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.

Why Are Some Lives Worth More Than Others?

 Commentary by Lieutenant Colonel John Lewis Cook, USA (ret.)

This question has been asked since the beginning of time and lots of answers have been offered.  However, in America, we like to think in terms of equality.  All people are equal, we declare, and we repeat this over and over, at every opportunity.  We take great pride in just how fair-minded and enlightened we have become.  Right now, at this very moment, the Supreme Court of the United States is actually deciding if a marriage between two homosexuals is, indeed, a valid marriage.  To think otherwise, the conventional wisdom goes, would be to place some people and some beliefs above others and that simply will not do, not in America in 2013.  This is what we like to tell ourselves, that all Americans are equal in every way, in life and certainly in death.  Unfortunately, this is not true.  Americans  may think it is true but it is really a lie.

For the past five days, the news media has been reporting, non-stop, on the two terrorist’s bombings that occurred in Boston on Monday afternoon, at the close of the Boston Marathon.  No one knew, in the beginning, how long this full court press of media coverage would continue but it soon became clear that it would continue as long as the crisis persisted.  After all, these bombings have now been officially declared terrorist attacks and we should all be deeply concerned about terrorist attacks against Americans, right?  Three Americans are now dead and many more have been wounded so we have every right to be outraged, right?  President Obama, after taking a whole day to decide that this was a real terrorist attack,  has said that those responsible will be apprehended and punished.  How could it be otherwise?  What choice did he have?  After all, three Americans were dead as a result of a terrorist attack using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the nation was focused on Boston and whatever else was going on in the world was now in the back of the bus!  Finally, on the fifth day, Friday, the crisis was over.  One terrorist dead and the other in custody.  Everybody gave a collective sigh of relief.

So, are all American deaths at the hands of terrorists treated the same?   We know they are supposed to be, but are they?  To find the answer, consider this.  For three Americans to die as the result of an IED placed by terrorists in Afghanistan is a very common event.  It happens with alarming regularity and when it does, it doesn’t even move the media needle ever so slightly.  The last time three Americans died in Afghanistan on a single day as the result of an IED, the same kind of device that killed the three people in Boston,  was on April the 6^th   in Zabul Province.  The three Americans were Specialist Deflin Santos, Staff Sergeant Chris Ward and Specialist Wilbil Robles-Santa.  You probably didn’t hear about this because these deaths were not followed by around the clock coverage by the media.  In fact, there was precious little, if any, media coverage at all.  

Why is this the case?  Are civilian lives worth more than military lives?  Does it matter where the terrorist attack takes place?  Apparently, the answer to both of these questions is yes.  Over 2,200 Americans have died in Afghanistan during the past eleven years as a result of an unending series of terrorist attacks but this fact does not seem to resonate with Americans.  Life goes on here day after day and no one seems concerned other than those directly affected, such as a wife or a mother or a father.  Yet, in all of these eleven years, no event in Afghanistan has ever dominated the news outlets for more than an hour at most, certainly not for five  whole days.  And we can only speculate just how long the Boston bombings post mortem will take, as an endless series of talking heads will attempt to explain it to us.  

This terrorist attack in Boston immediately became the priority for the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.  The President had pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice and it is now going to happen.  There is nothing wrong with this, of course.  It is only fitting since they died as a result of a terrorist attack and it is nice that the President took a personal interest in this case.   What do the families of those killed in Afghanistan get from the President?  They get a letter signed by an auto pen, and the letter says that their death was not in vain and a lot of other things but none of this is  true.  

The truth is this.  The nation has moved on from Afghanistan.  That was yesterday’s news.  No one cares about those that are still dying there.  The name of the game now is to simply run out the clock and come home at the end of 2014, just like our latest agreement with the Afghan government states. However, it is instructive at times like this  to remember why we went to Afghanistan in the first place.  We went there to conduct a military campaign against terror and terrorists, the same kind of terrorists that kille4d three people in Boston on Monday.   In fact, we even gave it a name.  We called it the Global War on Terror or GWOT for short.  Unfortunately, over time, we forgot why we were there and what we were supposed to do.  We simply assumed that terrorists would never again strike inside America again, so we forgot about how deep the hatred for American values were in the rest of the world.  We also forgot that a very large part of the world hates us for no reason other than the freedoms we guarantee to all Americans.  We also forgot that there really is a jihad, or Holy War, being waged against us.  And, saddest of all, we forgot about the military that was fighting an uphill battle to keep these terrorists out of America.  If any good can come out of this recent tragedy in Boston, perhaps it will come in the form of a wake-up call for America and a deeper appreciation for our young men and women who wear the nation’s military uniforms. 

About the Author

Lieutenant Colonel John Lewis Cook, United States Army (Retired), “served as the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior in Kabul, Afghanistan, with responsibility for developing the force structure for the entire Afghan National Police.  As of 2012, this force totals 157,000.  From March 2008 until August 2012, his access and intimate associations with all levels of the Afghan government and coalition forces have provided him with an unprecedented insight into the policies which will determine the outcome of the war.  It is this insight, coupled with his contacts and associations throughout Afghanistan that form the basis of Afghanistan: The Perfect Failure.

Click to read more about Lt. Colonel John Lewis Cook

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.

Task Force Works Toward Successful Transition in Afghanistan

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2013 – With an eye toward 2014 and lessons learned from the drawdown in Iraq, a new task force in Afghanistan is working to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities that will set the Afghan government and security forces up for future success, the task force commander reported.

The NATO-Afghanistan Transformation Task Force stood up in January as part of the International Security Assistance Force staff, Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael J. Kingsley told American Forces Press Service during a telephone interview from the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Its goal, he explained, is to ensure the well-coordinated transfer or termination of hundreds of tasks being carried out by NATO or U.S. Forces Afghanistan. This includes about 20 tasks identified for transfer to ministries within the Afghan government by December 2014.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, who recently retired as the ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan commander, recognized that the transition process in Iraq had started too late, Kingsley said. This overwhelmed both Iraqi government and U.S. interagency capacities, a problem exacerbated when failure to reach a bilateral security agreement speeded up the drawdown timetable.

“This task force was born from the lessons from Iraq,” Kingsley said. “General Allen knew the importance of getting ahead of this game to understand what tasks needed to be transferred to which agency, and the need to start that process early.”

Building on groundwork laid by a U.S.-headed Interagency Operational Planning Team, the NATTF includes staff from eight ISAF nations and across the interagency spectrum.

One of its first missions was to evaluate 977 tasks ISAF and U.S. forces were carrying out and identify which could be eliminated or had overlap. Based on guidance from the North Atlantic Council about what specific roles NATO will and won’t play in Afghanistan in 2015 and beyond, the task force then prioritized what they deemed the 371 tasks critical for transition, Kingsley said.

It’s an exercise that’s never been done, he acknowledged, noting that it’s laying groundwork that can be applied to future missions around the world.

Top priority through the team’s paring-down process went to tasks that, if not successfully transferred, would have a negative impact on the success of the entire Afghanistan campaign, Kingsley said. This includes capabilities required for the Afghanistan government’s long-term viability, many that need to be built incrementally.

“What we are dealing with is infrastructure and civil-military tasks that have a pretty large consequence to the success of this country,” Kingsley said, pointing to aviation and telecommunications as examples.

Seven members of the task force team are dedicated exclusively to the transfer of airport navigational aids and control of civilian airspace and other aviation assets to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation.

It’s a complex issue, Kingsley explained, involving not just the transfer of assets and infrastructure, but also the development of laws, policies and expertise to run the aviation enterprise. Another part of the equation is getting Afghanistan’s three airlines, all now blacklisted by the European Union, up to safety and credibility standards for accreditation.

“All of that has to be developed by the Afghans, because right now they have almost zero capability,” Kingsley said. “But aviation transition is vital, because in a landlocked country like this, it is a primary means of commerce.”

Meanwhile, a U.S. team is helping the Afghans develop a fiber-optic network around Afghanistan. “The potential for their income revenue is amazing,” Kingsley said. “It could reach a potential $1.5 billion per year, if we can successfully transfer that task to the Afghans.”

While helping the Afghans build capacity in these and other vital areas, Kingsley acknowledged that it’s not likely to be completed and fully operational by December 2014. “So the second part of what we are doing is to enable them to contract that capability to bridge the gap until they gain the capacity,” he said.

The task force also is working with the Afghans to ensure a smooth transfer of tasks related to the NATO and U.S. mission in Afghanistan to build up the Afghan national security forces. This covers the gamut, Kingsley said, from medical evacuation and logistics capabilities, to the ability to conduct operations, intelligence and security and provide mobility.

Throughout the process, Kingsley called communication -- across the international community, the interagency and with Afghanistan government leaders -- a vital part of the effort. That helps lay out a timetable for what needs to be done, and when, and to identify shortfalls early on so they don’t become surprises later in the drawdown process, Kingsley said.

The carefully planned process not only builds Afghan capacity, he said, but also enables Afghanistan to step up and demonstrate its sovereignty. That, he said, helps allay concern in Afghanistan and among the international community about the country’s post-2014 future, he said.

“To me, the biggest challenge is ensuring that [the Afghanistan government] and the Afghans understand and are able to accomplish the tasks that we are going to transfer to them,” Kingsley said. “Through this process, we want to ensure they are set up for success.”

The successful transfer of civil-military tasks is the next logistical step in the strategic partnership the United States and Afghanistan are building for the future, he said.

“This is big part of building that long-term strategic partnership,” Kingsley said.

Airmen participate in Boston Marathon attack response run

by Senior Airman Timothy Moore
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

4/19/2013 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.  -- Service members from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and their families participated in the Team Red, White and Blue-Tucson's Boston Marathon Attack Response Run at Reid Park in Tucson, Ariz., April 17.

The run was organized by Team RWB as a way for the Tucson community to show its support for the people affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.

"Our founder and CEO, Mike Erwin, a major in the [U.S.] Army, sent out a call Monday evening saying, 'Hey, it would be great if we could show our support for the people of Boston, show our resiliency as Americans.'" said Harry Roberts, Team RWB Tucson chapter captain.

Approximately 50 people attended the event to show their support.

"We just joined [Team RWB]," said Capt. Yvonne Nollman, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern). "We wanted to do this with the organization as our first run, showing our support for America."

Nollman and her husband, Senior Master Sgt. Eric Nollman, 355th Fighter Wing Command Post, both participated in the run completing three miles.

"I think it's important for veterans and everybody else to get out that we are still united," Nollman said. "Something like this isn't going to put us down. We are going to be running with the flag today to show that you can't beat us down. We are going to be resilient."

Numerous chapters of Team RWB across the nation have already held response runs this week, with more planned for Saturday.

One run was led by Brennan Mullaney, two-time Iraq veteran and Team RWB Boston chapter leader. Mullaney ran 25 miles of the Boston Marathon before being stopped after the attack. He led one of the first response runs Tuesday afternoon.

"It's important just to help show people that we care right away," Roberts said. "The immediacy of the issue was a part of it to show them that we care."

Roberts said he was surprised and grateful to see the support the response runs have received through people participating on short notice or through media coverage.

"It's pretty cool to see people coming together," Roberts said.

Team RWB is a national organization whose mission is to "enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity." For more information about Team RWB, visit teamrwb.org.

Complex Environment Increases Demand for Intel, Official Says

By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – The United States is at a moment of transition, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s director said today during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on current and future worldwide threats.

“The global security environment … presents increasingly complex challenges and a growing list of threats and adversaries,” Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn told the committee. “Demands on the United States intelligence system have skyrocketed in recent years, and these demands are only expected to increase.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey recently said the United States is undergoing a “period of historic fiscal correction.”

“Our adversaries won’t take a strategic pause to wait for us to correct ourselves,” Flynn said. “The real cost … is what I would describe as public insecurity and the potential for a strategic surprise. And we really won't know what we've missed, given the potential damage that sequestration will have on us.”

In an uncertain security environment marked by a broad spectrum of dissimilar threats from nation states, non-nation state actors, criminal and terrorist networks and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the most dangerous threat facing the United States today comes from potential cyberattacks against the defense industrial base, Flynn said.

“The daily … attacks are damaging on a variety of levels,” he continued, “and they are not only persistent and dangerous, the likelihood of serious damage to our national security is very real. Potential adversaries are increasingly more capable of conducting cyber operations.”

With state actors such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea integrating cyberattacks into their intelligence gathering methods and warfare doctrine, Flynn said, these capabilities remain an important and increasing transnational threat to U.S. security.

“We face a complex and interconnected global operational environment, characterized by a multitude of actors,” the general noted. “Strategic problems, such as proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, state-on-state conflict, instability, resource scarcity and terrorism remain at the forefront of U.S. warning concerns.”

Small and varied connections, with seemingly no immediate relevance to the Defense Department, can rapidly evolve and radically alter U.S. policy, Flynn added. To uncover these relationships, DIA partners with other intelligence agencies, combatant commands and international partners to monitor developments around the world, the general said. The ability to understand these developments provides a decisive advantage in the face of unforeseen events, he added.

“Today's focus on combat operations in Afghanistan against insurgents and trans-national terrorism around the world does not preclude the potential that other threats will come to the fore, including conflicts among major countries that could intersect vital U.S. interests,” the general said.

“Defense intelligence must be able to provide timely and actionable intelligence across the entire threat spectrum,” Flynn continued. “In close collaboration with the intelligence community, DIA is strengthening collection and analysis and sharing more information across intelligence disciplines and with our nation's closest allies.”

Special Ops Official Discusses Adaptation, Strategy

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – As new concerns arise with the persistence of al-Qaida in the Middle East and Northern Africa, a senior Pentagon official told Congress yesterday that the Defense Department will continue to sculpt innovative, small-footprint, low-cost solutions to achieve defense goals.

In a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on intelligence, emerging threats and capabilities, Michael A. Sheehan, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, reported on strategies that ensure the special operations community is ideally tailored, structured and trained for its mission.

Sheehan told the House panel that the most significant threats remain in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and continue burgeoning in Yemen, where terrorist cells have tried to secure their hub.
“As we look around the world where al-Qaida pops its head, or we see terrorism even in our own streets in Boston, … those two traditional strongholds remain of constant concern for our community,” he said. Direct and lethal action in the U.S. counterterrorism strategy, building partner capacity and denying sanctuary to terrorists are the underpinnings of the new approach, he added.
“In Yemen, we conduct action there to take down al-Qaida leadership [and] work with the host country to build their capacity so they can conduct the job within their territory,” Sheehan said. “We also work with them to deny space for al-Qaida. All three aspects of the strategy come together in Yemen and … have been very successful in the last year and a half, particular with the … new Hadi regime.”

These aspects come together to form a cohesive counterterrorism strategy in different parts of the world, Sheehan said.

Since the collapse of Northern Mali and the intervention there by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Sheehan described “torrid rebellion” and a new threat compounded by the instability of the Arab Spring.

“The instability in Libya after the fall of [Moammar] Gadhafi and the flow of the weapons that create a confluence of factors in Northern Mali [are] of great concern,” Sheehan said. The French are leading an effort there to try to put that situation back on track, he added.

In Syria, Sheehan continued, worries stem from the Al-Nusrah Front, particularly its clear al-Qaida affiliation, its links to other al-Qaida organizations, and its potential as an ominous threat to the U.S. homeland.

Sheehan also described efforts in Somalia, where U.S. forces are building partner capacity to deny space for al-Qaida sanctuary.

Aspects of the model strategy also will apply in Mali, Sheehan said. He described a combination of the French taking lead with U.S. support, assistance to partner nations and work with the United Nations to move in behind the French, occupy key towns and deny the space to al-Qaida.
Congressionally provided authorities have enabled the United States to build the capacity of its partners, execute strategies, and support the U.N. and other nation states that provide security, he added.

“If we can get these authorities right, [we can] continue to modify them and fine-tune them to enable us to be even more effective in the years ahead and … crush al-Qaida capability around the world, like we've successfully done for the last 11 years,” Sheehan said.

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.

New Command Structure Fortifies Special Operations Partnerships

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – The commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command yesterday lauded a new command structure that aligns various NATO and U.S. special operations forces elements under two-star headquarters.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee’s emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven said the new structure supports the defense strategic guidance, which outlines efforts to build partnership capacity.

“Socom is working to strengthen these international partnerships and to build lasting networks, both formally and informally, so that we or our allies can create a secure environment in unstable areas and, if necessary, react to emerging crises rapidly and effectively,” McRaven said.

U.S. special operations forces are in about 78 countries around the world, helping to build partner capacity so that the host nation can tackle its own security problems, the admiral said.

“We have continued [to] trick enemy leadership, while at the same time building and training Afghan security forces so they can stand on their own against this very determined threat,” he said.

McRaven recalled recent visits to Colombia and the Philippines, where he said the long-term U.S. investment with those nations’ special operations forces has helped to change the security situation dramatically.

“Building allied [special operations forces] capacity and capability represents the best approach to dealing with some of the world's more complex security problems,” he said. “In all cases, those special operations forces deployed to foreign lands are working for the geographic combatant commander, with the approval of the chief of the mission and always in support of U.S. policy goals.”

Afghan Engagement Helps to Reduce Insider Attacks, General Says

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 – Rogue Afghan soldiers have killed dozens of International Security Assistance Force service members in insider attacks over the past year, but Afghan commanders and religious leaders are working to stop the tragic incidents, the commander of ISAF’s Regional Command Southwest said today.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus and his deputy commander, Royal Artillery Brig. Stuart Skeates, spoke with reporters here during a Defense Writers Group meeting.

“We spend an extreme amount of time on cultural and religious training,” Gurganus said, so service members don’t find themselves in situations that could lead to insider attacks. But when Afghan leaders embrace the notion of helping to educate their people about ISAF and its mission, he added, “they are the game changer.”

ISAF expended much effort in 2012 to improve tactics, techniques and procedures for dealing with insider incidents, Skeates said, including holding training courses in theater and making suggestions back to the United States and the United Kingdom about how to better prepare soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines for such a threat.

“But the most important thing we were able to do was to engage with our Afghan partners on this,” he said. “The way in which this will be overcome and reduced and eliminated is only through their acquiescence and their direct involvement.”

The culture in Afghanistan is one in which people instinctively and intuitively avoid blame, Skeates explained.

“Therefore they found it initially very difficult to accept any responsibility for these sorts of attacks,” he said. “But once we were able to open a meaningful dialogue with them, certainly the military commanders recognized that there was far more to be gained from addressing this problem -- confronting it and reducing it -- than by sweeping it under the carpet and hoping it would go away.”
The ISAF leadership also sought to engage with mullahs, who are teachers or scholars of Islamic learning, and imams, Islamic leaders who often are worship leaders of mosques and in the local Muslim community.

“We had with us an imam from the [United Kingdom] who was able to run a number of programs with what are called religious and cultural advisors within the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police to explain what they can do to prevent these sorts of attacks,” Skeates said. The imam also was able to engage with local mullahs based in a training center in Lashkar Gah, and drawing mullahs in from across the rural areas, he added.

In the programs, Skeates explained, the imam “was able to spread the message of moderation and tolerance and of course explain to them what [ISAF] is doing there.”

“Many in Helmand province, because of communication and education issues and the lack of literacy, still don’t really understand what ISAF and the international community are trying to do in Afghanistan,” he added.

Gurganus said Afghan military leaders have worked hard to address the threat of insider attacks -- in particular, Maj. Gen. Sayed Malouk, commanding general of the Afghan army’s 215th Corps.
“First of all -- and I’ve been with him on several of these -- Malouk personally went around and talked to every one of his battalions,” Gurganus said. “He didn’t just go over and say, ‘Knock this off.’ He’d take an hour to an hour and a half with these guys standing in formation to explain what Islam is and what Islam isn’t in terms of jihad, and what’s justifiable and what’s not.”

Gurganus said the educated and religious Malouk spent a lot of time helping his soldiers understand the commitment of the ISAF coalition to Afghanistan, from the very boots they were wearing to the weapons they were shooting to the medical evacuation helicopters transporting their wounded.
Malouk had a big impact on them, Gurganus said, “and we got a similar response out of the police.”
Gurganus said this is an important year for the Afghan National Security Forces, particularly the army, which will take the security lead for the country in the last full year before the drawdown that will be complete at the end of 2014.

Describing conditions in Helmand Province, Gurganus said this year the enemy has to “give it his best shot.”

“If he doesn’t,” he added, “it’s not a matter of waiting out the coalition forces to leave, because if he doesn’t put forth his best effort, then he’s losing relevancy.” The general said he expects to see a concerted effort by the insurgents this year aimed primarily at the Afghan security forces.

It’s also a very critical year in the development of the Afghan government, he said.

“We saw a lot of good progress at the provincial and district levels,” Gurganus noted. “Not all are in good shape yet, but there’s a tremendous amount of effort being put down … to build institutions that can fund government to provide basic services for the people, provide security for the people and to make sure there’s a workable rule-of-law system.”

For the first time, the Afghans are in control of their own destiny, Skeates said. “They are planning and conducting their own operations,” he added, “and we can anticipate that carrying on throughout the course of this year and their ability to do that improving over the next 18 months.”

ISAF commanders will have a much better picture of “precisely what the Afghan National Security Forces are made of” in the fall, at the end of this fighting season, he said.

“We’re seeing a lot better connection with the new governor who came in last September, and better connections between [the Afghan capital of] Kabul and the province itself,” the general told the defense writers. “So there are some really positive signs, ... [and] it’s moving in the right direction.”

DOD Will Prevail Against Uncertainty

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2013 – The Defense Department will prevail against both strategic and budgetary uncertainty, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told members of the military community yesterday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses troops and civilian workers during a visit to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., April 16, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Carter spoke to troops and civilian employees during a visit to Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The base is home to U.S. Transportation Command and the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, among other organizations.

Carter said his visit focused on Transcom, but he commended the base’s entire workforce for “everything you have done and are still doing in Afghanistan to win there, … and I think that’s in sight and within reach.”

Spinning a globe and looking for the most forbidding places to wage a war shows the enormity of the effort, Carter said.

“Antarctica’s No. 1, and Afghanistan’s No. 2,” he said. “And yet, you’ve done it. You’ve gotten us in, and you’re in the process of getting us out. And that is an historic accomplishment that … could not have been done without the work here of Transcom and everyone here who works logistics.”

Defense Department leaders are committed to supporting their troops in Afghanistan until the last one leaves,” Carter said. Yet, he noted, that with “one foot firmly planted” in Afghanistan, DOD also must maneuver in a rocky security environment while weathering budget turbulence.

The department must focus on the factors that will define future security challenges, Carter said, listing as examples new threats, new technologies and new business practices. The Pentagon review Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered is a step in “turning this great strategic corner,” he added.

“Of course, we have to do that with a government that doesn’t seem to be able to function in terms of putting together an overall budget for us,” he said. “And so we live with uncertainty, we live with turbulence and, basically, nonsense.”

Carter said there is “no excuse for” the provision in budget law known as sequestration, which took effect in March and imposed across-the-board spending cuts on much of the government, including DOD.

“It’s stupid, it’s disgraceful, but there it is,” he said. “And I know you all are working through it as best you can.”

The fiscal year 2013 pain of sequestration will end Sept. 30, Carter said. “My guess is our budget uncertainty will not,” he added. “So we’re going to have to manage in an atmosphere of uncertainty. The president … has submitted a [fiscal 2014 budget request] that gives us some stability, but I don’t know what its chances are of actually ever being enacted.”

With the huge financial pressures facing the United States, Carter said, it’s especially important that military members demonstrate to the American people that “we’re using each and every dollar they give us in the best possible way.” DOD strives constantly to improve business practices and attention to taxpayer value to assure Americans their defense dollars are well spent, he added.

“We need to sustain their confidence and be an inspirational institution to them,” Carter said.

The deputy secretary told his audience he shares with them the “great feeling” that comes with “being part of something that is bigger than yourself.” Carter also thanked the members of the audience and their families for the part they play in defending global security.

“In other respects, these jobs are incredibly hard,” he said. “Deployed or not deployed, there are challenges, there are long hours, there’s turbulence and uncertainty and, in some cases, physical danger -- but always stress. And the demand upon you to be the best that you can be and give everything you can. And we don’t take it for granted.”

Responding to a question about uncertainty, the deputy secretary acknowledged there are “big changes ahead” as the services recover from a wartime footing.

It’s reasonable that in a time of strategic change, military leaders refocus their attention and think differently, Carter noted.

“What’s unreasonable is turbulence,” he said, adding that he thinks Congress will change its approach to budget management “when it really dawns on the public how wasteful this is, and harmful.”

Because of the current budget limbo, Carter said, “we all need to get our heads in a game that’s not only different from the last 10 years, but has substantial uncertainty.”

While that game partners strategic uncertainty with budgetary uncertainty, he said, “that’s OK.”

“That’s a game we don’t want to play, but it’s a game we can get better at, though we’re really getting nailed in [fiscal] 2013,” he added.

Defense leaders and military members have learned a lot over the past decade-plus, Carter said.

“This is the most adaptable, creative, can-do, amazing organization in the world. … We have adaptability in our DNA here,” he told the audience.

National Guard Continues Support Operations in Boston

Massachusetts National Guard HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass., April 17, 2013 – The Massachusetts National Guard continues to assist local and state authorities following the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings that left three dead and more than 180 people injured. Massachusetts National Guard members continue to assist local and state authorities following the April 15, 2013, bombing at the Boston Marathon. U.S. Army photo by Cadet Matthew Feehan   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. However, civil support personnel from New York and Rhode Island have returned home.   As of early today, more than 780 troops were still on state active duty. Earlier, more than 1,000 Guard members were on duty continuing to assist local, state and federal authorities and provide support to the city of Boston. Current missions include transit and perimeter security to the main area affected by the explosions. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families that have been affected by this tragedy,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard. “The National Guard can be relied upon for our diverse emergency response and rapid deployment capabilities during times of need in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Rice added. The missions the National Guard supports are requested by local and state civilian authorities and coordinated through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. The Massachusetts National Guard’s 79th Troop Command is providing command and control of all soldiers and airmen activated for the support mission in Boston. As of today, aviation personnel stood down.

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.

A homecoming like no other

by Airman 1st Class Charles V. Rivezzo
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

4/17/2013 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- While patrolling the streets of Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Thomas Burright never thought he would stumble across something that would change his deployment, and ultimately his life forever. That something came in the form of a tiny Afghan puppy he found scrounging for food in an alley near their outpost.

Embedded as a vehicle mechanic with an Army Special Forces unit, the 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron Airman quickly fell in love with the pup and brought her back to their camp.

"We would see homeless and starving dogs all the time while out on patrols, but she was the first puppy I had seen," Burright said. "I gave her a treat, saw how happy she was wagging her tail and instantly became attached."

Living in an austere and hostile location, it can be difficult at times to remember the simple and innocent things life has to offer. However, Burright said an energetic Afghan Kuchi they named Lyla, made all the difference to these deployed service members.

"It was funny to see even the toughest guys would melt when they held her," he said. "She was our little mascot, our stress reliever."

Burright cared for Lyla for months and the two became almost inseparable.

"She lived in my room with me, slept in my bed and I brought her food from the chow hall. She did everything I did," he said.

During his deployment, Burright learned that bringing Lyla back to the U.S. would cost nearly $4,000, an obstacle that seemed almost impossible to overcome.

"I didn't think it would happen at first," he said. "I knew it was going to take some dedication and effort to bring her home, so I started a fundraiser website and raised almost $500. That's when I received a message from someone telling me about an organization called The Puppy Rescue Mission."

The Puppy Rescue Mission is an organization dedicated to reuniting servicemembers with their overseas companions and over the last two years has rescued more than 400 dogs from multiple war zones.

"I contacted the organization and sent them a video I made of Lyla during my deployment," Burright said. "I went to bed around 11 p.m. that night and awoke with an email from them saying to pack Lyla's bags, she was going home. I was in complete shock; it was truly unimaginable that it all happened so quickly."

Because Lyla would be traveling from Afghanistan to the U.S., she had to be taken to a detention center for one month where she received the necessary shots and treatment needed prior to entering the U.S.

"I tried to time it just perfectly so she would get home right around the same time I would," he said.

Burright indeed seemed to have the timing down perfect as Lyla arrived at Dallas Fort Worth Airport only a few days after he returned from Afghanistan. After arriving at the airport, Burright was able to introduce the Afghan pup that captured his heart to his wife, Miriah, and his 3-year-old son, Thomas, for the first time in person.

"Now that we're home, she just follows my son around the house all day and sleeps with him during the night. She's just very happy to be here," Burright said.

Burright went on to note that he has plenty of friends who wish to bring dogs back with them, too, and he's left a few extra collars and dog toys there to help them do just that.

DTRA Director, Azerbaijan Ambassador Discuss Defense Cooperation

By Cheryl Pellerin American Forces Press Service FORT BELVOIR, Va., April 17, 2013 – The director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States met here April 12 to discuss the DTRA's Cooperative Threat Reduction work with Azerbaijan, as well as other collaborative efforts. At the head of the conference table, Kenneth A. Myers, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States, discuss a range of collaborative programs during the ambassador’s April 12, 2013, visit to DTRA headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va. DTRA photo by William Weih   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. DTRA’s mission is to safeguard the nation and its partners from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive weapons of mass destruction by providing the capabilities needed to reduce, eliminate and counter the threat such weapons pose and mitigate their effect.   Sponsored in 1991 by then-Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana and Sam Nunn of Georgia, the CTR program has become a critical part of the U.S. approach to reducing the worldwide proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. “Our relationship with Azerbaijan on these projects is very good, [and] we have a long record of success,” DTRA Director Kenneth A. Myers told American Forces Press Service. Myers also directs the U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, collocated with DTRA here. Such meetings are an “opportunity for DTRA to share with our partners, with our colleagues, the depth and breadth of what we do here,” Myers said. “[Azerbaijan] has some very difficult and unique security challenges and some of the things we do here could be of help and additional opportunities for partnership,” he added. “Azerbaijan is a strong supporter of the nonproliferation issue. My government’s commitment to nonproliferation is absolute and unshakeable,” Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States, said here April 12. “What we need to do is work with the Americans, but of course with the international community as well, to make sure that no weapons of mass destruction find their way, simply put, to where they shouldn’t be.” A key factor in nonproliferation, Suleymanov said, is to make sure that no dangerous materials “become available to destructive forces, be it some states or be it nonstate actors.” U.S. defense cooperation with Azerbaijan also includes support to Azerbaijan’s efforts to reform its defense institutions, furthering NATO interoperability and contributions to international missions, and promoting shared objectives in counterproliferation, counterterrorism and maritime security. U.S. support to developing Azerbaijan’s defense and security institutions includes training and advising in civil-military relations, professional military education, and emergency management, according to a DOD fact sheet. The United States helps to develop NATO interoperable units in Azerbaijan, including its Peacekeeping Battalion, which has deployed forces in support of international operations in Kosovo and Iraq, and now fields 94 troops in Afghanistan under the International Security Assistance Force. Azerbaijan also provides ground, air and Caspian Sea transit access to sustain international efforts in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan is one part of a complex network of supply lines that play an important role in diversifying those lines. In the U.S. security relationship with Azerbaijan, a stand-out project is an interagency effort to increase Azerbaijan’s capability to address transnational threats like smuggling and terrorism, and protect its maritime interests and energy infrastructure in the Caspian Sea. “We have worked very closely with regional partners and with the United States on the nonproliferation issue along our maritime and land borders,” Suleymanov said, highlighting detection equipment in Azerbaijani airports and at border crossings, funding to support Azerbaijan’s naval and coast guard capabilities, and cooperation on energy infrastructure protection. In 2004, DTRA’s CTR program expanded outside the former Soviet Union when Albania requested assistance to destroy its chemical weapons and later -- first as the Biological Threat Reduction Program, and now as the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program -- began working with additional partner countries throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East to reduce the threat posed by especially dangerous pathogens, related materials and expertise, and other emerging infectious disease risks. The CBEP program seeks to prevent these agents from reaching terrorists, states or nonstate actors who may use such bioweapons against the United States and its allies. In Europe and Asia, DTRA is partnering with Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to advance shared bio-threat reduction goals. Through its partnership with the government of Azerbaijan, CBEP has helped upgrade a network of regional diagnostic laboratories throughout the country, provided a national electronic disease reporting system and conducted technical training in clinical, epidemiological, laboratory and veterinary practices. The program also has improved biological safety and security measures, and partnered with local scientists on research projects aimed at better understanding endemic diseases. As a joint effort, CBEP provides design, equipment, technical management and oversight support for Azerbaijan-funded construction of a Central Reference Laboratory to international biosafety standards. Such labs are clinical, diagnostic, teaching and research or production facilities that work with dangerous strains of viruses or bacteria. “We’re very proud with this success story and the fact that today in Baku, the Azerbaijani government has basically assumed leadership for [the laboratory],” Suleymanov said. “That speaks not only of successful cooperation as a biological [facility], but also the strong element of capacity building for the Azerbaijani side, which is what we want.” “Azerbaijan is no longer just a consumer of security,” he added, “it’s now a provider of security and an equal partner in that.” “Azerbaijan is a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” the ambassador said, “so those kinds of global issues we face on a daily basis and we deal with them along with the United States and other partners, trying to minimize potential damage by biological weapons.” Myers called ongoing work on the central reference lab the result of a unique relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan. “It’s a real model for the future,” the DTRA director said. “We’re there to provide some technical expertise and they’re providing the funding for the construction. It’s a true partnership … and an opportunity to take an important step forward on biological issues and pathogens.”

Hagel Says DOD Will Provide Support After ‘Cruel Act of Terror’

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2013 – The thoughts and prayers of all members of the Defense Department are with the people of Boston and the victims of the marathon bombing yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appearing before the defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee for a budget hearing, also spoke about the situation in Boston.

The defense secretary pledged to provide any support from DOD that law enforcement agencies deem necessary as they investigate “this cruel act of terror.” Dempsey told representatives that DOD officials have been in constant contact with state and federal agencies.

Three are dead from the attack, and more than 170 were wounded. Many service members had traveled to Boston to run in the iconic marathon, and Hagel said his thoughts are with them as well.
“As the president said yesterday, we still do not know who did this or why,” he said. “A thorough investigation will have to determine whether it was planned and carried out by a terrorist group, foreign or domestic.”

The secretary asked Americans not to jump to conclusions, but “any event with multiple explosive devices -- as this appears to be -- is clearly an act of terror, and will be approached as an act of terror.”

Hagel commended local, state and federal law enforcement agencies for their quick response to the explosions that detonated near the Boston Marathon finish line. He also expressed gratitude to the 460 members of the Massachusetts National Guard who were called up to help with the marathon and ended up providing life-saving aid to those affected.

Dempsey said Massachusetts Guardsmen continue to flow into the scene, and that more than 1,000 Guardsmen have been called up for this crucial state mission.

“The Department of Defense is prepared to respond quickly to any request for additional support from domestic law enforcement agencies,” Hagel said. “I will continue to consult closely with DOD’s senior leaders and my counterparts in other agencies on how we can best support the government’s response and investigation.”

Massachusetts officials asked for and received the services of a Navy explosive ordnance disposal team yesterday. Guardsmen also remain on duty helping to secure the crime scene.

ISAF Commander Notes ‘Growing Uncertainty’ in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 16, 2013 – Dynamic and compelling commitment from the United States is necessary to confront growing uncertainty in Afghanistan and the region when the International Security Assistance Force mission ends next year, the top commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan said today. “We [must] confront growing uncertainty in Afghanistan and in the region,” Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Many Afghans have told me they no longer fear the Taliban as much as they fear what will happen after 2014.” One Afghan described it as the “Y2K effect,” Dunford said, alluding to a period of uncertainty late in the 20th century driven by questions of how computer-controlled systems would behave with a complete rollover of the calendar year’s digits on Jan. 1, 2000. “There is a growing sense that December 2014 is a cliff for the Afghan people,” he added. “[This] dynamic must be addressed with an incredible, compelling narrative of U.S. commitment.” The general said that in the absence of confidence and hope for a brighter future, Afghan leaders, the Afghan people and regional actors will continue to hedge and plan for the worst case. The behavior associated with that mindset, Dunford said, has the very real potential to undermine the campaign. Dunford noted ISAF remains focused on denying safe haven in Afghanistan to the al-Qaida terrorists who attacked the U.S. on 9/11, and denying the Taliban, who harbored them, the ability to overthrow the Afghan government. “We recognize that our national interest in the region is served by a secure and stable Afghanistan at peace with its neighbors,” he said. “I appear before you this morning confident in the cardinal direction of the campaign. My confidence is based on the very real progress we have made since the surge of forces began in late 2009, and that surge allowed us to move the campaign forward.” Constant pressure on the remnants of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, he said, has disrupted the terror organization’s ability to plan and conduct operations against the West. Dunford said coalition and Afghan-partnered operations have pushed the Taliban away from Afghanistan’s populated areas and have prevented them from meeting their campaign objectives in 2012. “While they remain resilient, they are less of a threat against the Afghan government than they were in 2011,” the general said. “Most significantly, our efforts, since 2009, have provided the Afghan forces the time and space necessary to grow and assume the lead.” Afghan security forces have recruited and fielded most of their authorized strength of 352,000, Dunford said. “They are leading approximately 80 percent of all combat operations being conducted, and they have the lead security responsibility for territory where nearly 90 percent of the population lives,” he added. Later this spring, Dunford said, Afghan forces will be completely in the lead for combat operations across the nation, in keeping with agreements at the last two NATO summits. His testimony today comes during an inflection point in the Afghan campaign, the general added, with many reasons to be optimistic and several significant challenges to overcome. “Up to this point, it’s fair to say we were focused on growing the size of the Afghan security forces,” he said. “We are now focused on improving the quality of the [security forces].” Dunford said in the months ahead, ISAF will continue to focus on a wide range of issues to include leadership development, ministerial capacity, aviation, and the systems, processes and institutions needed to sustain a modern, professional force. “We’ll also need to address very real political and psychological factors that will affect the outcome of the campaign,” he said. Dunford acknowledged “real tension” between increasing aspirations of Afghan sovereignty and the reality of operations conducted in accordance with the U.N. Security Council mandate, the Law of Armed Conflict and the Military Technical Agreement. Properly managing this tension has become a campaign imperative, he said, along with the psychological aspect. “Psychology will influence the performance of the Afghan forces this summer and affect the critical elections of 2014,” Dunford said. Dunford told the senators the campaign is in the “decisive phase of transition.” “The progress we have made to date provides real opportunity, but not inevitability,” he said. “There will continue to be challenges that will test our will and endurance. “But in the end,” he continued, “if we define winning as completing political and security transition while rendering al-Qaida operationally ineffective [and] as setting the conditions for the Afghans to exploit a decade of opportunity that will begin in 2015, I firmly believe we can win.”

Wardak Province Spurs Model for Transition, General Says

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2013 – Allegations against U.S. forces in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province resulted in an effective model of transition for coalition and Afghan forces, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who also commands U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said the unsubstantiated allegations provided ISAF officials, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan officials with the opportunity to develop an effective solution to transition.

Karzai expressed concerns over allegations of abuse, torture, harassment and murder of innocent Afghans by U.S. troops in the province, prompting him to request that ISAF withdraw all coalition troops from the region.

“At the time President Karzai gave us that direction, I let the president know that that would be unacceptable, both from a force- protection perspective, and from our ability to accomplish our objectives,” Dunford said. “He afforded us an opportunity to work with the minister of defense and minister of interior and come up with a transition plan for the Wardak province.”

Since that time, the general said, ISAF has removed U.S. Special Forces from one of the province’s districts. “There are nine districts in the province,” he added. “We removed Special Forces from one of those districts, and we replaced them with effective Afghan security forces.”

The situation turned out to be “a model for transition,” Dunford told the Senate panel.

“We had broad guidance from President Karzai,” he said. “We were able to work with the minister of defense and minister of interior to transition.”

This, he added, is exactly what is occurring across Afghanistan’s other provinces.

“We’re in the process of transitioning from provinces, so this particular incident worked out from my perspective,” Dunford said. “We have an effective solution.”

Marathon terror: Massachusetts National Guard supports Boston police

4/16/2013 - HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The Massachusetts National Guard continued Tuesday to bolster local and state authorities following the Monday explosions at the Boston Marathon.

Three people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed and more than 140 wounded.

"We offer our deepest sympathy and prayers to the victims of the explosions in Boston today. We are here to assist the Boston Police and provide additional support as it is requested," Brig. Gen. Paul G. Smith, the assistant adjutant general-Army for the Massachusetts National Guard, said Monday.

Early Tuesday, the Massachusetts National Guard reported more than 1,000 personnel on duty, with that number expected to decrease as the day progressed. Rhode Island and New York also provided troop support.

All the Guard members are accounted for and none were reported injured following the twin blasts.

In a brief nationwide speech Monday night, President Barack Obama acknowledged the Guard's contribution:

"Boston police, firefighters and first responders, as well as The National Guard, responded heroically and continue to do so as we speak. It's a reminder that so many Americans serve and sacrifice on our behalf every single day without regard to their own safety, in dangerous and difficult circumstances, and we salute all those who assisted in responding so quickly and professionally to this tragedy," the president said.

The 211th Military Police Battalion has been called upon to provide security. The Guard is also staging transportation assets such as buses (5-10) and four helicopters.

Additionally, the Massachusetts National Guard's 387th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) has been activated; and the 267th Combat Communications Squadron's Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) is headed to Boston to assist with interagency communication. (A JISCC is a wireless broadband that provides computers, web access and telephones to deployed personnel. Its own satellite makes it a stand-alone system. It enables state and local emergency responders with communications capabilities.)