Speaking in Washington yesterday, McKiernan described Afghanistan as "a far more complex environment than I ever found in Iraq." The country's mountainous terrain, rural population, poverty, illiteracy, 400 major tribal networks and history of civil war all make for unique challenges, he said.
"The word I don't use for Afghanistan is 'surge,' " McKiernan stressed, saying that what is required is a "sustained commitment" to a counterinsurgency effort that could last many years and would ultimately require a political, not military, solution.
--Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post
AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Must Be Viewed Through Regional Prism, General Says - Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service
NATO’s top military commander in Afghanistan said today he is “cautiously optimistic” regarding recent Pakistani military efforts to rein in insurgent activity in areas near the border with Afghanistan.
The Pakistani leadership now appears to be acting against terrorist sanctuaries located in the country’s remote federally administered tribal area, Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, told Pentagon reporters.
Pakistani leaders may recognize that those militant bases pose “an existential threat” to Pakistan‘s future, McKiernan said. “I am encouraged by the military actions that the Pakistani army and frontier corps have undertaken in places like Bajaur,” he added.
Bajaur, the northernmost of Pakistan’s seven tribal agencies located along its border with Afghanistan, is known to contain Taliban and al-Qaida hideouts. Al-Qaida and Taliban militants conduct raids into Afghanistan from safe havens in Pakistan.
The Afghanistan-Pakistan border situation, McKiernan said, supports his contention that the conflict in Afghanistan must be viewed as a regional issue.
“I’ve consistently said that it’s very difficult for me to imagine the right outcome in Afghanistan without the right outcome in the militant sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the border,” McKiernan said. “So, I think it’s a regional problem set that will require regional solutions.”
Having stability in that part of the world is vital to US national security interests, the general said.
McKiernan has recommended that thousands of additional US troops be deployed to Afghanistan in the months ahead to help tamp down mounting insurgent-generated violence, some of which is occurring along the border with Pakistan. Meanwhile, he said, there is potential “for increased military synchronization” between Afghan, US and Pakistani troops in the future.
McKiernan praised Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak’s proposal to establish a joint Afghan-Pakistani border patrol consisting of Pakistani military or frontier corpsmen, Afghan border police and ISAF troops, calling it “a very powerful idea.”
American Forces Press Service. More at Voice of America.
Commander in Afghanistan Wants More Troops - Ann Scott Tyson. Washington Post
The new top US commander in Afghanistan said yesterday that more American troops are urgently required to combat a worsening insurgency, but he stated emphatically that no Iraq-style "surge" of forces will end the conflict there.
"Afghanistan is not Iraq," said Gen. David D. McKiernan, who led ground forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion and took over four months ago as head of the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan.
Speaking in Washington yesterday, McKiernan described Afghanistan as "a far more complex environment than I ever found in Iraq." The country's mountainous terrain, rural population, poverty, illiteracy, 400 major tribal networks and history of civil war all make for unique challenges, he said.
"The word I don't use for Afghanistan is 'surge,' " McKiernan stressed, saying that what is required is a "sustained commitment" to a counterinsurgency effort that could last many years and would ultimately require a political, not military, solution.
More at the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
NATO Aims at Afghans Whose Drugs Aid Militants - Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt, New York Times
NATO forces in Afghanistan will step up attacks on drug lords and narcotics traffickers who are supporting an insurgency that has rebounded in the past year and is responsible for rising violence, the top American commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday.
The comments by the commander, Gen. David D. McKiernan, made clear that international troops in Afghanistan were not going to eradicate opium poppy crops. Afghanistan is the world’s top supplier of opium poppies, which are processed into heroin.
But by drawing a clear link between the narcotics trade and its role in the insurgency, General McKiernan was outlining what could be an important and expanding role for American and NATO troops as they seek to eliminate a source of money and weapons for the insurgency.
More at The New York Times.
British Envoy Says Mission in Afghanistan is Doomed, According to Leaked Memo - Charles Bremner and Michael Evans, The Times
Britain’s Ambassador to Afghanistan has stoked opposition to the allied operation there by reportedly saying that the campaign against the Taleban insurgents would fail and that the best hope was to install an acceptable dictator in Kabul.
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, a Foreign Office heavyweight with a reputation for blunt speaking, delivered his bleak assessment of the seven-year Nato campaign in Afghanistan in a briefing with a French diplomat, according to French leaks. However sources in Whitehall said the account was a parody of the British Ambassador’s remarks.
François Fitou, the deputy French Ambassador to Kabul, told President Sarkozy’s office and the Foreign Ministry in a coded cable that Sir Sherard believed that “the current situation is bad; the security situation is getting worse; so is corruption and the Government has lost all trust”.
According to Mr Fitou, Sir Sherard told him on September 2 that the NATO-led military operation was making things worse. “The foreign forces are ensuring the survival of a regime which would collapse without them . . . They are slowing down and complicating an eventual exit from the crisis, which will probably be dramatic,” the Ambassador was quoted as saying.
More at The Times.
IRAQ
A Delicate Changing of the Guard - Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post
The Iraqi government on Wednesday began assuming control of the US-backed armed groups that have helped curtail violence here, in a high-stakes test for the American strategy to stabilize Iraq.
Iraqi authorities officially took command of about 54,000 "Sons of Iraq" in the Baghdad area on Wednesday, and US officials say they will transfer authority over additional members of the groups as conditions permit.
The Pentagon said in a report Tuesday that a smooth transition of the roughly 100,000 armed guards to Iraqi employment was "critical to providing stable security" in the country. Iraq's Shiite-led government has been wary of the largely Sunni forces, which include many former insurgents. Some have threatened to resume attacks if the government conducts widespread arrests or otherwise treats them harshly.
More at The Washington Post.
Amid Progress in Iraq, Sides Have Scores to Settle - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
The dust storms that have blanketed Baghdad, making it hard to see for much of the summer, seem a metaphor for the times.
The security situation is indisputably good. Violence is down. Parliament passed both a law to hold a census for the first time in more than three decades and a provincial election law that would allow the balloting to be held in all but one province by the end of January. This is clear progress.
But look harder at this moment - even at the passage of the election law - and it is possible to make out paths leading either to failure or to success.
From the American standpoint, elections are a good thing, a chance to sort out the division of power peacefully. Elections would allow a number of groups now excluded from the political mix to have a place at the table. Chief among them are representatives of tribal Sunnis and impoverished Shiites.
But that in turn means that groups currently in power would likely lose ground. And in Iraq, a country that has settled its differences more often with guns than words, people are used to fighting to keep their power, not using the art of persuasion.
More at The New York Times.
AFRICA
Somalia Embraces Foreign Assistance Against Pirates - Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post
With US warships offshore and a Russian missile frigate on the way, Somalia's president, Abdullahi Yusuf, said Wednesday that he welcomed international intervention against Somali pirates roaming a main East-West shipping route.
The hijacking last Thursday of a Ukrainian-operated vessel carrying T-72 tanks and other weapons has galvanized the world's leading navies after more than 60 other pirate attacks this year on ships off Somalia and in the nearby Gulf of Aden.
The defense chiefs of eight European Union countries joined the fight Wednesday, agreeing to move toward creating a maritime security force against piracy, French Defense Minister Hervé Morin said in Paris.
In Somalia, Yusuf urged Somalis to turn against the pirate gangs.
More at The Washington Post.
'Pirates of Penzance' Redo? - James Zumwalt, Washington Times opinion
Soon after winning independence from England, the United States faced another war. Muslim pirates operating off North Africa's Barbary Coast were seizing US, as well as European, ships sailing in international waters, holding them for tribute payment or plunder...
Today, Muslim pirates again sail the seas off Africa's coast. Mostly Somalis, these pirates have already attacked more than 60 ships this year in the vicinity of the Gulf of Aden - almost 5 times more than occurred all last year. Pirates gain confidence as owners prove willing to pay ransoms for the safe return of ships and crews, much like the United States first did with the Barbary Pirates.
This does little to end the piracy, however, as these criminals invest their ill-gotten gains in even more sophisticated weaponry and faster boats with which to intercept their prey. At least in the days of Barbary tribute payments, a nation won free passage for all its ships. But today's ransom payments only encourage repeated attacks, including re-seizure of ships earlier released following payment should they ever sail back into the pirates' den.
The United States, England and several other nations have joined together to form the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), situated in Bahrain, which has successfully disrupted illegal contraband transit in the region and confronted some pirates. But increasing numbers of pirate attacks show much more needs to be done. Piracy today drives up operating costs for ship owners. Major losses come not just from ransom payouts but also lost revenues, costs generated by inactive ships/crews, lost cargo and ships, etc.
More at The Washington Times.
Life in Zimbabwe: Wait for Useless Money - Celia Dugger, New York Times
Zimbabwe is in the grip of one of the great hyperinflations in world history. The people of this once proud capital have been plunged into a Darwinian struggle to get by. Many have been reduced to peddlers and paupers, hawkers and black-market hustlers, eating just a meal or two a day, their hollowed cheeks a testament to their hunger.
Like countless Zimbabweans, Mrs. Moyo has calculated the price of goods by the number of days she had to spend in line at the bank to withdraw cash to buy them: a day for a bar of soap; another for a bag of salt; and four for a sack of cornmeal.
The withdrawal limit rose on Monday, but with inflation surpassing what independent economists say is an almost unimaginable 40 million percent, she said the value of the new amount would quickly be a pittance, too.
More at The New York Times.
Sudan Presidential Race May Test Fragile Coalition Government - Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times
The US-brokered coalition government that has run this country since 2005 has survived Cabinet reshuffles, oil revenue disputes and even armed skirmishes this year.
But can the partnership that ended a 21-year civil war between Muslim Arab northerners and mostly Christian and animist rebels from the south survive a knock-down, drag-out presidential race?
That's what many have been asking since the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, or SPLM, announced that its chairman, Salva Kiir, would seek to unseat President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir in next year's election.
Under the 2005 peace deal, Bashir and former rebel Kiir, who serves as first vice president, have been jointly running the country. Their parties share Cabinet posts, parliament seats and oil revenue.
But some question whether the fragile government can withstand an electoral fight that pits Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, against Kiir, who took charge of the SPLM in 2005 after the death of Chairman John Garang in a helicopter crash.
More at The Los Angeles Times.
NEWS & OPINION NOTES
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Afghanistan’s Solution Primarily Political, Not Military, General Says - AFPS
Amid Taliban Violence, Key Players Differ on Strategy - CS Monitor
Consolidated Fielding Center Speeds Afghan Army’s Growth - AFPS
US Missile Strike Kills 6 - Associated Press
Militants Force Men to Fight - Associated Press
Pakistanis Rise Up - Washington Times editorial
Want War? The Afghans Will Oblige - Minneapolis Star Tribune opinion
Pakistan
US Pressure Deepens Divide Between Military and Civilian Leadership - VOA
Pakistan’s New Spy Chief - New York Times editorial
Iraq
Iraq Takes Control of US-backed Sunni Fighters - Los Angeles Times
Baghdad Takes Command of 100,000 Sunni Fighters - Associated Press
Iran
Interior Minister Admits Using Fake Credentials - Los Angeles Times
Homeland Security
Bad Books Behind Bars - Weekly Standard opinion
US Department of Defense
DoD Moves Toward Civilian Expeditionary Capability - AFPS
Push for F-22s a Hard Sell - Associated Press
Inside the Ring - Washington Times
Africa
Africa Command Unfurls Colors During Pentagon Ceremony - AFPS
Rival Somali Clans Holding Ukrainian Ship - Voice of America
Somali Pirates Appear to Be Reducing Ransom - New York Times
Somalia Accepts International Help Against Pirates - Daily Telegraph
Somalia: 4 Fronts for Pirate-Navy Battle - Popular Mechanics
Terrorists of the Seas - Boston Globe editorial
Red Cross: Life in Mogadishu Remains Precarious - Voice of America
Chad: Rebels Dampen Prospects - Washington Times
Zimbabwean Leaders Fail to Agree on Cabinet - Voice of America
Zimbabwe's MDC Want Region For Help - Daily Telegraph
Liberian Leader's Son 'Laughed at Torture' - Associated Press
Cry Again for Beloved South Africa? - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Americas
Mexico Acts as Executions and Kidnappings Spread - The Times
Less Money Going to Mexico as US Economy Falters - Los Angeles Times
Asia Pacific
US Floats Ideas for Breaking North Korean Nuclear Deadlock - Voice of America
Envoy Pushes to Save Deal on Disarming North Korea - New York Times
US Envoy Goes to Pyongyang - Associated Press
World Shouldn't Fear the Collapse of N. Korea - Wall Street Journal opinion
Europe
EU Monitors Move into Georgia Flashpoints - The Times
Monitors in Georgia Enter South Ossetia Buffer Zone - New York Times
EU Monitors Begin Mission in Georgia - Associated Press
Key Question Lingers: Who Started the War in Georgia? - CS Monitor
Russian Soldier Posted to Siberia for Online Whinge - The Times
Middle East
Israel Seeks to Purchase F-35 Fighter Jets - Los Angeles Times
South Asia
US Senate Approves US-India Nuclear Accord - Voice of America
US Senate Passes Nuclear Deal With India - Washington Post
Senate Approves Indian Nuclear Deal - New York Times
Congress Approves US-India Nuclear Deal - Los Angeles Times
US Ends India Nuclear Ban - The Times
France to sell India Nuclear Reactors - The Australian
India: Bombs Kill 2 in Northeast - Reuters
BOOKS
In a Time of War - Bill Murphy
The West Point cadets Murphy follows through their baptism by fire are an admirable sample of young American men and women: intelligent, ambitious and intensely patriotic.
Baghdad at Sunrise - Peter Mansoor
This compelling book presents an unparalleled record of what happened after US forces seized Baghdad in the spring of 2003.
The Strongest Tribe - Bing West
From a universally respected combat journalist, a gripping history based on five years of front-line reporting about how the war was turned around–and the choice now facing America.
Tell Me How This Ends - Linda Robinson
After a series of disastrous missteps in its conduct of the war, the White House in 2006 appointed General David Petraeus as the Commanding General of the coalition forces. Tell Me How This Ends is an inside account of his attempt to turn around a failing war.
The War Within - Bob Woodward
Woodward interviewed key players, obtained dozens of never-before-published documents, and had nearly three hours of exclusive interviews with President Bush. The result is a stunning, firsthand history of the years from mid-2006, when the White House realizes the Iraq strategy is not working, through the decision to surge another 30,000 U.S. troops in 2007, and into mid-2008, when the war becomes a fault line in the presidential election.
We Are Soldiers Still - Joe Galloway
In their stunning follow-up to the classic bestseller We Were Soldiers Once... and Young, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway return to Vietnam and reflect on how the war changed them, their men, their enemies, and both countries - often with surprising results.
Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy - Steven Metz
Today the US military is more nimble, mobile, and focused on rapid responses against smaller powers than ever before. One could argue that the Gulf War and the postwar standoff with Saddam Hussein hastened needed military transformation and strategic reassessments in the post–Cold War era. But the preoccupation with Iraq also mired the United States in the Middle East and led to a bloody occupation. What will American strategy look like after US troops leave Iraq?
EVENTS OF INTEREST
2 October - Civil Affairs Roundtable (Public Event - Roundtable). ROA Headquarters, One Constitution Ave, NE Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Reserve Officers Association. In earlier roundtables, the observation was made that the center of gravity for stability operations is the human population in the area of operations. Civil affairs professionals and information operators are the key national security resources for influencing the human population. Civil affairs professionals assist in humanitarian operations and building civilian capacity. Information operators develop messages and keep the population informed. This roundtable will explore the relationship between the civil affairs and strategic communications functions.
3-7 November - Counterinsurgency Leaders' Workshop (COIN Workshop). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sponsored by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center. This event is a five-day program focused on understanding the fundamentals of insurgency and counterinsurgency. This is a version of the same extremely popular workshop offered to hundreds of military and civilian attendees over the past two years. The COIN Center has expanded the number of slots available to compensate for the high demand of previous sessions. The proceedings are UNCLASSIFED and registration is open to all interested US government and allied personnel.
6-7 December - Boyd Conference 2008 (Conference). Charlottetown, Prince Edward, Canada. There is an opportunity to hold a short, intense seminar on the applicability of Boyd’s ideas, particularly operating inside the OODA loop and grand strategy (sustaining our own morale and attracting the uncommitted), on the weekend of December 6-7 at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI. Canada. The theme would be applying these ideas to conflict in the post-Iraq era, and more specifically to the types of diffused, networked, “open source” armed conflicts that some have called “fifth generation warfare.” We are also interested in exploring solutions, such as the role of “resilient communities” (RC), for countering them. As Oil and food prices have climbed and the mortgage crisis has grown, the need to think more about Resilient Communities has become more urgent. We may have to re-invent our world! We envision this as a working seminar to help shape the policy agenda in the first year of the new administration.
