Marines Continue Pushing Enemy, Teaching Afghan Forces

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2012 – As Marines keep pushing insurgents out of Afghanistan’s Helmand and Nimruz provinces, Afghan soldiers and police are taking the reins and protecting the population, the commander of 1st Marine Division (Forward) said today via teleconference from Camp Leatherneck.

The biggest change on the ground in the area is the drawdown of coalition surge forces and the simultaneous buildup of Afghan forces, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David H. Berger said.

“We’re pushing the insurgents out of the populated areas into the periphery and assisting the Afghan police and Afghan army -- helping them get closer to the Afghan people,” the general said.

Afghan forces have made tremendous progress in the region, Berger said. When Marines first went into Helmand, he noted, the province had a lot of Marines and a few Afghan forces. “Then, it was an equal partnership,” he said, noting Afghan forces will soon be leading operations in the area.

This means the Afghans will decide where to go, they will develop the plans and they will work jointly with coalition forces to “determine what they need in terms of extra equipment, extra forces,” Berger explained. The Marine role, he added, is one of support.

Afghan security forces will grow to roughly 352,000. They have the numbers and are developing the expertise to plan, conduct and lead operations, the general said. U.S. and Afghan leaders always compare notes on the insurgent threat in the region.

“We openly share the intelligence we have, and then we decide where we think we can have the most effect on the insurgency, and then decide where we want to use their forces against the threat,” he said.

American and coalition forces will continue to work with Afghan forces to develop their capabilities, and the Afghan forces will continue to keep pressure on the insurgents, Berger said. The Afghans, he added, need help in combating improvised explosive devices, the means to evacuate their casualties, and calling in air and fire support.

“All these [tasks] they rely on us, right now,” the general said, “but in the future, they will develop their own capabilities, and we will only provide it in extremis when they can’t do it themselves.

“We’re on the right track,” he added. “We have a great working relationship with the Afghan security forces. Everyone here is absolutely confident we are headed in the right direction.”

Pakistan, Corruption Affect South, West Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Pakistani safe havens add to the difficulty in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, and corruption also retards progress, the former commander of NATO forces in the region said here today.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan, commander of the 2nd Marine Division and the former commander of Regional Command-South West, told the Defense Writers’ Group that during his year-long tour in command of the region the problem of Pakistan frustrated him.

His area of operations in Afghanistan -- the provinces of Helmand and Nimruz and Regional Command-South centered around Kandahar -- are particularly susceptible to interference coming from Pakistan.

Pakistan represents a safe haven for terror groups working inside Afghanistan. The two places inside Pakistan that were problematic are Chaman -- a Pakistani city near Spin Bolduk -- and Bahram Chah. Chaman is a major port of entry on the road to Kandahar. It is free-flowing trade hub and the enemy has built up huge caches of bomb-making material and Taliban supplies.

Bahram Chah is a hub where drugs go out of the country and lethal aid is coming in, Toonan said. “We saw it. We interdicted a lot,” he said.

His Marines and their Afghan allies interdicted about $78 million in drugs. “But it’s a pittance,” he said. “I’m told by DEA that it’s less than 12 percent of the opium that’s moving across the border.”

The Pakistani Army’s 12th Corps was positioned across the border, he said. In his year-long tour, Toolan said he didn’t have the opportunity to sit down with 12th Corps commanders and say, “‘Here’s what we’re doing on our side of the border. If you can do this on your side of the border, we can really take care of this problem.’”

The problem is, he said, Pakistan has worries of its own and Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan’s Helmand and Nimruz provinces, has its own separatist movement underway.

“The Pakistani military knows, “if they start doing things, they could stir up the Balochistan beehive, so they just sit there. And it’s frustrating.

Diplomatic pressure on Pakistan is important, “but we don’t want to break the Pakistani government,” Toolan said.

“From my perspective as a military commander having to deal with the problem, it’s like I can’t shut the water off, I just keep mopping up the floor,” Toolan said. “If I could turn the water off in Pakistan it would be a lot better.”

The biggest threat inside Afghanistan is corruption, Toolan said. This threat, he said, consists of two types: parasitic and predatory. Parasitic corruption, he said, is from government officials feathering their own nests.

The general cited an Afghan senator from his area who is “a bad influencer in the south of Afghanistan. He’s connected to the drug industry and his influence is to keep that alive.”

Toolan said the man in question actively works to weaken the authority of Afghanistan’s central government. “As long as the central government allows people like that to operate, it keeps it weak,” he said.

Predatory corruption is something military commanders can deal with, Toolan said. This is the abuse of power, he said. This is soldiers or police who abuse their official positions for profit.

“While I was in Helmand province, there were indications that predatory corruption was occurring,” the general said. “What we tried to do was to identify it quickly … and actually hold people accountable.”

During his tour in the province, Toolan said the rule of law was starting to take root and the provincial governor and police chief also wanted to crack down on such predatory corruption.

There are solutions, but they will take time, the general said.

“We need to work really hard at strengthening the central government to take on the parasitic corruption, and maintain a close watch and cooperation with government officials to identify predatory corruption,” Toolan said.

Airstrike Destroys IED Facility in Afghanistan

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Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2011 – Coalition forces called in an airstrike to destroy an insurgent compound in the Sangin district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.

Insurgents had used the compound to conduct attacks and make improvised explosive devices, officials said, adding that no civilians were harmed during the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force detained several suspects while searching in the Gardez district of Paktia province for a Haqqani network leaderwho builds and stores explosives and weapons and leads insurgents in roadside-bomb attacks throughout the Zurmat and Gardez districts. The security force also confiscated explosives, grenades, assault rifles, bayonets, ammunition and ammo pouches.

-- In the Dzadran district of Paktia province, a combined force called in an airstrike that killed several insurgents. The operation targeted insurgent fighters in the Dzadran and Shwak districts.

-- A combined force detained a suspect while searching for a Taliban facilitator in the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and roadside bombs to insurgents.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects during an operation in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak province.

In Oct 22 operations:

-- A combined patrol detained two suspects and seized an improvised explosive device in the Khash Rod district of Nimroz province.

-- In the Musa Qalah district of Helmand province, a combined force killed an insurgent and detained two suspects during a search for a Taliban leader who negotiates with narcotic suppliers to provide finances for insurgent operations.

-- A combined force confiscated two 122 mm rockets and four mortar rounds in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained 18 suspects during operations throughout Regional Command East. Coalition troops detained seven suspects in the Sabari district of Khost province. In the Yosef Khel district of Paktika province, Afghan police detained two suspects who fired at coalition forces. Two other suspects were detained in Khost province, one by the Afghan border police and the other by Afghan soldiers. Coalition forces in the Bagram district of Parwan province detained six more suspects, and another suspect was detained for fleeing a weapons cache in the Khas Kunar district of Kunar province. The cache contained two rifles, more than 120 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, binoculars and two tactical vests.

-- In the Deh Yak district of Ghazni province, a combined patrol seized 2,400 7.62mm rounds.

In Oct. 21 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined patrol killed several insurgents and detained a suspect in the Kajaki district of Helmand province. The patrol seized 441 pounds of opium, narcotics processing equipment and 66 pounds of IED charges.

NATO Investigates Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2011 – An International Security Assistance Force helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan today, military officials reported.

Rescue forces came under enemy fire as they approached the crash site. Coalition forces returned fire and secured the area. All passengers and crew members aboard the helicopter were safely transported to a nearby base.

The ISAF is investigating the incident.

In other Afghanistan news today, the ISAF is assessing an incident that occurred in the Sayyidabad district of Afghanistan’s Wardak province. A coalition patrol struck an improvised explosive device while conducting a road clearance operation in the district. One civilian was killed and several coalition members were injured.

Following the IED explosion, coalition forces were engaged by insurgent small-arms fire. The patrol returned fire on the insurgent position. Once the exchange ended, ISAF forces conducted an assessment of the area in which three civilian bodies were found and one wounded civilian was discovered in a vehicle. ISAF forces provided first-aid to the injured civilian. At this stage it is unclear how the civilians in the small-arms fire incident were killed.

Afghan government officials have initiated an investigation into the incident. An ISAF assessment team has also been sent to the area.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained one suspected insurgent and killed one insurgent who attempted to attack them during an operation in the Chak district of Wardak province. The security force was searching for a Taliban appointed governing official operating in the district. He is responsible for coordinating and planning attacks against Afghan security forces and distributing logistical supplies to his subordinates.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition patrol discovered a cache of poppy seeds in a bazaar in the Delaram district of Nimroz province. The cache consisted of 11,000 pounds of poppy seed, placed in individual 100-pound bags.

-- In the Sangin district of Helmand province, an Afghan-led security force detained one suspect and confiscated several pounds of opium. The target of the operation was a Taliban leader who coordinates roadside bomb attacks and provides military guidance for attack planning.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force seized a weapons cache in the Shahid district of Uruzgan province. The cache contained nine grenades, four rifle magazines, 200 small-arms rounds and improvised explosive device making materials. All the weapons and munitions were destroyed.

-- A coalition patrol seized a weapons cache in the Nad’ Ali district of Helmand province. The cache contained four rocket-propelled grenade warheads, four boosters and 50 7.62mm rounds. All the weapons were destroyed.

-- In Zurmat the district of Paktika province, an Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network facilitator and detained two of his associates. The facilitator provides intelligence, participates in attacks, conducts kidnappings and assists in roadside bomb attacks in the Mata Khan district.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, an Afghan-led force detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to capture an insurgent leader involved in coordinating and directing roadside bomb emplacements targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

-- In a separate operation in the Sabari district, an Afghan-led force detained several suspects while searching for a Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin chief responsible for coordinating IED attacks against the Afghan army.

-- In the Shindand district of Herat province, a combined Afghan and coalition force seized a weapons cache containing 27 55mm rockets.

In July 23 Afghanistan operations:

-- An Afghan-led force killed numerous insurgents and detained several others during a search for a Taliban leader in the Zharay district of Kandahar province. The facilitator is responsible for coordinating transfers and purchases of lethal aid for insurgents. During the search, the security force was attacked by several armed insurgents. The security force returned fire and called in an airstrike that killed numerous insurgents. Several suspects were detained after the engagement.

-- In the Chahar Bolak district of Balkh province, an Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspects during a search for a Taliban leader. The leader is responsible for constructing, resupplying and commanding roadside bomb attacks in the province.

-- In the Arghandab district of Kandahar province, an Afghan-led force detained numerous suspects yesterday while searching for an insurgent leader. The leader directs insurgents responsible for emplacing and distributing weapons and roadside bomb materials in the Shah Wali Kot district.

-- An Afghan-led force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Qalat district of Zabul province. The leader coordinates insurgent attacks in the district against Afghan forces.

-- In the Ghorak district of Kandahar province, an Afghan-led force detained two suspected insurgents. The target of the operation was a Taliban leader responsible for roadside bomb attacks.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained numerous suspects during an operation in the Sar Hawza district of Paktika province. The operation was conducted to clear a known Haqqani network safe haven where insurgents directed attacks throughout Afghanistan.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, an Afghan-led force detained a Haqqani network leader and a suspected accomplice. The leader was involved in roadside bomb attacks and conducted reconnaissance against the Afghan army.

-- In the Gelan district of Ghazni province, an Afghan-led force detained one suspect while searching for a Taliban facilitator. The facilitator plans attacks and provides logistical support to other insurgents. He also has direct ties to senior al-Qaida members, and arranges escape routes to safe havens in Pakistan.

-- The ISAF is investigating an incident that occurred in the Nahr-e Saraj district in Afghanistan’s Helmand province where a known insurgent was targeted by a coalition helicopter. As a result of the engagement, five local children were regrettably injured. The injured children were evacuated to an ISAF medical facility and treated. ISAF is currently assessing this event, and more details will be released as they become available. Coalition forces take every allegation of civilian casualties seriously.

In July 22 Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed an insurgent attacker disguised in a woman’s burka during an operation in the Charkh district of Logar province. The force was searching for a Taliban facilitator responsible for building and distributing roadside bombs for attacks against the Afghan army.

-- In the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province, an Afghan and coalition force detained two suspects while searching for an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator. The facilitator moves weapons, roadside bombs and personnel throughout Takhar, Konduz and Baghlan provinces.

-- An Afghan-led force detained one suspected insurgent during a security operation in the Ghorak district of Kandahar province. The target was a Taliban leader responsible for roadside bomb attacks and providing guidance for attack planning.

-- Also in Kandahar province, an Afghan-led force detained two suspected insurgents during a security operation in the Panjwa’i district. The force was searching for a Taliban leader linked to multiple attacks against Afghan forces.

-- In the Shah Joy district of Zabul province, a combined security force detained one suspect while searching for a Taliban leader. The leader conducts roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition forces along Highway 1, and provides support to other Taliban leaders in the area.

-- An Afghan-led security force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Charkh district of Logar province. The Taliban leader is responsible for planning attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined Afghan/coalition patrol engaged and killed several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. Numerous suspects were detained for questioning.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition patrol detained a suspected Taliban leader and an associate during an operation in the Jalrayz district of Wardak province. Several other men also were detained during the operation, and 44 pounds of homemade explosive were seized. The suspected Taliban leader is accused of building and emplacing IEDs and leading a cell responsible for attacks on Afghan police checkpoints and conducting illegal checkpoints.

-- In the Qarah Bagh district of Ghazni province, an Afghan/coalition patrol seized a weapons cache during a security operation. Two insurgents were killed when they opened fire on the patrol. One man was detained. The patrol sized three AK-47 rifles, one recoilless rifle, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 12 grenades, eight anti-personnel mines, three RPGs, a quantity of improvised explosive device components, five pressure plates, associated small arms ammunition, 110 pounds of aluminum filings, 66 pounds of plastic explosives and 66 pounds of homemade explosives. The cache was safely destroyed on site.

-- An Afghan/coalition patrol seized an explosives cache during an operation in the Ghazni district of Ghazni province. The cache contained eight 152 mm high-explosive artillery projectiles and four improvised explosive devices. The cache was destroyed.

-- In the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province, a combined Afghan and coalition patrol seized a weapons cache. The cache contained three AK-47 rifles, seven pistols, 9,240 rounds of machine-gun ammunition, 1,300 pistol rounds and 62 pistol magazines. The cache was destroyed.

-- During an operation in the Zharay district of Kandahar province, an Afghan-led force detained a Taliban facilitator and several of his associates. The security force confiscated more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana and 2,000 pounds of opium. The facilitator operated between Kandahar City and Chaman, Pakistan. Reports link him to the movement of explosives and bomb components, and to the planning of attacks against Afghan security forces.

Force Seizes Marijuana in Kandahar

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered 992 pounds of marijuana in the Panjwa’i district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The force also found rocket-propelled grenade propellant and three chest rigs.

In operations in Afghanistan yesterday:

-- A combined force captured a senior leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and detained two others in Kunduz province’s Kunduz district. The leader tried to disguise himself as a woman by wearing a burka.

-- Several insurgents were killed during a combined operation that targeted a mid-level Taliban leader in Nimroz province’s Khash Rod district. Several insurgents tried to engage the security force from elevated positions. An air weapons team killed three and two others were killed on the ground. The force confiscated and destroyed several assault rifles.

-- A combined force detained several people with suspected Taliban ties in Zabul province’s Qalat district during a search for a Taliban organizer who obtains and moves weapons for insurgents.

-- In a separate security search in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, a combined force detained a suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force found 705 pounds of wet opium in Helmand province’s Washer district, and detained several people.

-- A combined force killed an insurgent and detained another person in Ghazni province’s Deh Yak district while searching for a Taliban organizer who supports roadside and suicide bomb operations there. The force noticed the insurgent, armed with an assault rifle, attempting to flee. After an engagement ensued, the force killed the man.

-- A Haqqani terrorist network leader and two suspects were captured by a combined force in Paktika province’s Mata Khan district. The leader was responsible for roadside bomb and ambush attacks targeting Afghan security forces.

Commander Outlines Situation in Southwest Afghanistan

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2011 – Key areas in Afghanistan’s Helmand and Nimroz provinces are likely candidates for the second or third rounds of transition to Afghan security, the U.S. commander there said today.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan Jr., commander of Regional Command Southwest, briefed Pentagon reporters by video uplink from his Helmand province headquarters at Camp Leatherneck.

Helmand’s capital of Lashkar Gah is designated as one of the first to transition in July, and security efforts in districts including Reg-e Khan Neshin, Garmshir, Nawa and Marjah have been a “tremendous success” over the past two years, he said.

“Many of those districts will be identified for transition in lead security in either the next tranche or the following tranche,” the commander said, noting the next rounds of security transition lead will likely be in January or February and July of 2012.

Toolan took command in March of a force that includes 30,000 service members from the United States, United Kingdom, Estonia, Denmark, the Republic of Georgia, Bahrain and Tonga. Coalition forces in the two provinces are partnered with the Afghan army’s 215th Corps.

The year’s poppy and wheat harvests are complete and the fighting season is now under way in his area, Toolan said. He added that his objective over the next six months is to “deepen the hold” coalition and Afghan forces have established in the central Helmand River Valley.

“We need to thicken our hold in some places, mostly in the north,” the general said.

Troop operations over the summer and into the fall will focus on strengthening security in the upper Sangin and upper Goresh Valleys, Toolan said, as well as in the area around the Kajaki Dam, which supplies power and irrigation to districts farther south.

Toolan cited reducing funding for insurgent activity in the south as a major accomplishment in the region.

“We’ve been able to do that by attacking the narcotics nexus,” he said, “that combination of Taliban insurgent and narcotics producer.”

Since April, coalition and Afghan forces have seized some 30,000 tons of poppies, with an estimated market value of $65 million, he said.

While some estimates put 30,000 tons as only 2 percent of the total harvest, the general said, “We can tell just by intelligence gathering that it’s had a significant impact, particularly in the south.”

Toolan said security transition around Lashkar Gah is going well, but he expects insurgents to attack the area and try to reduce the local population’s confidence in the government.

“I think we have a pretty good plan in place,” he said. “We won’t let the transition in Lashkar Gah fail.”

As security transition efforts move ahead in Helmand and Nimroz, Toolan said, one key issue will be progress among the Afghan police, who will be responsible for protecting the population and securing justice.

“There are some things, some perceptions that need to be overcome with the police,” he said. “But we see progress.”

Toolan said the security transfer in Lashkar Gah will involve building more checkpoints around the city by January. Those checkpoints will be manned by Afghan army troops, and gradually taken over by police forces. Eventually, he said, the police will phase back from the checkpoints into local precincts.

“That’s going to take time, and I would suspect that the full transition … will probably take a good year, year-and-a-half,” the general said.

The projected total end strength for Afghan army and police forces this year is 352,000, he said, and the army is “moving along incredibly well.”

“The majority of them … are operating at pretty good capacity,” Toolan said. “They’re well trained; they generally have a second-grade reading level, and they’ve got some good leadership development going.”

The general said over the next year and through 2014, when Afghan forces are set to assume security responsibility throughout the country, coalition combat troops need to assume a more advisory role to ensure their Afghan counterparts gain the experience they need.

While progress in Afghanistan has often been called fragile and reversible, Toolan said, “I think what we really mean is that the local nationals can easily be intimidated by insurgents moving into their areas.”

The Afghan local police program recruits young men, approved by and often related to their tribal elders, to help protect their own villages from insurgent intimidation, he said.

“But if they’re not able to stand up, or if they are co-opted by the insurgents, then that fragility … occurs,” he said. “It becomes a problem, then, to get back into the villages and try to re-establish a secure environment.”

The most-difficult challenge is convincing the people they can stand up to insurgents, Toolan said.

The Afghan central government has a vital responsibility to strengthen its effectiveness at the village, district and provincial levels, he said.

Helmand’s governor and district councils are working effectively with coalition forces, the U.S. commander said.

“The real challenge will come as more and more is turned over to the national government,” Toolan said. “[Direction] has to be fed through the national government down through the various ministry pipelines.”

Toolan said civilian mentorship from the British-led provincial reconstruction team, the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development are crucial to developing Afghan governmental capacity.

“The provincial reconstruction team, with augmentation from [coalition forces], is about 200 people,” he said. “The regional platform, which is our State Department-run organization, is currently about 35 people but is going to increase … to about 75 or 80.”

As more civilians join the effort, Toolan said, it’s vital to bring in people with the right skills: those who can mentor Afghan agricultural experts, engineers and financiers.

“That’s how I think we’ll make greater progress,” he said. “My hope is that, on the civilian surge side, is that we bring in those aggressive, hungry, talented people who will drive that mentoring and advising role with the Afghans.”

Forces Disrupt Taliban Operations in Zabul Province

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2011 – Combined forces disrupted a Taliban meeting, killing numerous enemy fighters and detaining several others yesterday in the Qalat district of Afghanistan’s Zabul province, military officials reported.

Forces were searching for a Taliban leader responsible for trafficking bombs and other weapons to militants in the district when a large number of armed insurgents opened fire on them. Troops returned fire, killing the insurgents. After questioning the detainees, troops realized they had stumbled upon a Taliban operational meeting, officials said.

The operation resulted in the seizure of an automatic machine gun, a grenade, multiple ammunition chest racks and passports from several countries.

Also in Afghanistan yesterday, security forces ended a nearly three-week-long operation in southern Afghanistan that resulted in the seizure of more than 6 tons of hashish. The drugs have an estimated street value of $5 million and were found in three separate stockpiles in Kandahar province’s Zharay and Panjwai districts. Troops also seized 350 pounds of homemade explosives, 36 pressure plates, nine explosive devices, several rifles and assorted bomb-making materials.

In operations May 7:

-- Forces killed an armed insurgent during a search mission in Baghlan province’s Barfak district after he brandished a weapon.

-- Combined forces detained several suspected insurgents and found weapons while searching for a Taliban weapons trafficker and terrorist trainer in Baghlan province’s Barfak district. The seized weapons included a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with multiple rounds and boosters, multiple 107 mm warheads rigged as explosive devices, 82 mm warheads, multiple mortars and grenades, a machine gun, an assault rifle and assorted bomb-making materials.

-- In Helmand province’s Garm Ser district, security forces detained several suspected insurgents they believe are associated with a drug cache found there. The cache consisted of 600 pounds of opium.

-- In Ghazni province’s Ghazni district, troops detained three suspected Taliban weapons traffickers and found 40 grenades, an explosive device with 18 pounds of explosives and two assault rifles with ammunition.

-- Security forces detained two militants with 617 pounds of dry opium at a vehicle checkpoint in Nimroz province’s Khash Rod district.

-- Combined forces in Kunduz province’s Khanabad district captured two suspected insurgents possibly connected to a July 2010 bombing of a Kunduz City hotel.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected insurgent, while searching for a Taliban leader who is responsible for attacks on security forces in Jowjan province’s Shibirghan district.

-- Forces found several other stockpiles of weapons and drugs. Operations resulted in the seizure of 220 pounds of assorted small-arms ammunition, 200 assault rifle rounds, 132 artillery projectiles, 57 pounds of homemade explosives, 20 hand grenades, 10 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two mortars, two assault rifles, two Afghan police uniforms, a pressure plate, a pistol, a rocket-propelled grenade round and a land mine. Also, troops found 550 pounds of marijuana, 80 pounds of black tar heroin and 30 pounds of crushed cold medicine.

In operations May 6:

-- Security forces in Paktika province’s Bermal district killed several insurgents after their patrol was attacked by a group of armed militants. Troops used air support, artillery fire and small arms to repel the attack.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed an armed insurgent and captured two others in a firefight, while searching for a Taliban leader in Nangarhar province’s Behsud district.

-- In Kandahar province’s Ghorak district, troops captured several suspected insurgents, while searching for a Taliban leader responsible for numerous enemy fighters and attacks throughout the area.

-- Combined forces captured several suspected insurgents, while searching for an insurgent weapons trafficker in Logar province’s Baraki Barak district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained several insurgents and confiscated weapons at a vehicle checkpoint in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district. The weapons included 20 rocket-propelled grenades, 16 assault rifles with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, an anti-aircraft machine gun, an automatic machine gun, a mortar system bipod, cell phones, Afghan army uniforms and U.S. Army combat uniforms.

-- Security forces captured a Taliban leader and five of his associates in Baghdis province’s Qadis district.

-- Forces in Kandahar province’s Panjawai district detained three suspected insurgents, while searching for an insurgent leader responsible for trafficking weapons and money and providing intelligence information for Kandahar and Zabul province Taliban networks.

-- Based on information from local residents in Wardak province’s Chak-e Wardak district, security forces captured two suspected insurgents, while searching for a Taliban leader responsible for kidnappings in the province’s Sayed Abad district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces captured a Haqqani network terrorist and two suspected insurgents tied to weapons trafficking in Khost province’s Sabari district.

-- Also in Khost province’s Sabari district, troops captured a Haqqani network terrorist responsible for coordinating bombing attacks on security forces.

Insurgents to Face Cold Reception After Winter, General Says

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2011 – Enemy fighters are beginning to make their annual spring resurgence in Afghanistan, but are resurfacing as a weakened force with less support from local residents, a U.S. military commander said today.

Marine Corps Gen. Richard P. Mills spoke with journalists at the State Department’s Foreign Press Center here, along with Derek Hogan, the State’s senior advisor to the department’s special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mills returned to the United States three week ago at the end of his command of the International Security Assistance Forces’ Regional Command Southwest in Afghanistan’s Helmand and Nimruz provinces.

The southwest provinces are critical to the insurgency, Mills said. The area is at the center of the Pashtun community and provides most of the insurgency’s funding through drugs derived from poppy plants that are plentiful in the Helmand River valley.

The regional command there is made up of U.S. Marines and soldiers from Great Britain, Denmark, Georgia, Estonia, and Italy, who mitigated the insurgency with “a very effective winter campaign” that brought insurgent leaders out of hiding, Mills said.

“When [the enemy] shows his face again, he’s going to find a very different battlefield where Afghan army and police are much more confident,” the general said. “He’s not going to find the same Helmand province. He’s going to find a very cold reception” from residents.

Helmand, once a hotbed of the insurgency, is now safe enough for residents to move about freely, Mills said. Numerous roads have opened, there is improved telephone coverage, and about 125,000 children go to school – including some 20,000 girls – something the Taliban disapprove of.

“The Taliban burn schools, we build them,” Mills said.

The Afghan army has grown to about 10,000 soldiers in three brigades in the area, and is increasingly proving its competency, Mills said. “The Afghan army likes to fight, is good at it, and is not reluctant to take the enemy on,” he said.

Afghan police is also flourishing with 7,500 officers patrolling communities, mostly those they were raised in, he said.

As the military has improved security in southwest Afghanistan, civilian workers, including the U.S. State Department’s foreign service workers, are stepping up to prepare areas to transition to Afghan leadership, which will formally begin in July, Hogan said.

“Because of the military’s great gains, we are able to shift our focus to a diplomatic surge,” he said. “That means the conflict in Afghanistan will come to an end by a political solution.”

Seven Afghan provinces have been identified for transitioning to Afghan forces, but the process can take as long as 18 months, Hogan said. NATO ministers agreed in November to a process for transitioning Afghan provinces, and “we must make sure each [step in the] process is met before we move on to the next one,” he said.

The start of the transition in July should not be viewed as a NATO exit strategy, Hogan said. “What we should see over the next months and years is a more clearly articulated plan that ISAF is diligently working on,” he said.

State workers have created outreach programs and community councils to act as a bridge between levels of government to handle issues such as the reintegration of insurgent followers into communities, and dealing with corruption, Hogan said.

Afghan army and police already have taken over security in many areas of the regional command, Mills said, “and in other areas we’ve thinned out our forces significantly.

“The Afghan security forces are growing more competent every day, willing to take on more every day, and … are anxious to arrive at that capability,” he said. “It will be a slow thinning out process. Hopefully, one day people will wake up and say, ‘Gee, didn’t there used to be U.S. Marines here?’”

Forces Conclude Operations Near Pakistan Border

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 – Afghan and coalition forces concluded operations in the Marawara district of Kunar province today after clearing out insurgent fighters near the villages of Sarowbay, Barawarlow Kalay, Shirugay, Kowtgay and the surrounding area, military officials reported.

The combined security force moved into a mountainous area near the Pakistan border to disrupt insurgent activities in the region and protect citizens who live there. More than 80 insurgents were killed in the operation.

Insurgents had been using the area to move supplies and men into Kunar province and to stage attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. The insurgents in the targeted area were tied to kidnappings, intimidation and numerous attacks throughout the province. More than 100 insurgents were engaged during the offensive operation that took place near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

"I considered the operation to be very effective bringing security and stability to the area. In cooperation with our international friends, we disrupted insurgents' safe havens,” said Afghan army Maj. Shirin Agha, public affairs officer, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 201st Corps. “Most importantly, there weren’t any civilian casualties.”

During the operations Afghan and coalition forces found numerous weapons caches, seizing several uniforms, more than 1,100 machine-gun rounds, 2,000 rounds of AK-47 rifle ammunition, more than 200 hand grenades, 33 rocket-propelled grenades, 22 recoilless-rifle rounds, nine mines, several sniper and AK-47 rifles, six heavy machine guns, six mortar rounds, improvised explosive device-making materials and Taliban propaganda.

Afghan and coalition forces also captured a radio station that had been used as part of a network that directed attacks on civilians and recruited weapons and money.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force killed several insurgents, detained numerous suspected insurgents and discovered a weapons cache during a security operation in the Qaisar district of Faryab province. The forces disrupted a Taliban safe haven known for improvised explosive device activity and weapons cache sites near Khwaja Kinti village in the district. While conducting the search, the combined security force was attacked by insurgents. The force engaged the individuals, killing several. They also detained numerous suspected insurgents for further questioning. The force discovered and destroyed a weapons cache with two IED pressure plates, ammunition for multiple weapons systems, three 100-foot spools of detonation cord, three chest racks, multiple rocket-propelled grenade rounds, one RPG propellant, 11 RPG boosters, 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate, one main charge for an explosive, two 107 mm warheads, two 82 mm mortar rounds, and numerous vests with sniper rifle rounds sewn into the inside of the pockets.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force captured a Taliban leader and two other suspected insurgents during a raid in the Andar district of Ghazni province. The cell leader was an IED expert who maintained connections with Taliban leadership in the area.

-- An Afghan and coalition force captured a Taliban leader and detained one suspected insurgent during a security operation in Baraki Barak in Logar province. The leader facilitated IED components and coordinated attacks with other insurgent leaders in the district. Also in Baraki Barak, a separate combined force captured a Taliban facilitator and one suspected insurgent. The facilitator provided ammunition and IED materials to Taliban associates.

-- In Wardak, a combined Afghan and coalition force detained numerous insurgents while searching for a Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin network leader in the Nerkh district. The network leader raises funds in order to plan and coordinate attacks against Afghan and coalition forces with other Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin leaders in the district. Fifty pounds of marijuana was discovered and safely destroyed. No shots fired and no civilians harmed during the operation.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained numerous suspected insurgents while targeting a Taliban leader during a security operation in the Zharay district of Kandahar province. The leader acquires IED components for distribution throughout the district. He also facilitates the coordination and execution of IED attacks.

-- An ISAF patrol operating in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province discovered a weapons cache consisting of more than 200 7.62 mm rounds, 50 commercial detonators, 22 pounds of explosive chemicals, assorted transmitters, receivers and other components. The explosive materials were destroyed on site.

-- Afghan and ISAF troops repelled an insurgent attack and discovered a large narcotics cache in the Khash Rod district of Nimroz province. A combined security patrol was engaged by several insurgents with small-arms fire. The combined forces returned fire, forcing the insurgents to flee. The security patrol found a large narcotics cache consisting of 220 pounds of opium, 17 pounds of heroin, and chemicals and narcotics paraphernalia, one heavy machine gun, one AK-47 rifle, one shotgun and three full AK-47 magazines.

-- During separate clearing operations in Helmand province’s Musa Qal’ah district, two ISAF patrols observed several armed insurgents displaying hostile intent against coalition forces. After establishing positive identification, the ISAF patrols engaged the enemy positions killing the insurgents.

-- In the Nahr-e Saraj district, an Afghan army and ISAF patrol was engaged by insurgents. The combined patrol returned fire and called for air support. The air weapons team killed two insurgents.

-- In Kandahar province Afghan and ISAF troops found several weapons caches in the Arghandab district. The caches consisted of one AK-47 rifle, multiple anti-personnel mines, hand grenades, multiple automatic weapons, heavy machine guns, individual and belt ammunition and several IED-making components.

-- In the Chorah district of Uruzgan province, a combined patrol discovered a weapons cache consisting of 1,000 7.62 mm rounds, seven rocket-propelled grenade rounds and seven RPG motors.

-- In the Shindand district of Herat province, an Afghan civilian turned in a weapons cache to coalition officials. The cache consisted of 30 mortar rounds and several types of ammunition.