, and that's where you need to understand that many of the movements that the Afghans will make will be by -- by land, by ground capabilities, and then when they need those specific assaults that are done into the mountainous regions, with their Mi-17s either in the Afghan air force or in the special mission wing, that they plan those, they prioritize those, they make them, you know, work in terms of how the ground forces command prioritizes those events day by day.

Q: Do they have any close air support capabilities?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: They don't. And, again, another good question in the sense of where are the gaps that they have currently in their arsenal, in their quiver, if you will, for how they can do combined operations. What they do have are they -- they have six Mi-35 helicopters that have forward-firing capability, and that capability from my standpoint as the senior airman here is designed to primarily start to set the tactics, the techniques, and the procedures, as we call them, the TTPs, for how they will bring on the Super Tucano now, which is the selected aircraft that the Afghan air force will have that will have multiple capabilities, multiple weapons, weapons capabilities.

And so these Mi-35s that they have that they're now currently flying -- and actually have used in some combat operations in rocket boxes and different things around the Kabul area -- they will set those TTPs up that will allow then these Super Tucanos -- or as I will designate them, the A-29 -- to come into the inventory, starting within the next year, and then probably fully operational into the 2015 timeframe.

So you can see your -- as your question alludes to, they have no close air support capability as we would define it, as NATO coalition. What they will have is the air support that their -- their ground commanders will need, and in particular, when this A-29 comes onboard, a very, very good and robust capability, as the numbers come onboard.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Lalit?

Q: Yeah, thank you, General, for doing this. Can you give us a sense into what's a timeline or a strategy for having a strong and independent Afghan air force? And would -- you will be providing any kind of support to the Afghan national security forces post-2014? Because they will need air support for their combat operations.

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Yes, I'd be happy to do that. And as you allude to, it will take time for the Afghan air force to end up as a fully operational -- full operational capability, as we call it, FOC, and that will take into the 2016, end of 2016 timeframe at best, and we understand that. That is -- that is exactly how we have partnered with the Afghan security forces, in particular the air force, is to be committed to that duration and to bring on these aircraft, these training mechanisms, and the like.

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: In the meantime, what the ISAF mission will do -- and NATO coalition air will do -- will be to provide support when our commanders, when our coalition commanders deem it required in order to assist the Afghan ground commanders with the operations that are -- that are undergoing -- they're -- that they're undertaking.

So we have what I would call -- and as the senior airmen have coined the phrase -- a graduated approach for how our forces would put air support into the equation to assist our Afghan ground commanders with their contact with the insurgents. And that graduated approach is a very detailed way -- we have a specific standard operating procedure as to how our regional commanders interact with the core commanders, and the primary way that we emphasize it is to start out with what they have organic, their mortars, their D-30 mortars, their D-60 mortars that are coming online, their indirect fire capability, where we, with a graduated approach mindset, will assist them with information, with intelligence, with targeting options to try and make sure they understand, once they are in contact with the enemy, with the insurgents, where are they exactly? How would they best target them with what they have organic?

And then if they need to, and they need to step it up because the conditions are worsening, then we would move towards something that they would have in their capability like attack helicopters, because the Mi-35 is there. At some point in time, we'll have door gunners in the Mi-17s. So we would provide, as we graduate this assistance, if, in fact, our coalition commanders deem that appropriate, we would assist with those types of -- of helicopter assault force, those things.

And in the most significant or dire of circumstances, if you will, in a very -- what we would call in extremis situation, when senior commanders in the ISAF headquarters deem it appropriate, we would put the absolute finest capable platforms we have, what I call our national unique platforms, in play, and then with our coalition commanders controlling those strikes, we would assist the Afghans in that regard.

There's no doubt that General Dunford and COMISAF, our commander, has told us, we -- we will assist them to make sure that there are no significant setbacks in this campaign, but we have to use a graduated approach so that they continue to learn how to fight with what they'll have in their own arsenal.

Q: General, Otto Kreisher with Seapower Magazine. There's been a lot of talk about the downsizing, drawback of the ground forces, ISAF ground forces, because the -- it's going to take so long for the ASFN to develop their air component, is -- what's the -- how are you planning to draw down an air asset? And, you know, based in Afghanistan, using Navy -- naval assets offshore, how -- how does that schedule play out? Are you going to need to keep air assets in at a higher level perhaps than -- than the ground?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Yeah, Otto, you're read-in very good -- very well on this. And, again, you've mentioned a couple things that -- if you'll permit me, I'll walk you through this. First and foremost, we know that air is a critical enabler in many of the operations that we do, that coalition ground forces do in partner with our Afghan security forces and sometimes on our own.

But as I've said in my opening statement, those coalition operations where we are out in the lead of anything are scaling back and moving into the background so that we can advise and assist, as we finish up the ISAF mission over the next 20 months.

But air will always be important in that regard. It's our asymmetric advantage. The insurgents, the Taliban have no match to it, and therefore we always have that ability to provide that force protection, to provide that capability to pack that punch that really keeps them on their heels, if not just in retreat.

So how do we then work that into, you know, the next year with respect to the Afghans? Well, again, it's that graduated approach. But the drawdown to our enduring presence numbers is underway. And we certainly have our guidance in the U.S., and the other NATO nations are similarly working their way down towards the numbers that will be here at the end of '14, which we'll call the enduring presence numbers.

How will air draw down according to COMISAF and COMIJC? It will draw down at a slower rate, at a slower -- at a less severe of a slope in order to maintain that asymmetric advantage. In my view, we need to make sure that we keep our intelligence, our surveillance, our reconnaissance capabilities fairly high, especially through the end of this fighting cycle, end of this year, and into the election period next year, which is so critical to the success of this campaign, is to enable the Afghans to have a free and fair election.

So we will draw down at slightly slower -- lower slope, but we'll ultimately -- as we get to the enduring presence numbers -- end up with a smaller air component in Afghanistan to transition to resolute support.

But you -- you rightfully remind our viewers and the rest of the reporters that there's over-the-horizon capability. And the air component -- specifically, the key nations that contribute to air and very much so the U.S. -- keeps a very capable over-the-horizon component that can be called in by the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan/the commander of ISAF, General Dunford, as the same person, and I, as the senior airman, along with the CFAC back in -- in the CAOC at Al Udeid, we worked that day in and day out via an air tasking order that allows us to flex whenever the situation requires. So the drawdown a little bit slower, and we have over-the-horizon capabilities that can be called back into the equation very quickly. Very good question, though.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Kristina?

Q: Hi, General, this is Kristina Wong from the Washington Times. Thanks so much for speaking with us this morning. My first question is, could you talk a little bit more about the challenges of illiteracy and just some challenges in training pilots, maintenance crews, and -- and just across the board what kind of challenge that is?

And then, also -- and I've heard estimates of, you know, an air -- Afghan air force standing up, you know, in 2018. You mentioned 2016 at best. And I was wondering, you know, how many trainers you have now and how many trainers you envision sort of having post-2014 throughout 2018?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: First, to the illiteracy question, I continue to emphasize to my commanders in the coalition and also to the commanders in the Afghan security forces, and particularly my good friend, Major General Wahab, the commander of the air force, Afghan air force, that the literacy piece is so important, and the ability to read and write and communicate in English is critical to the development -- further development of the Afghan air force.

And because of that, two things have happened. One is that the chief of general staff has agreed to higher accession standards for the Afghan air force, and they are slowing working those procedures into their recruitment and pipeline process, so that the air force gets the recruits that can begin this higher-tech training that's required to fix the aircraft, to fly the aircraft, to crew chief the aircraft, et cetera, and then to be able to operate (inaudible) dynamic combined arms setting.

It isn't there yet. They will sometimes in our monthly recruiting results will end up with a class that comes in and their literacy rates are too low and their English skills are not where they need to be, and we will turn those recruits away, and they will go back into kind of a general fund, if you will, and go into other things.

So we'll continue to highlight that, because it can't happen. You know, a Super Tucano and different types of airplanes, the Cessna 208, the Mi-17V5, which is a very capable airplane for flying in Afghanistan, a helicopter, it requires English and full literacy capabilities. So I will stay on that, and we will stay on it.

In terms of the number of trainers, it's actually a very small number in the 300 or so -- and you -- I can get you more exact numbers, but it's a very small portion of the total advise and assist footprint that is in the coalition force management level.

And I anticipate it won't get any bigger than that in 2014 into '15, because we have -- as I've said, we have a training pipeline that has the strategic goals in mind to get the capability and capacity up between 2015, 2016, and then finishing in '17. So, again, the numbers will be small in comparison to the advisers and the people who will -- the troops that will provide assistance to the army and to the police.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Richard?

Q: Sir, Richard Sisk of Military.com. Another numbers question. Sir, can you tell us how many sorties the ISAF forces have flown this year in which the aircraft have fired or dropped munitions? And how does that stack up against previous years?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Yeah, Richard, good question. And I can get those numbers to you. You know, my last monthly report to the commander had over 11,000 sorties flown by all of the coalition, including the sorties that come in from over-the-horizon, so it's a very, very high number of sorties that are flown, but you can imagine that a lot of that is the re-supply, intra-theater lift. A lot of that is the different helicopter ops and everything else.

That's why I say, if you can be more specific, I can get you very precise answers, and I'd be happy to do that for you, because we're very proud of the fact that we fly an incredible amount of rotary wing and fixed-wing sorties every day and night, 365 days. We get absolute incredible support from over-the-horizon, whether it's from the carrier strike group or from the bases in the Arabian Gulf.

In -- in the particular piece of kinetic deliveries, it's a very small percentage of that, a significantly small percentage, because we don't go kinetic very often, because we are so precise in our kinetic deliveries. When we do kinetic, the precision with which we do that is so high that we do it, it doesn't take a second sortie, it doesn't take another mission. It gets done -- the ground commander's intent is met on the first try, and then we go back into an overwatch mode, and also primarily -- which is what we do so often -- is we go into an intelligence-gathering mode with surveillance of FOBs and COBs.

So I'd be glad to get you those numbers. And rather than give you a wag, I'd give you the exact numbers via an RFI, if you will.

Q: Thank you, General. Amy McCullough with Air Force Magazine. I was wondering if you could elaborate on the post-2014 footprint a little bit. I know you've talked about that quite a bit. But other than trainers, who -- who will we -- who will the air force still need in Afghanistan? And will there be a need to plus-up the footprint at the surrounding bases?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Amy, somehow we got a bad connection at that point. I think I -- I heard your name, but then if you could repeat the question, I'm sorry. I just didn't hear it.

Q: Sure, no problem. In addition to trainers, what other types of airmen do you see in Afghanistan post-2014? What type of career fields will be necessary? And do you see any need to kind of plus-up the footprint in surrounding gulf bases?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: The types of airmen that we'll have besides the advise and assist airmen will be primarily airlift, people that assist in regards to any of the drawdown that might not yet be done and assisting with the aerial ports of demarcation for our retrograde ops, and then some manned ISR will be a small footprint, but, again, enough that it'll be a recognizable percentage of the footprint into '15.

And then what, you know, I'm so proud of as a U.S. air force, U.S. airman, is the fact that much of our remotely piloted aircraft that provide this long endurance, persistent watch of the target areas or of the friendly forces, is flown by reach back, it's flown by a distributed environment for our -- RPA pilots actually are back in Creech Air Force Base in Nevada or in Holloman in New Mexico, in other places.

So you can see the footprint goes way down, because of that ISR capability that will be so important into '15, but we'll do it with very few people forward. We'll launch and recover, as I would call it, pitch and catch the RPAs, and then most of the mission is flown reach back.

As far as your question on the rest of the gulf region, you know, it really is a CENTCOM discussion to have that. From my point of view, I wouldn't see any plus-ups significantly in anything we have in the over-the-horizon capability because we have such a sustained way of providing that capability with small footprint, what I call expeditionary airmen, that generally are not permanently assigned to these locations that come in, in our U.S. Air Force expeditionary rotation.

So I wouldn't expect it to plus-up in that regard, but, you know, CENTCOM probably has the better vantage point to answer that. But that's a good question, Amy, on both aspects.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Luis?

Q: General, it's Luis Martinez with ABC News. Just following up on Amy's question, which is exactly what I was going to ask, so you're saying that the enduring air component will not have combat air support capability beyond the over-the-horizon aircraft that may be needed? Is that correct?

And what -- what -- how long of a timeframe are we talking before the A-29, Super Tucano is operable by the Afghan air force?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Yeah, the A-29 will start coming into the inventory next year, not -- it will not be a factor -- yeah, okay. I'm sorry. There was a little bit of feedback. But, again, the Super Tucano A-29 is not anything in the '13 fighting cycle. It's next year where it starts to come onboard, and obviously most of that will have to be the initial training the cadre of Afghan air force pilots who will not only be prepared to fly it themselves, but also bring on and become the instructors in the airplane. So it'll be mid-'14 and into '15 where it starts to really reach some operational capability. So what does that mean for -- how does the air support be generated by anything still remaining in the coalition capabilities? We'll still have some fixed-wing capability to do air support, air- delivered munitions. It likely will include other nations besides the United States Air Force and the United States Navy and the United States Army. And I encourage that, for our NATO partners who have very robust capabilities over here right now in both rotary-wing and fixed-wing.

And likely, we would expect to see some of those nations stay into the resolute support mission in 2015 and beyond, all to be determined in the months to come as we go through the concept of operations that NATO will put in play and in negotiations with the nations, and ultimately into a final plan that will come to fruition in 2015.

I think the other piece that maybe you're asking about that I could help you with is, what other capabilities will have kinetic capabilities? And, again, I come back to the remotely piloted aircraft that not only the U.S. fly, but other nations fly -- the U.K. comes to mind -- that have hybrid ISR. They can collect intelligence, but they also are armed. And they're armed to be able to provide force protection to our coalition forces, and then our coalition ground force commanders, when they deem it appropriate, they can control that air delivered munition capability from the RPAs to be put in support of the Afghans.

So you'll have that hybrid ISR, as I call it, that armed ISR remotely piloted aircraft capability all the way through '14. And then once resolute support mission operations is fully understood and agreed upon by our coalition partners and our -- and our leadership, you likely will see it into 2015 to provide force protection.

Q: If I could follow up really quickly, are you -- are you talking about an integrated international aviation task force, I guess, where you would bring small numbers, each country would present small numbers of aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft that would all operate under the same umbrella?

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: I am. And it's what we have now. As you know, the coalition that we have of 50 willing nations -- most of them are NATO -- which makes it very straightforward for me as the senior NATO airman to operate. We know how we are integrated. We know how to talk to each other. We know how to pass taskings back and forth. We know how to do air space control measures, et cetera.

So we have that now, and I'm confident that that NATO coalition of the troop contributing nations that have air power, that it will likely be the same type of a set-up, albeit smaller, in the resolute support mission, so into 2015.

The interesting part of it is, we also have other non-NATO nations that have very significant air capabilities -- United Arab Emirates, UAE comes to mind -- and they -- after we work this into our existing NATO command-and-control structure, they are full participants and very, very capable of doing this day in and -- day in and day out. And into resolute support, you know, I would -- I would encourage and hope that the nations such as the UAE would also stay with us.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Okay, with that, sir, I will turn it over to you for any closing comments.

MAJ. GEN. POLUMBO: Well, I think you guys have been too easy on me, but it's been a pleasure to talk to you. There's an obvious understanding of the complexity of the environment by the questions that you all ask. They were really good questions. I appreciate it. Anything that I promised you a return on, we can through the ISAF structure that we have here, we can get that data to you.

I will close by saying it's an honor and a privilege as the senior U.S. and NATO airman to have served for the year and worked with so many great airmen and great soldiers and Marines and sailors and the civilians that are over here. And I have been flying in the Afghan airspace this year, as the commander, but also over the last three years, it's a very difficult place to fly. It's a very challenging environment to fly airplanes day and night, so I have nothing but the utmost admiration for our airmen and the maintenance personnel and the civilians that assist us in that regard, because it's so important.

The Afghan people deserve this try. General Dunford has defined how we should look at how to declare a win in this regard. And over the next 20 months, we have a lot of work to do to really, really assist the Afghans in a free and stable and vibrant and economically viable country.

So, again, thank you all for the opportunity to talk to you today, and we're out here from Kabul.

CMDR. SPEAKS: Thank you, sir.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 22, 2013

 

U.S. Army Sgt. Nichole D. Sharp and her military working dog, Hatos, search a truck while assessing security in the new customs yard under construction near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the Spin Boldak district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, April 8, 2013. Sharp, a military police officer, is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann 　

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Afghan, Coalition Forces Arrest Insurgents During Searches
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 - Combined Afghan and coalition security forces arrested seven insurgents yesterday during searches for Taliban leaders in two of Afghanistan's provinces, military officials reported.

The arrests took place in three separate operations:

-- In Kandahar province's Kandahar district, a combined force arrested an insurgent while searching for a senior Taliban leader who is believed to have operational control over a group of insurgents responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is believed to be a key insurgent facilitator in the area, procuring and distributing weapons and other military supplies.

-- Also in Kandahar's Kandahar district, a combined force arrested four insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who is believed to manage a network of insurgents throughout the province while gathering intelligence to use against Afghan and coalition forces. He also has participated in executions of Afghan officials, assisted in obtaining weapons for insurgents, and had a direct association with Abdullah Wakil, the former Taliban leader for the province's Panjwai district, who was killed March 31 during a combined operation

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district arrested three insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who is believed to be responsible for assassinations of government officials, facilitating the movement of money and distributing weapons to insurgents and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In April 20 Afghanistan operations:

-- Feda Mohammad, a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader, was killed during an operation in Balkh province's Balkh district. Also known as Omari, Mohammad had a long history of planning attacks against civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to Afghan New Year celebrations in March, he coordinated a failed attack against public gatherings, specifically targeting Balkh's governor and other government officials with suicide bombers. He also had extensive experience facilitating the movement of improvised explosive devices.

-- A combined force in Khost province's Matun district arrested a Haqqani network leader who is believed to be involved in planning and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He has also performed reconnaissance operations for his cell. The security force also arrested two other insurgents.

In other news, Afghan and coalition security forces today confirmed the death of senior Taliban leader Mullah Hayatullah during an April 18 operation in Kandahar's Maiwand district. One of the top officials for the Taliban in the district, Hayatullah was responsible for organizing and planning attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitated the movement of insurgent weapons and supplies and plotted to assassinate Afghans who support the local government and Afghan forces.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 18, 2013

 


A coalition force member provides security during a patrol with Afghan special forces to escort a district governor in Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 14, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Detains Insurgents After Firefight
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 19, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a senior Taliban leader and several other insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.

During the operation, insurgents opened fire on the security force. The security force returned fire, wounding one insurgent.

The Taliban leader is believed to control fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. He also is alleged to oversee weapons facilitation for insurgents and to have trained suicide bombers. He also is an improvised explosive device expert and passes orders from senior Taliban officials to the insurgents, officials said.

The security force seized two rifles, four magazines and 60 pounds of opium in the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district detained several insurgents and a Haqqani network facilitator believed to be a vital link in the network's IED operations.

-- In Khost province's Sabari district, a combined force detained several insurgents during a search for a Haqqani network leader who allegedly coordinates the flow of military equipment to Haqqani cells in several districts and has participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force seized an assault rifle, a pistol, three grenades, three assault rifle magazines, ammunition and bomb-making materials.

In other news, a combined force in Kandahar province's Maiwand district killed two insurgents yesterday during a search for a man believed to be one of the district's top Taliban officials. He is responsible for planning and organizing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitating the movement of supplies and weapons. He also has plotted to assassinate Afghans who support the local government and Afghan forces.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

 

U.S. soldiers provide security for a hasty patrol base in the Registan Desert in the Panjwai district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 10, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kimberly Hackba

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan, Coalition Troops Arrest Taliban Facilitator
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, April 18, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader and another insurgent in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The leader is accused of directing and participating in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the province's Panjwai and Kandahar districts. He is believed to facilitate weapons and equipment for insurgent operations and to have significant experience with the construction and emplacement of improvised explosive devices.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:
-- A combined force in Samangan province's Darah-ye Suf-e Pain district detained two insurgents during a search for a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader believed to direct insurgent fighters and to have planned high-profile attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and civilians.

-- In Nuristan province's Waygal district, a combined force killed two insurgents during a search for the suspected top Taliban official in the district, who is believed to be responsible for leading attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, conducting illegal checkpoints and kidnapping Afghan officials.

-- Afghan Provincial Response Company Uruzgan, enabled by coalition forces, killed two insurgents and seized and destroyed IED-making materials in Uruzgan province's Shahid-e Hasas district during a search for a Taliban weapons facilitator.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 17, 2013

 

A coalition force member drives a vehicle during a patrol with Afghan special forces to escort a district governor in Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 14, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Kills Insurgents, Detains Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 17, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents and detained a senior Taliban leader and three other insurgents today in the Marjah district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, military officials reported.

The Taliban leader is accused of coordinating and conducting direct-fire assaults, ambushes and improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is believed to be a supplier of IED components, heavy weapons and ammunition to Taliban fighters.

The security force also seized more than 10 pounds of opium during the operation.

Also today, a combined force in Paktia province's Tsamkani district killed an insurgent and detained a Haqqani network leader believed to have operational control over IED operations in Paktia and Khost provinces. He also is accused of planning and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and of enlisting Afghan children to participate in insurgent activities. The security force also detained three other suspects and seized two assault rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- Afghan special forces soldiers, supported by coalition forces, detained several suspected insurgents and recovered small-arms ammunition, fuses and a grenade in Badakhshan province's Warduj district after discovering a suspected insurgent medical facility.

-- Afghan Provincial Response Company Zabul, enabled by coalition forces, killed two insurgents and seized and destroyed 110 pounds of homemade explosives and IED components during a cordon-and-search operation in Zabul province.

In other news, Afghan and coalition security forces today confirmed the death of Khaliq Mir, a Haqanni network facilitator, during an April 15 operation in Khost province's Sabari district. Mir acquired and distributed weapons for insurgents throughout the province and belonged to a cell of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

ISAF NEWS FOR APRIL 15, 2013

U.S. soldiers patrol a field to attend a shura in the Khogyani district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, March 31, 2013. The soldiers are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jon Heinrich

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Insurgent Leader in Ghazni Province
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Lashkar-e Tayyiba leader and detained a number of other insurgents during an operation in the Andar district of Afghanistan's Ghazni province today, military officials reported.

The detained insurgent leader is alleged to have planned and participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Kunar, Kandahar and Ghazni provinces, officials said. He also is known to have links to multiple foreign fighters, and was actively planning an attack at the time of his arrest.

Also today, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province. The arrested Taliban leader is suspected of planning and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Nangarhar province. He's also suspected of using his residence as a staging point for insurgent operations, and of housing Taliban fighters and weapons. The security force seized two AK-47 rifles, one automatic shotgun, one grenade and ammunition.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined force arrested one insurgent during a search for a Haqqani leader. The sought-after Haqqani leader is suspected of acquiring and distributing weapons to fellow insurgents. He's also suspected to have operational control over a cell of fighters in the district and of personally leading subordinates in rocket-propelled grenade attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force killed insurgent leader, Rauf, and two other insurgents in the Asadabad district of Kunar province. Rauf was an operational planner responsible for coordinating insurgent attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in multiple provinces throughout Afghanistan. He has facilitated funding for foreign fighters and coordinated operations between the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

In April 13 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined force arrested a senior Taliban leader and detained two other insurgents in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province. The arrested insurgent leader commanded multiple cells of Taliban fighters and is alleged to have participated in numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Helmand province.

-- Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed the death of Taliban leader, Yassin, during an operation in the Washer district of Helmand province. Yassin led a cell of fighters responsible for improvised explosive device operations against Afghan civilians in the Kandahar district. And he was involved in the facilitation of weapons and vehicles for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- Combined forces confirmed the death of senior Taliban leader, Tawab, during an operation in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. Tawab was in charge of approximately 50 fighters in the area and was responsible for most of the insurgent activity and attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the western and central sections of the Panjwa'i district.

-- A combined force killed two insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban leader is alleged to be in charge of approximately 50 fighters and is believed responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the western and central sections of the Panjwa'i district. He is also considered vital to IED operations throughout the district.

-- In the Washer district of Helmand province, a combined force killed one insurgent during a search for a Taliban leader. The sought-after Taliban leader is believed to head a cell of fighters responsible for IED attacks against Afghan civilians in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. He is also linked to the facilitation of weapons and vehicles for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In the Burkah district of Baghlan province, a combined force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader. The arrested leader is linked to a cell of insurgents responsible for improvised explosive device operations against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Balkh province.

-- A combined force detained a number of insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after insurgent leader is linked to a group of insurgent fighters responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, including the kidnapping of Afghan government officials. The security force also seized 50 pounds of hashish.

-- A combined force detained one suspect during a search for a Taliban facilitator in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. The suspected insurgent is believed to have provided IED logistics around the Kandahar district, to include procuring homemade explosives, assisting in IED construction, and delivery of completed devices for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In the Pul-e-Alam district of Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani leader and detained one other insurgent. The arrested Haqqani leader is believed responsible for weapons facilitation in the Pul-e-Alam district, and for controlling a group of fighters responsible for IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized IED-making materials.

-- A combined force detained a number of suspected insurgents during a search for a Haqqani leader in the Musa Khel district of Khost province. The sought-after Haqqani leader is believed responsible for procuring and distributing weapons and IEDs to his fellow fighters for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Khost province. The security force also seized fragmentation grenades, AK-47 rifles, a pistol, and a significant amount of ammunition.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 3, 2013

U.S. Army Sgt. Justin R. Pereira, right, and Laika 5, a military working dog trained to detect tactical explosives, provide security as Afghan border police break ground on a new checkpoint in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, March 25, 2013. Pereira and Laika 5 are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Striker Brigade Combat Team. The border police moved to the new location to block an insurgent nfiltration route. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 3, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Burkah district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province today, military officials reported.

The leader has allegedly led a cell of insurgent fighters in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also is accused of training insurgent fighters and serves a vital role in intelligence and improvised explosive device operations, they added.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Dand district detained two insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator believed to have arranged the transportation of weapons and IEDs throughout Kandahar for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also allegedly has ordered subordinates to commit executions and kidnappings against Afghan civilians working with government officials. The security force also seized a machine gun and a grenade.

-- In Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district, a combined force detained several insurgents while searching for a senior Taliban leader who allegedly commands numerous cells of Taliban fighters. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and he also is believed to have plotted the assassination of Afghan government officials. The security force seized an assault rifle and two ammunition magazines.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader and several other insurgents in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district. The leader is believed to be responsible for the movement and coordination of insurgent fighters throughout the province and for procuring and distributing weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

ISAF LAYS OUT FINAL DETAILS OF AFGHAN SECURITY TRANSITION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ISAF Deputy Details Final Afghan Security Transition
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 - With the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan shifting from combat to support later this spring, the ISAF deputy commander briefed reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels today on progress and the hard work that remains.

The Afghan national security forces' assumption of the operational lead across Afghanistan will coincide with the fifth and last "tranche," or geographic area, of transition in the country. If NATO and the Afghans approve, the transition will be implemented starting this summer.

The last tranche includes areas along the eastern front and down into Kandahar and parts of Helmand province -- areas that are the Pashtun heart of the insurgency and are expected to be most violent, said Lt. Gen. Nick Carter of the British army, ISAF's deputy commander and the United Kingdom's national contingent commander in Afghanistan.

From the moment the springtime announcement is made, he added, the Afghan army and police "effectively will have the security lead at the national level."

With that, the general said, ISAF "will place our effort very much on the basis of train, advise, assist and support. The support piece is important because, as we stand at the moment, there are certain capabilities the Afghans still require us to supply for them." These include air power, aviation, medical evacuation, some logistics support, countering improvised explosive devices, intelligence support and some help with command and control, he added.

"Those are important supporting capabilities, without which I think the Afghans would find life quite difficult at the moment," Carter observed.

This summer, in its work with Afghan forces, ISAF will build on the concept of layered security that Carter said brings together many Afghan security force capabilities on the ground at the provincial and regional levels, producing an outcome that "is rather greater than the sum of the parts."

"It's our goal come this autumn that we should be able to look back with the Afghan security forces having managed the period of high operational tempo that generally comes in the summer," he added, "and look back with some confidence on what they've achieved."

This will set the stage for successful handling by the Afghan forces of Afghanistan's presidential elections, now set for April 2014, he said.

In terms of capabilities, Carter called the Afghan forces' success at the tactical level "impressive" and said the trick is to sustain that success "at the levels above and connecting that tactical success at provincial level up to and out to [the Afghan capital of] Kabul and to the ministerial level."

Most attention over the next 18 months must be paid to connecting the provincial and local levels back to Kabul, he added. "The notion of ministry development, both in the [Ministry of Defense] and the Ministry of Interior, is important," Carter said. "We're applying some attention to that, ... because it's only through having the proper processes in place that some of the capabilities the Afghans will need in terms of logistics, command and control, and the ability to share intelligence will be transmitted down to the lower level."

Progress at the brigade level also is encouraging, the general said. Media reports last summer said only one of 26 Afghan army brigades was capable of operating independently, hesaid, adding that the number has increased to five out of 26, and 16 of 26 are effective with advisors. "At that rate of progression, I think we can be confident that come 2014, the majority of our Afghan brigades will be able to operate independently," Carter said.

In the Afghan forces' fight against the insurgency, the general described those adversaries as confused at a strategic level.

"I believe that it is much harder for [the insurgents] to persuade Afghans to fight Afghans, and much easier to claim jihad if they're focusing on coalition troops than Afghans," Carter noted.

The general said other "confusing" behavior includes Pakistan's release from prison over the past three months of Taliban officials and fighters, and the opening of an office in Doha, Qatar, for negotiations between the Afghan High Peace Council and authorized representatives of the Taliban. Such behavior, he said, is "causing the insurgency to have to think quite hard about its political approach."

Afghanistan itself has "leapt forward in technological terms," Carter said, since his first tour there in 2002.

"Some 40 percent of Afghans have the use of mobile phones now, and there are some 6 million Internet subscribers," he said. "[And] a fourth-generation fiber-optic cable is now being laid around Afghanistan that will provide extreme bandwidth and connectivity to all Afghans."

A transport network based on the Highway 1 ring road is 90 percent complete, he said, and 45 percent of Afghans now live in secure urban areas. Nine million Afghan children attend school, and 40 percent of them are female. The nation also has 200,000 teachers and 40,000 educational centers.

"Compare that to the 1990s, when there were only 650 schools in the country," Carter said. "And when you look at access to health care and the fact that maternal mortality is down some 80 percent during the course of the last 10 years, I think you have a very different country. And it's a country that the insurgency is having to think very carefully about how it re-engages with in political terms."

At the same time, the general said, there should be no doubt that the insurgents are capable of executing deadly attacks.

"Two complex attacks that have taken place in the last 24 to 36 hours are indicators of that: one in Helmand and one in Jalalabad," he said. "[The insurgents] also have the capability to attack Kabul and to mount spectacular attacks against government institutions and people in Kabul."

The insurgents also have the capacity through coercion to apply the insider threat, "which we've come to know well during the course of the last 18 months or so," Carter said.

"The plain fact is that it will be a political solution that will ultimately remove that capability," he told reporters.

Though his view is optimistic, the general said, "I'm in no doubt that we've got two very important years ahead of us. 2013 will create the conditions for, we hope, a successful political transition in 2014, and that will be the basis on which so much of our effort over the last 10 to 11 years will be judged."

If he had a concern, Carter said, it would involve the notion of Afghan confidence.

"Unless we're careful, Afghans will think and do think that the end of 2014 will be like 1991," Carter said, referring to the idea that the United States was perceived at that time to have walked away from Afghanistan.

"It's very important that we continue to bolster Afghan confidence and to make them feel genuinely that 2014 is simply a waypoint into the decade of transformation," the general added.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MARCH 21, 2013

FROM: U.S. DEPARMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Weapons Broker in Kandahar
From an International Security Assistance Force News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 21, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons facilitator and detained another insurgent in the Arghandab district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator is accused of brokering deals for weapons and ammunition for insurgent fighters to use in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

In Helmand province's Nawah-ye Barakzai district yesterday, a combined security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained two other insurgents believed to have carried out a significant number of improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other news, Afghan and coalition security forces today confirmed the death of Hazratullah, a Haqqani network leader, in Khost province's Sabari district. He had a long history of procuring weapons, IED components, ammunition and other supplies for militants to use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

GEN. MATHIS SAYS TRAINING HAS REDUCED INSIDER ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN

Marine Corps General James N. Mathis

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Training Reduces Insider Attacks, Mattis Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2013 - Effective counterintelligence training and vigilance has helped to reduce the threat of insider attacks to one this year, the commander of U.S. Central Command said here today.

Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the decline of "green-on-blue" violence in Afghanistan, where Afghan soldiers attack U.S. military personnel and their coalition partners.

As of September 2012, 45 International Security Assistance Force members had been killed during insider attacks.

"It goes to the very heart of trust," Mattis said. "So far this year, [there's only been] one attack. Now, I do not get complacent. I think I know why it's gone down. It has to do with training.

"It has to do with counterintelligence training we've given to the Afghans so they have ferreted out some of these people inside their ranks, and caught them," he added. "And we have very good techniques for doing that."

Despite the decline in attacks, Mattis said there has been very little change in interaction with Afghan troops.

Mattis said if contrasted to two years ago, "you would probably find very little difference in what you saw as far as our troops interacting with their troops."

"We are very much involved with them, integrated with them," he said. "We are obviously taking what you would consider prudent measures in the field to protect ourselves."

Mattis noted Afghan troops have lost more of their own in "green-on-green" than U.S. forces have in green-on-blue attacks.

"So we have had wholehearted support from the Afghan leadership in addressing this problem," he said. "And it appears to be paying off."

MARINE CORPS GEN. MATTIS SAYS "AFGHAN CAIGN IS ON TRACK"

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Forces Set Conditions for Success, Mattis Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2013 - The chief of U.S. Central Command discussed progress in Afghanistan and the upcoming transition there and also outlined budget challenges triggered by sequestration during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

"Our mission is succeeding," said Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis. "The Afghan campaign is on track. It is, obviously, a combination of progress and violence, but I would say when it comes down to the [Afghan] security forces, they are proving themselves capable.

"Obviously, when we were looking at the drawdown numbers, there was a certain amount of forecasting that the Afghan forces would be capable," Mattis added.

The general cited a casualty statistic to demonstrate Afghan forces have successfully transitioned to leading security in most of the country.

Since January 1, four U.S. troops have been lost in action, Mattis said, and in the same period, Afghan security forces have had 198 killed.

"There can no longer be any doubt," he said. "It's not an opinion, it's now a fact -- the Afghans are doing the bulk of the fighting. And they're doing it with our support."

With 352,000 Afghans serving in their security forces, the Afghans are improving daily and their end strength will not be reduced as previously proposed by NATO.

"We're seeing that these lads are willing to take it to the enemy," Mattis said. "I think the Taliban have very little reason for comfort right now.

"They are getting better each day," he continued, "and with 87 percent of the country now under their lead, and them proving themselves in combat ... I support it."

The current NATO mission in Afghanistan ends in December of next year. Although post 2014 troop levels have yet to be finalized, Mattis said he has recommended that 13,600 U.S troops remain in the country.

Discussing the Centcom region in general, Mattis noted there remains a "significant risk" to U.S. interests.

"Specifically, [there is] a perceived lack of an enduring U.S. commitment," he said. "To counter this misperception, we must clearly communicate our intent and demonstrate our support through tangible actions."

Mattis said the transition in Afghanistan has been "steady and deliberate."

The United States is among 50 nations fighting together in the country as part of the largest coalition in modern history, the general said.

"[We are] providing continued support of the Afghan security forces as they set conditions for their long-term success," he said.

Mattis said he will also need continued support from the Senate committee for military-to-military engagements, security cooperation efforts, military exercise programs, and information operations.

This includes, he said, innovative and flexible authorities, and the necessary funds to continue doing what is required to protect U.S. national security interests.

"As our nation confronts a period of fiscal austerity, our ability to adapt our ways and means to continue to meet our operational objectives is impacted by three key factors," Mattis said.

"Right now, I do not have any budget certainty. Second, my need for time to adapt to reduced budgets and take the cuts smartly."

Mattis said his third request is for flexibility to determine where to shift available funds in a manner that reduces risk and is consistent with the intent of Congress.

"And, of course, much of that flexibility must be granted to the service chiefs," he said.

Asked what he thought would assist in meeting these factors, Mattis called for an appropriations bill that would replace the continuing resolution currently in place.

"I believe that if we got some degree of budget certainty through an appropriations bill that provides us as much as the continuing resolution does ... we can make some wise choices," he said.

"And the flexibilities you're talking about for the service chiefs would be critical to those choices, obviously, consistent with congressional intent," Mattis said. "We need that."

"With your support and with the continued devotion to duty of our troops and the commitment of our military families, we will stand by our friends to maintain a measure of regional stability in defense of our values and our interests," Mattis said.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE AT NATO HEADQUARTERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta February 22, 2013
Press Conference with Secretary Panetta at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Let me begin by welcoming everyone to what should be my final press conference on this -- the last of my international trips as secretary. I've been saying that a lot lately, but my hope is that this time it really works.

Truthfully, I have appreciated the opportunity to be here and to be able to consult with my fellow NATO and ISAF defense ministers one last time as secretary of defense. And I should say that I deeply appreciate all of their -- their kind comments to me and also to Giampaolo. Both -- both Italians are going to be moving on.

Foremost on the agenda has been the mission in Afghanistan, which was the focus, as many of you know, of this morning's session and a key topic of my bilateral meetings over the last two days. In my discussions with the other ministers of defense, there is a strong consensus that our mission is succeeding, it's succeeding on the ground because of the growing role and capabilities that all of us have seen of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The ANSF are now in the lead for nearly 90 percent of combat operations. And they are on track to step into the lead for all of these operations by this spring. That has truly exceeded the expectations that were set at the Chicago summit last year, but it is as a result of their success in the field that General Allen, in particular, felt that we could make that transition in the spring.

This success led President Obama to accept General Allen's recommendation that the U.S. maintain a strong presence, once we've made this transition of combat control to the Afghans, that it was important for the United States to maintain a strong presence throughout the fighting season of 2013. What we're looking at is probably a presence in excess of 60,000 during the fighting season through the final transition of tranche five, which would take place in August of 2013.

Following that, sometime in the fall, we would then begin a drawdown that would take us to roughly about 50,000 by November, and then it would take us down, as the president indicated, to 34,000 by February of 2014. We would maintain that number through the election in order to provide and assist the Afghans in providing sufficient security for the elections. Once those elections were completed, we would then begin the final drawdown of our forces towards the end of 2014. I have full confidence that we'll be able to achieve our goal of giving the ANSF full responsibility for security nationwide by the end of 2014 and successfully complete this mission.

As my Italian father used to say in an old expression that he repeated oftentimes, "piano piano te va lontano," which means, "Step by step, you'll go a long way." And I think that's probably good advice for all of us as we approach this final period, hopefully, in the completion of the mission that we've been engaged in, in Afghanistan.

As we draw closer to the end of our combat mission, the alliance has also begun to discuss how to implement our strong commitment to the long-term security of Afghanistan. In particular, we discussed how we could best continue to support the ANSF, building on the commitments that nations made last year in Chicago.

That continued support includes enablers and the possibility of providing funding to extent the ANSF at the surge level of 352,000 through 2018, before moving towards what would then be, hopefully, a more sustainable number. That is seriously being considered by the president, and it's something we discussed with President Karzai when he came to Washington.

We also discussed how to transition to our new train, advise, and assist mission after 2014. Today, we ask NATO to begin planning for a range of options on the post-2014 posture that would provide for an effective regional presence, not only in Kabul, but at fixed sites in the north, the south, the east, and the west.

As the United States weighs our own force posture options and consults with the Afghan government on a post-2014 presence, we will continue to work very closely with ISAF nations, particularly the other regional lead nations, to continue to discuss a range of options with regards to what the NATO force will look like in that post-2014 period. And our goal is obviously to ensure the success of this new mission and the long-term stability of Afghanistan. We've made a commitment to a strong enduring presence, and we intend to stand by that commitment.

As I prepare to leave NATO headquarters, I can say that, among the things that I am most proud of as secretary is the success of our troops that have been able to achieve the kind of successful direction that we've been able to achieve on the ground in Afghanistan and the extraordinary unity and strength and resolve of ISAF.

I had the opportunities a number of times to go to Afghanistan. This last time, I went to Afghanistan, had the opportunity to meet with all of our military leaders in the field. And to a person, each of them said that -- that this mission was headed in the right direction, and they all expressed confidence in the growing capability of the Afghan force to be able to handle security and to take on the enemy.

We've laid the groundwork for how our nations can come together to resolve the security challenges of the 21st century, including emerging challenges like the threat posed by violent extremism in North Africa and cyber attacks. I think the ability of having pulled together this great alliance and the effort in Afghanistan can really serve us as a model for how we decide to take on other challenges in the world that will confront us.

To resolve these challenges together, we must really commit to acting together. And there's no question that in the current budget environment, with deep cuts in European defense spending, the kind of political gridlock that we're seeing in the United States right now with regards to our own budget, is putting at risk our ability to effectively act together.

As I prepare to step down as secretary of defense, I do fear that the alliance will soon be -- if it is not already -- stretched too thin. In our sessions devoted to these topics, the questions I asked my fellow ministers were simple. Will we let our nations retreat from our responsibilities in the face of growing budget constraints? Or will we demonstrate the kind of creativity and innovation and political will to develop and share the capabilities we must have in order to meet future security threats together as an alliance?

The choice for our allies is clear. And I want to commend Secretary General Rasmussen for his leadership in warning against the effect of budget cuts and in proposing new ideas, like the Connected Forces Initiative, that will help our militaries continue to train and operate together, even as our deployments to Afghanistan are reduced.

These are critical to ensuring the readiness of the alliance, which has to be the top priority in an unpredictable and crisis-prone world. I'd also like to commend the secretary general for making cyber a major area of focus for the next defense ministerial. It's a call that I made upon NATO that they should do. We have seen -- we are seeing continuing attacks in the cyber arena on the private sector, on the public sector, in the defense arena. This is, without question, the battlefield for the future, and it's an area that NATO needs to pay attention to.

Let me conclude by noting, as I did last month in a speech that I gave in London, that there is a generational shift that is occurring. I'm probably the last American secretary of defense to have direct memories of World War II. And our youngest men and women in uniform today were born after the end of the Cold War.

The bonds that formed the basis of our alliance were built on the basis of those 20th century conflicts. But over more than a decade of war in Afghanistan, I believe we have renewed those bonds for the 21st century and carried out the most enduring and effective alliance campaign since World War II. If we have the strength to carry those bonds forward, then I believe that we can realize our shared dream of a better and more peaceful and more secure world for future generations. Thank you.

GEORGE LITTLE: The secretary is pleased to take a few questions. We'll start with the Associated Press. Or we'll start with Bloomberg.

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Gopal Ratnam with Bloomberg News. Good luck to you as you leave and head back to your beloved California. I want to ask you two questions. This morning, the German defense minister has told reporters that you had expressed to him the U.S. would keep between 8,000 and 12,000 troops in Afghanistan post-2014. One, would you confirm that? And, second, in your discussions with your counterparts here in NATO, what kind of commitments do you ask of them post-2014? And what kind of promises have you got or what kind of concerns have they expressed to you about their commitments?

SEC. PANETTA: First of all, that report is not correct. We did discuss a range of options. And what we discussed was a range of options that would -- that would be directed to the NATO force overall, which includes both the U.S. force contribution that we would make, plus what other NATO countries would contribute, as well.

And that -- those options are there. NATO will continue to do a planning process around those options. And we will be working with them as we develop the final decisions that the president makes with regards to our commitment to that enduring presence.

With regards to the 2014 period, we did describe that we felt it was important to develop this regional approach to be able to have a presence in some of the key areas in the northwest, east, and south, to be able to have a presence, obviously, in Kabul, that we would provide -- continue to provide enabling capabilities, particularly on a strategic level, with regards to those forces, and that we would continue to work with them to develop what the train, advise, and assist mission should look like. So we're going to be continuing to work on that.

And that was -- I have to say -- there was good receptivity among all of the ministers with regards to the broad elements that I described during this last session.

Q: (off mic)

SEC. PANETTA: Pardon me?

Q: (off mic)

SEC. PANETTA: All of -- all of the ministers, a number of the ministers spoke. And I have to say that all of the ministers who spoke indicated that they appreciated the outlines that we presented and that they, too, were committed to an enduring presence. So I feel very confident that we are going to get a number of nations to make that contribution for the enduring presence.

MR. LITTLE: Yes, sir?

Q: It's (inaudible) from German television ZDF. I just heard the same thing, that the minister of defense of Germany said 8,000 to 12,000, so I just would like to make that understandable for me. So you say altogether there might be 8,000 to 12,000, is the contribution of the U.S. troops even less than 8,000 to 12,000? Or -- and in which region would you like to place troops?

SEC. PANETTA: What -- what we discussed was a range of options. I don't want to go into particular numbers, because, frankly, we want -- we want to be able to have the flexibility to look at a range of options that we ought to have for our enduring presence. But I want to make very clear that the range of options we were discussing was with regards to the NATO force.

And the NATO force consists of both a U.S. presence, plus NATO contributions. And we didn't define specifics on that. Frankly, that remains to be determined as we go forward with the planning process.

MR. LITTLE: Now the Associated Press.

Q: All right, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. The discussion about extending and maintaining 352,000 Afghan troops for the next five years, can you talk a little bit about how you're going to be able to go to the U.S. Congress and defend something like that, when just the other day you had to issue public notice of furloughs for 800,000 civilian workers? How can you defend increasing this amount of spending when, obviously, the Defense Department in the United States is in deep financial problems?

SEC. PANETTA: Well, I think -- I mean, look, first and foremost, with regards to the crisis that we confront in the United States, the fact is, as I've said, that this, frankly, should not be a crisis. This is a -- this is a political crisis. It's not a crisis that relates to our capabilities within the budget that we've defined for the Defense Department.

And my hope is that -- that Congress does not allow sequester to take place. I think it would be, frankly, a very shameful and irresponsible act of political dysfunction if, in fact, that were to occur. The American people would be justly outraged to have people who they elect to office to protect them harm them by allowing sequester to take place.

So I guess my -- what I want to make clear is that sequester is -- is by no means -- doesn't reflect the budget that we have put in place to implement our strategy. It would be -- it would be truly an act of -- of irresponsibility if it happened.

And then I -- in terms of the consequences of sequester, I have to say, if sequester does take place, it could impact not only our readiness, but, frankly, the role that we would play with regards to the readiness of NATO, as well. So all of that would be impacted if that occurred.

Assuming that doesn't happen, then our view is that we -- you know, if the president makes the decision to continue the ANSF presence at 352,000, that that would be an investment that would be worth making, because it would allow us greater flexibility as we take down our troops, and it would allow us greater flexibility, frankly, to save in the funds that we now dedicate to the warfighting effort. And I think I can make that case to the Congress, that that would be an effective tradeoff.

MR. LITTLE: We have time for one more question. Yes, sir? And we'll wrap it up.

Q: (Inaudible), Tolo TV Afghanistan. Sir, most of the Afghans believe that the U.S. will abandon Afghanistan again when the combat mission finishes in Afghanistan. What type of guarantee you can give them, sir? Because on one hand, Taliban still pose a serious threat to the Afghan government, and the peace process is also not going well.

SEC. PANETTA: I -- you know, I want to make clear that -- that the United States and ISAF, the NATO -- the NATO countries that are involved in the ISAF effort, all of us are committed to supporting Afghanistan, not just now, but in the future. And that commitment is unwavering.

And the best example of that commitment is that we are going to maintain in excess of 60,000 troops there even after we've made the transition to the Afghans for combat responsibility. So we will maintain a significant presence there through a key fighting season and through the final transition of areas. And even as we draw down, we'll still maintain a significant presence there throughout the Afghan election.

And beyond that, we will maintain an enduring presence to be able to fulfill two key missions, to be able to train, assist and continue to support the Afghan army and defense force, and in addition to that, to conduct counterterrorism activities to make sure that Al Qaida and its affiliates never again are able to establish a safe haven there.

So I -- in the discussions I've had, both with President Karzai, with the defense minister, and with others, we have made very clear that we have a continuing and dedicated commitment to make sure that Afghanistan is a country that ultimately can govern and secure itself.

MR. LITTLE: Thank you, everyone. Have a good afternoon.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR FEBRUARY 8, 2013

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Korzatkowski, foreground, briefs Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah troops on the mission plan before the arrival of U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens on Forward Operating Base Farah in Farah City, Afghanistan, Feb. 5, 2013. Korzatkowski, executive officer, is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. The mission was part of a two-day visit by U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens, assistant chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, to meet with provincial Afghan officials, engage with the team's civil-military leaders and meet soldiers and sailors assigned to the team. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Explosives Expert in Takhar Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 8, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader during an operation in the Yangi Qal'ah district of Afghanistan's Takhar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader was an explosives expert assisting with the planning of an impending high profile attack, officials said. He also coordinated the construction and movement of improvised explosive devices in the province.

During the operation, the security force also detained one suspected insurgent, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Panjwai district detained three insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader responsible for organizing IED operations against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In Logar province's Baraki Barak district, a combined force detained five insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who oversees insurgent fighters and attacks Afghan and coalition patrols.

Yesterday in Kunduz province's Chahar district, a precision strike killed Hamid Gul, a Taliban leader who conducted attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. He oversaw 25 insurgent fighters responsible for IED operations in the district.