Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader during an operation in the Hahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader coordinated and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and provided weapons and improvised explosive devices to other insurgents, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- In Helmand’s Nawah-ye Barakzai district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who oversaw insurgents responsible for IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procured and distributed homemade explosives and IED-making materials.

-- A combined force in Khost province’s Khost district arrested a Haqqani network leader who distributed weapons to Haqqani insurgents and planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent and seized weapons and ammunition.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district, a combined force detained three suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator who coordinates IED and suicide-bomber attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. The security force seized IED components, weapons and ammunition.

In operations yesterday:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed a Taliban leader associated with al-Qaida in the Dangam district of Afghanistan’s Kunar province. The Taliban leader coordinated activities between the Taliban and al-Qaida in the province and organized attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also oversaw the movement of weapons and suicide-vest components.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Spin Boldak district arrested a Taliban IED expert who also helped to acquire explosives, weapons and ammunition for attacks against Afghan government security offices. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

-- In Ghazni province’s Andar district, a combined force killed a Taliban leader who oversaw insurgents responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Air Force Delivers French Troops to Mali

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon
U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa

ISTRES, France, Jan. 25, 2013 – The U.S. Air Force began transporting French soldiers and military equipment Jan. 21 from here to Bamako, Mali, in support of French military operations.

French soldiers march to a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in Istres, France, Jan. 21, 2013. The United States agreed to airlift French troops and equipment into the African nation of Mali. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Richardson   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

C-17 Globemaster III transport jets, operating under the control of U.S. Africa Command, are moving a French mechanized infantry battalion. The ongoing operation is expected to last at least two weeks, officials said.

The first C-17 from Dover Air Force Base, Del., took off from Istres and landed in Mali’s capital of Bamako on Jan. 21 to deliver more than 80,000 pounds of equipment and dozens of French soldiers.

France deployed its armed forces to the African nation Jan. 11 and requested assistance from other nations to transport armored regiments and troops. In response, the United States deployed airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and multiple C-17 aircrews to a French air base here.

Cargo and equipment are prepared by the French, and load plans are given to the U.S. aircraft commander for review, said Maj. Eric Chabaud, chief of aircraft services here for the French air force.

"It's a good for us to work together on things like this, because we want to be an asset to the operation, not a hindrance," Chabaud said. "We have a very good relationship with the Americans here right now, and we help them any time we can."

While the 621st CRW can singlehandedly deploy, establish an airfield and manage air mobility operations, in this case planners are here to coordinate air support for the French military movements and to load the U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft.

Air Force Maj. David Gaulin, a contingency response element commander from the 621st CRW, was one of the first on the ground to assess the airfield and determine requirements for operations at Istres.

"We were able to show up here, set up communications with the [chain of command] and provide an initial assessment of what capabilities the French had and what capabilities we could bring to the operation within an hour of landing," Gaulin said. "It's good that we're able to use the logistics ability we have -- aircraft, our personnel and equipment -- to help them."

Face of Defense: Former Sergeant Serves as Artillery Officer

By Army Staff Sgt. Nicolas Morales
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 24, 2013 – Family played a big role in why a former Marine sergeant now serving here as an Army artillery officer joined the military in the first place.

Army 1st Lt. John Farrall, a former Marine sergeant, now serves in Afghanistan as a field artillery officer. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Nicolas Morales   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Several members of 1st Lt. John Farrall’s family have served during notable conflicts. His great-grandfather was an officer during the Civil War, and his father served with the 1st Infantry Division as an infantryman during the Vietnam War. Farrall said he felt the call to duty during the beginning stages of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to follow in their footsteps.

An Overland Park, Kan., native, Farrall is a field artillery officer with 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

When Farrall enlisted in the Marine Corps as an avionics technician, he said, he was just a few credits shy of completing his business communications degree at the University of Kansas. He attended boot camp in 2004 and conquered the mountainous terrain in the training areas at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif.

“While climbing up those mountains, you learn to overcome anything in front of you,” he said. “So since then, I always put my best foot forward when facing challenges.”

During his enlistment in the Marines, Farrall deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he said he learned lessons of resilience that helped place him on the path of being all he could be.
After leaving the Corps to embark on the next stage in his military career, Farrell began the process of getting commissioned as an officer in the Army after some wise words from a family friend.

“A family friend, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, suggested the Army, and at first I said, ‘No sir! I’m a Marine,’” Farrall recalled. “Then the fact that my dad was in the Big Red One helped sway my decision to join the Army.”

During his year-long break in service, Farrall worked for a branch of a British fashion house in Kansas City, Mo.

“One of my old supervisors called me up and offered me a job,” he said. “I worked with great people, but I just missed the military.”

Farrall was commissioned Jan. 13, 2011, as a field artillery officer.

“As long as the stars align, I will stay in the military as long as they’ll have me,” he said.

Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Network Facilitator

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 24, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator in the Sabari district of Afghanistan’s Khost province today, military officials reported.
The facilitator was responsible for purchasing and selling weapons to support the insurgency, and he coordinated the movement of bomb-making materials and ammunition.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms in the operation.
In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Panjwai district arrested a Taliban facilitator who coordinated the movement of weapons and ammunition for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also provided financial and logistic support for improvised explosive devices and offered a safe haven for insurgents. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent and seized 100 pounds of illegal narcotics.

-- In Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district, coalition forces found more than 33 tons of ammonium nitrate, a banned fertilizer insurgents use to make explosives, and nearly 20,000 feet of electrical wire.

-- A combined force in Kunar province’s Ghaziabad district killed two insurgents during a search for an al-Qaida-associated Taliban leader who organizes attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and enables insurgent movements.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Khugyani district, a precision airstrike killed three heavily armed insurgents.

David Coleman Headley Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Role in India and Denmark Terror Plots

David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen partly of Pakistani descent, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for a dozen federal terrorism crimes relating to his role in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, and a subsequent proposed attack on a newspaper in Denmark.   Headley pleaded guilty in March 2010 to all 12 counts that were brought against him following his arrest in October 2009 as he was about to leave the country.   Immediately after his arrest, Headley began cooperating with authorities.

           

Headley, 52, was ordered to serve 35 years, followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber.   There is no federal parole and defendants must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence. “Mr. Headley is a terrorist,” Judge Leinenweber said in imposing the sentence.  

           

“There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment for Headley’s incredibly serious crimes but for the significant value provided by his immediate and extensive cooperation,” the government argued in seeking a sentence of 30 to 35 years.

           

In pleading guilty and later testifying for the government at the trial of a co-defendant, Headley admitted that he attended training camps in Pakistan operated by Lashkar e Tayyiba, a terrorist organization operating in that country, on five separate occasions between 2002 and 2005.   In late 2005, Headley received instructions from three members of Lashkar to travel to India to conduct surveillance, which he did five times leading up to the Mumbai attacks in 2008 that killed approximately 164 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more.   Headley’s plea agreement in March 2010 stated that he “has provided substantial assistance to the criminal investigation, and also has provided information of significant intelligence value.”

           

In consideration of Headley’s past cooperation and anticipated future cooperation, which would include debriefings for the purpose of gathering intelligence and national security information, as well as testifying in any foreign judicial proceedings held in the United States by way of deposition, video-conferencing or letters rogatory, the Attorney General of the United States authorized the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago not to seek the death penalty.

“Today’s sentence is an important milestone in our continuing efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks and to achieve justice for the victims.   Our investigations into Mumbai attacks and the Denmark terror plot are ongoing and active.   I thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors responsible for this investigation and prosecution,” said Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

           

Headley was convicted of conspiracy to bomb public places in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in India; six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in India; conspiracy to murder and maim persons in Denmark; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark; and conspiracy to provide material support to Lashkar.

           

According to Headley’s guilty plea and testimony, he attended the following training camps operated by Lashkar: a three-week course starting in February 2002 that provided indoctrination on the merits of waging jihad; a three-week course starting in August 2002 that provided training in the use of weapons and grenades; a three-month course starting in April 2003 that taught close combat tactics, the use of weapons and grenades, and survival skills; a three-week course starting in August 2003 that taught counter-surveillance skills; and a three-month course starting in December 2003 that provided combat and tactical training.

 

Mumbai Terror Attacks

 

After receiving instructions in late 2005 to conduct surveillance in India, Headley changed his given name from Daood Gilani in February 2006 in Philadelphia to facilitate his activities on behalf of Lashkar by portraying himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani.   In the early summer of 2006, Headley and two Lashkar members discussed opening an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his surveillance activities.

           

Headley eventually made five extended trips to Mumbai — in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008 — each time making videotapes of various potential targets, including those attacked in November 2008.   Before each trip, Lashkar members and associates instructed Headley regarding specific locations where he was to conduct surveillance.   After each trip, Headley traveled to Pakistan to meet with Lashkar members and associates, report on the results of his surveillance, and provide the surveillance videos.

           

Before the April 2008 surveillance trip, Headley and co-conspirators in Pakistan discussed potential landing sites in Mumbai for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea.   Headley returned to Mumbai with a global positioning system device and took boat trips around the Mumbai harbor and entered various locations into the device.  

           

Between Nov. 26 and 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Café, the Chabad House and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley had scouted in advance, killing approximately 164 victims and wounding hundreds more.

           

The six Americans killed during the siege were Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.

           

In March 2009, Headley made a sixth trip to India to conduct additional surveillance, including of the National Defense College in Delhi, and of Chabad Houses in several cities.

 

Denmark Terror Plot

 

Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley admitted and testified that in early November 2008, he was instructed by a Lashkar member in Pakistan, to conduct surveillance of the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten in preparation for an attack in retaliation for the newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.   After this meeting, Headley informed co-defendant Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), also known as “Pasha,” of his assignment.   Abdur Rehman told Headley words to the effect that if Lashkar did not go through with the attack, Abdur Rehman knew someone who would.   Although not identified by name at the time, Headley later learned this individual was co-defendant Ilyas Kashmiri.   Abdur Rehman previously told Headley that he was working with Kashmiri and that Kashmiri was in direct contact with a senior leader of Al Qaeda .

           

While in Chicago in late December 2008 and early January 2009, Headley exchanged emails with Abdur Rehman to continue planning for the attack and to coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance.             In January 2009, at Lashkar’s direction, Headley traveled from Chicago to Copenhagen to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus and scouted and videotaped the surrounding areas.

           

In late January 2009, Headley met separately with Abdur Rehman and a Lashkar member in Pakistan, discussed the planned attack on the newspaper, and provided them with videos of his surveillance.   About the same time, Abdur Rehman provided Headley a video produced by the media wing of Al Qaeda in approximately August 2008, which claimed credit for the June 2008 attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and called for further attacks against Danish interests to avenge the publication of the offending cartoons.

           

In February 2009, Headley and Abdur Rehman met with Kashmiri in the Waziristan region of Pakistan, where they discussed the video surveillance and ways to carry out the attack.   Kashmiri told Headley that he could provide manpower for the operation and that Lashkar’s participation was not necessary.   In March 2009, a Lashkar member advised Headley that Lashkar put the newspaper attack on hold because of pressure resulting from the Mumbai attacks.   In May 2009, Headley and Abdur Rehman again met with Kashmiri in Waziristan.   Kashmiri told Headley to meet with a European contact who could provide Headley with money, weapons and manpower for the Denmark attack, and relate Kashmiri’s instructions that this should be a suicide attack and the attackers should prepare martyrdom videos beforehand.   Kashmiri also stated that the attackers should behead captives and throw their heads on to the street in Copenhagen to heighten the response from Danish authorities, and added that the “elders,” whom Headley understood to be Al Qaeda leadership, wanted the attack to happen as soon as possible.  

           

In late July and early August 2009, Headley traveled from Chicago to various places in Europe, and met with and attempted to obtain assistance from Kashmiri’s contacts and, while in Copenhagen, he made approximately 13 additional surveillance videos.   When he returned to the United States on Aug. 5, 2009, Headley falsely told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector in Atlanta that he had visited Europe for business reasons.   On Oct. 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to deliver the approximately 13 surveillance videos to Abdur Rehman and Kashmiri.  

           

One of Headley’s co-defendants, Tahawwur Rana, 52, of Chicago, was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Denmark terror plot and providing material support to Lashkar.   Headley testified for the government at Rana’s trial in June 2011.

           

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Sarah E. Streicker, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.   Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have worked on a broader investigation of the Mumbai attacks.   The investigation was conducted by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the Chicago Office of the FBI, with assistance from FBI offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as well as both U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Africom Commander Addresses Concerns, Potential Solutions in Mali

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

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 – The commander of U.S. Africa Command today shared lessons learned from what he called shortcomings in the U.S.-Malian training program which have contributed to turmoil in the African nation.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham spoke to students and faculty here at the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, home to the nation’s oldest Africa Studies program.

“We have had a U.S. training effort with the Malian armed forces for some number of years,” he said. “Some of that has occurred in Mali, and some of that was Malian officers coming to the U.S. for training, to include, Captain [Amadou] Sanogo, who led the military coup which overthrew the constitutionally-elected government.”

“[This is] very worrisome for us,” Ham said. “So we looked at that, and we asked ourselves these questions: First of all, did we miss the signs that this was happening? And was there anything that we did in our training that could have been done differently, perhaps, and have caused a different outcome?”


The general said he believes the answer is “a little bit of both.”

From a purely military standpoint, Ham said, U.S. forces focused Malian training almost exclusively on tactical and technical matters such as operating equipment, improving tactical effectiveness and aerial re-supply to remote bases.

“All of which is very, very good,” he said. “We didn’t spend, probably, the requisite time focusing on values, ethics and military ethos.”

“When you put on the uniform of your nation, then you accept the responsibility to defend and protect that nation, to abide by the legitimate civilian authority that has been established,” Ham said.
Additionally, he said, military members should act lawfully and see themselves as servants to the people of their nation.

“We didn’t … [train] that to the degree that we needed to, I think,” Ham said. “I believe that we focused exclusively on tactical and technical [aspects]. So we’ve learned from that.”
The general also talked about what he views as four “inter-related problems,” to ending the turmoil in Mali.

“First is the restoration of the constitutional government in Bamako as a necessary precondition for a satisfactory solution,” Ham said. “Second is addressing the concerns of a largely disaffected population in the northern portion of the country.”

“Thirdly … is the existence in northern Mali, now, of al-Qaida and other terrorist and extremist organizations that undermine the rule of law,” he said. “They’ve eliminated the rule of law -- that’s got to be dealt with.”

The fourth problem, which Ham noted doesn’t get much attention but is patently the most difficult to address, is bad and worsening humanitarian conditions across the Sahel region of north-central Africa.

“If any one of those four problems existed, it would be a significant problem,” he said. “When all four of them exist simultaneously, it makes it increasingly complex.”

The resolution of those four issues, Ham said, would be the right end state in Bamako.

“The ability for that government to extend its reach into all portions of the country,” he said. “So territorial integrity of Mali is non-negotiable. No discussion of a separatist state or something like that.”

“Realistically, we would all like to see the elimination of al-Qaida and other [terrorist and insurgent groups] from northern Mali,” Ham said. “Realistically, probably the best you can get is containment and disruption, so that al-Qaida is no longer able to control territory [there] as they do today.”

The general said extended governance would also prevent extremist organizations from controlling the lives of citizens in the country’s population centers, particularly Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.
“Those have to be freed and restored under Malian control,” Ham said. “So I think that is what I would see as the [desired] end state.”

Ham made it clear resolving these issues is a task for African nations and not the U.S.

“We very clearly see this from the U.S. government side, in fact and in perception, as an African-led endeavor that is done at the request of the Malian government and I think that’s well under way now,” he said.

Investigation Clears Allen of Misconduct

By Cheryl Pellerin American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 – A Defense Department inspector general investigation into allegations of professional misconduct has cleared Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday. In a statement, Little said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was pleased to learn the investigation did not substantiate the allegations and that the inspector general has closed the investigation. On Oct. 10, President Barack Obama nominated Allen to serve as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, now in that position, is scheduled to retire. In November, while Panetta was traveling in the Asia-Pacific region, the FBI referred a matter involving Allen to the Defense Department. Panetta directed that the matter be referred to the DOD IG for investigation. He informed the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. The secretary also asked the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay a confirmation hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 on Allen’s pending NATO nomination until the matter was resolved. On Dec. 3, the Senate confirmed Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., assistant Marine Corps commandant, as the next commander of ISAF and U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Panetta, Little said in his statement, “has complete confidence in the continued leadership of General Allen, who is serving with distinction in Afghanistan.” In a statement released today, Marine Corps Maj. David Nevers, an ISAF spokesman, said Allen placed his faith in and fully supported the investigative process. “He's obviously pleased by the outcome,” Nevers said. “But more critically, he is grateful for the support he received throughout this process from his chain of command, friends, family and colleagues. He remains focused, as he has always been, on leading the brave men and women of the ISAF team."

Face of Defense: Navy Corpsman Supports Joint Team

By Army Sgt. Jeff Neff
Provincial Reconstruction Team Kandahar

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan. 23, 2013 – During normal combat patrol missions, an Army medic accompanies an Army unit. But the provincial reconstruction team for Afghanistan’s Kandahar province is not a normal unit.

Navy Petty Officer Jay Thrailkill serves as a pair of extra eyes in a convoy in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, Jan. 18, 2013. He is the senior enlisted medic for the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeff Neff   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Composed of soldiers, sailors and civilians from the State and Agriculture departments, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other entities, the team is a joint organization. When Afghans in Kandahar see the team, it is likely that Navy corpsman Chief Petty Officer Jay Thrailkill is nearby.

“Corpsmen are like jumper cables,” Thrailkill said. “We aren’t needed until the battery goes, but no matter what, we’re always ready.”

A prior X-ray technician, Thrailkill is the provincial reconstruction team’s senior enlisted corpsman and has completed more than half of all mounted combat missions since October. He must be familiar with Army infantry tactics and procedures to be effective.

“Chief makes my job easier by going above and beyond what is expected of him,” said Navy Lt. j.g. Jessica Friddle, the team’s senior medical officer. “His background in preventive medicine helps to ensure that the safety of our unit is always a priority.”

Friddle, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., teaches combat lifesaver refresher classes to ensure that members are fully prepared if medical personnel are not immediately available in an emergency.

The team’s Army medic, Spc. Jerome Jaquis, is serving as a member of the team’s security force and covers the missions that Thrailkill isn’t on. And with most of the team certified in combat lifesaving, ample assistance is available if it’s needed.

Thrailkill said his best times in Afghanistan are when he is out on mission.

“My primary role is to be ready,” he said. “Most of my work is done from the vehicle, unless the mission requires that we have a long walk.”

Various duties keep Thrailkill busy as he medically prepares the vehicles for anything that could go wrong. He checks his equipment before each mission, and inventories each week.

This is not the first time Thrailkill has worked in the interservice realm, with seven deployments under his belt. He has served in Japan, Kuwait and Williamsburg, Va., as well as on the USS Kittyhawk, USS Kearsarge and USS Theodore Roosevelt. His service brings more than 22 years of medical experience working in the joint environment to the Kandahar team.

When he’s not out on missions, Thrailkill volunteers at the post exchange. He also is completing the few remaining courses for his bachelor’s degree in health care management.

AF Training Mission Bolsters Afghan Gains, Commander Says

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 – As Afghan forces assume full security responsibility in their country, a “fundamental shift” in operations will occur, a senior NATO International Security Assistance Force commander said here today.

Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, and deputy commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, briefs the media on progress in Afghanistan at the Pentagon, Jan. 23, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, commander of ISAF Joint Command, briefed Pentagon reporters on what the shift will look like and what role NATO forces will play as Afghans step into the lead. “The Afghan National Police and army can and do fight for Afghanistan and for the people of Afghanistan,” the general said, noting the joint command is focused on helping Afghan forces establish “sufficient and sustainable security.”

“This spring, we'll reach Milestone 2013, and the Afghan national security forces will plan, lead and execute all operations across Afghanistan,” he said. “IJC will train, advise, assist and support operations.”

More than 400 security force assistance teams are at work, many “actively training Afghan forces to provide their own enablers,” Terry said. He noted that strides have been made in casualty evacuation, logistics and intelligence fusion, and in fire support and countering roadside bombs.

Afghan forces must develop solutions they can sustain, Terry told reporters. For example, he said, NATO forces typically evacuate wounded troops by air, and the Afghans are turning to ground transportation.

“My caution to all is that we should not view these solutions through Western eyes and assess them too critically,” the general said. “What we are now seeing as Afghans move in the lead can and will work. We must remain patient in support of our partners.”

Terry also cautioned that U.S. troops still will be involved in combat operations as the traditional spring and summer “fighting season” progresses.

“Coalition forces specifically will still be conducting operations in combat … beside our Afghan partners,” he said, noting that some of the training and assisting ISAF conducts requires contact with the enemy.

The general said that although insurgents still are a resilient foe, children are back in school across Afghanistan and the nation’s human capital development is one of the biggest changes he has seen.
Opinion polls indicate that most Afghans don’t support the Taliban, and do think the country is heading in the right direction, Terry said. He emphasized that the United States and its coalition partners have pledged financial assistance for Afghanistan beyond 2014, which he said will be a critical period for that nation’s developing governmental systems.

“As we look toward the national elections in 2014, I am confident … the Afghan national security forces will provide space for the political process to mature and connect to the Afghan society and support an emerging private sector,” Terry said. “Success may not be on the front pages. Insurgencies are defeated over time by legitimate and well-trained indigenous forces.”

“What Difference Would it Make?”

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

This was the angry rhetorical question from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today when she appeared before a US Senate hearing to finally answer questions about the Benghazi attack on the US consulate back in September, 2012.  It was triggered by a question from Senator Ron Johnson ® from Wisconsin.  Senator Johnson wanted to know why the administration kept insisting that the attack was triggered spontaneously by an anti-Muslim video posted on uTube, long after the intelligence community knew it was  a deliberate, well planned  terrorist attack with no connection to the video.  It was a serious question and it deserved a serious answer, but nothing serious was forthcoming from the Secretary of State today.  

Rather, she continued to ramble through the fog of war, the uncertainty of the Libyan security forces, the rapid changes taking place in the Muslim world, the lack of funds for diplomatic security, everything, in fact, except the truth.  To understand the truth, we have to go back to September, 2012, to fully appreciate the thinking within the Obama administration.  This event occurred on the eve of the presidential elections and, under no circumstance, could the carefully built narrative that Islamic terrorism was on the decline be undermined by the harsh reality that we now know Benghazi represents.  After all, Osma bin Laden was safely dead, thanks to the courageous actions of our Commander in Chief, and nobody wanted to talk about al Qaeda except in the past tense.  This was the major theme that had to be amplified in  all the talking points leading up to the election.  Terrorism was on the run.  That was in September and a lot has happened since then.  

With Obama safely reelected, everything changed.  It was now safe to take another look at Benghazi and actually admit, up to a point of course, that “mistakes were made.”  It was safe for Secretary Clinton to come out of hiding and say that the attack was actually a terrorist attack and the video played no role.  This was accompanied by the usual commitments to do a better job of protecting our diplomats abroad and that a review would provide recommendations for improving security.

Under these circumstances, it was understandable for Secretary Clinton to ask, “what difference would it make?”  What she is really saying is, what difference would it make now?  The truth is, it makes no difference now because four Americans are dead and the election is over.  However, had this truth been told back in September, it could have made all the difference.  When we understand this, it explains why Susan Rice, our UN representative, made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows back in September, pushing the administration’s theme that the attack was spontaneous, and not terrorist motivated.  When questioned on this point, Secretary Clinton decided to throw Ms. Rice under the bus, claiming she had nothing to do with that decision and that she, Secretary Clinton, did not deal in talking points.  This was a bizarre claim since Ms. Rice works for Secretary Clinton.  If the Secretary didn’t direct this, who did?

Now, the administration seems very comfortable in discussing Islamic terrorism.  In fact, we are now embracing al Qaeda as our justification for staying the course in Afghanistan.  In fact, preventing the return of al Qaeda to Afghanistan is the only justification the administration can offer for staying there.  This is the new talking point.  The reality is al Qaeda is not the real threat in Afghanistan and has not been since 2001.  The real threat there is corruption, yet this administration is not above using al Qaeda  when it suits its purpose and, at other times, denying that it is a real threat.  

We are now left with more questions than answers.  However, official Washington now appears ready to close the book on the whole Benghazi affair.  Secretary Clinton, has indeed, appeared before Congress, just as she said she would.  She has admitted mistakes were made and we will do better in the future.  Of course, many questions remain unanswered such as why no rescue mission was launched once the consulate was under attack.   Unfortunately, it appears that all of these questions will remain unanswered because the emphasis has been placed on why the consulate was ill prepared to withstand an attack, not what happened after the attack was initiated.  Were rescue efforts ever initiated?  If they were, why were they not carried out?  Both President Obama and Secretary Clinton claim they order all necessary action be taken. These are the questions that should be asked and answered.  Several hours elapsed during the attack and during these hours, a lot could have happened but didn’t.  It would be very interesting to hear from General Carter Ham, the commander of Africa Command, and ask him if he considered launching a rescue mission.  We know he was monitoring the situation on the ground and we know he had assets  available for such an attempt.  Was he consulted?  And if not, why not? And why have we not heard from the survivors of Benghazi because they were there, on the ground, not hunkered down in Washington, thousands of miles away?  These are the questions that need to be asked.  These are the people who can give us ground truth, not political appointees far removed from the action.  So, have we heard the last on Benghazi?  I hope not but I’m afraid we have. The right questions were never asked of the right people, and this will forever be the real tragedy of Benghazi.

 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

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven, 38, of Plainwell, Mich., died Jan. 20, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device on Dec. 15, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan.  

He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. 

For more information the media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-4143/7525 or after normal business hours at 719-526-5500

PRT Farah Hosts United Through Reading Read-a-thon on FOB Farah

By LTJG Matthew Stroup

FOB FARAH, AFGHANISTAN (NNS) -- More than 20 soldiers and sailors from Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah participated in a read-a-thon through the United Through Reading program on FOB Farah here, Jan. 18.

Sailors and soldiers from the PRT and other units on FOB Farah volunteered their time to read books to their loved ones and to students at Birch Elementary school in Idaho during a short operational pause.

The read-a-thon's goal was to raise awareness of the United Through Reading Program, connect deployed service members with their families and develop a love of reading for children who received books on DVD. PRT Farah is in its third month of a deployment in western Afghanistan where they train, advise and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial level.

United Through Reading enables deployed parents to share their love and support with their children by reading books aloud on DVD. Service members can also read to younger siblings, nieces, nephews, and other extended family members as well as to other children whom they mentor.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jennifer Kleve is the command's United Through Reading coordinator and organized the read-a-thon for all service members on base. In addition to reading to family members, the read-a-thon provides an opportunity for service members without children to read to students at Birch Elementary, a school that the command partnered with in Idaho.

"One way we've tried to encourage UTR participation is by partnering with a school," said Kleve. "Many people don't participate because they don't have kids, but there are plenty of elementary school students who would love to have someone read them a book. This is a great chance to do just that."

Cmdr. Louis McCray, commanding officer of PRT Farah, fully supports the program and recognizes its benefits to service members and their families.

"Personal fortitude is a big part of our command philosophy, and United Through Reading supports the strong family connections that foster personal growth and fortitude. We all know that reading to children in their developmental years is of great benefit, and this program not only helps to connect deployed families, but it helps children grow as well," said McCray.

"Military commands love this program," said Sally Ann Zoll, Ed. D., chief executive officer of United Through Reading. "It minimizes deployment miles and helps military personnel parent from afar. The reassurance of seeing the deployed service member and having them talk to their children provides immense relief to the child and the spouse at home. The morale of the whole family is boosted."

Through United Through Reading deployed parents get a chance to share their love and support and children receive essential communication and literacy skills. While in the past, military personnel have been able to write letters, e-mail and send audio cassettes, United Through Reading offers children a chance to see their parent's face, listen to their voice and read along as their parent reads them a children's story. It also allows them to spend as much time with the deployed parent as they wish by watching the DVD over and over again.

U.S. Army Capt. Jacob Estrada, security force commander for the PRT, took the opportunity to read to his girls during the read-athon.

"United Through Reading is a great way for me to connect with my three daughters. When not deployed or in the field training I read with them every night as part of the bedtime routine. While I can't be there to read with them right now United Through Reading fills in some of the gap," Estrada said.

"Deployment doesn't only affect those who have volunteered for service. It affects hundreds of thousands of children as well," said Zoll. "Our goal is to lessen the strain of separation and increase bonding through the positive, educational experience that reading aloud provides."

Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah currently deployed to western Afghanistan and trains, advises, and assists Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial level in Farah province, Afghanistan. Their civil-military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Network Facilitator

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator acquired and delivered weapons to Haqqani fighters in the province and was directly involved in attacks against local police and Afghan government officials.

During the operation, the security force seized weapons, ammunition and $5,800 in Afghan currency.
In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined security force in Helmand province’s Lashkar Gah district arrested a Taliban leader who controlled improvised explosive device operations. Insurgents under his control recently began using magnetic IEDs to target Afghan army vehicles. He also was responsible for directing insurgent attacks against coalition forces.

-- In Kandahar province’s Spin Boldak district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who was directly responsible for IED attacks. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.
In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Paktia province’s Dzadran district detained a suspected insurgent while searching for a Haqqani network facilitator who provides weapons and IEDs to insurgents.

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader and his subordinate in Kunduz province’s Khanabad district. The pair worked together to coordinate and execute IED attacks. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms with associated gear and ammunition.

-- In Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network leader responsible for coordinating attacks targeting Afghan and coalition force, and overseeing the procurement and distribution of weapons to insurgents. He recently coordinated the acquisition of suicide vest materials in preparation for a future attack. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 20 operations:

-- A precision airstrike in Kunduz province’s Khanabad district killed a Taliban attack facilitator involved in planning and executing IED attacks and facilitating the movement of weapons and explosives. The strike also killed a second insurgent.

-- A combined force in Paktia province’s Zurmat district arrested a Taliban leader who acted as a liaison with senior Haqqani network leaders and oversaw the purchase and storage of rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons and ammunition. He also facilitated the movement of suicide bombers in the Afghan capital and was planning an attack at the time of his arrest. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized grenades, weapons and ammunition.

-- In Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and directed suicide attacks and coordinated the movement of materials used to build suicide vests. He also provided direct financial support to the Taliban.

-- A combined force in Paktia province’s Sayyid Karam district arrested a senior Haqqani network leader who oversaw IED construction, storage, transportation and emplacement. He also oversaw the acquisition of weapons and ammunition. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms.
-- In Kandahar province’s Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of IEDs, rockets, mortars and other weapons. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district arrested a local Taliban leader who worked closely with senior Taliban leaders to coordinate insurgent attacks across several provinces. He also organized the transfer and delivery of weapons and ammunition to insurgents and was coordinating the movement of suicide bombers for a future attack.

In Jan. 19 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province’s Ghaziabad district killed two insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who organizes attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and enabled the movement of insurgents.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Sherzad district, a combined force killed a local Taliban leader and arrested another. Both were involved in IED operations. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized weapons and ammunition.

-- A combined force in Khost province’s Terayzai district arrested a Haqqani network leader who directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also oversaw the construction and delivery of IEDs to insurgents and helped acquire IED components, ammunition and detonation materials. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

In Jan. 18 operations:

-- In Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force arrested a local Taliban leader who planned IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Arghandab district arrested a local Taliban leader who coordinated and executed IED attacks and oversaw the distribution of IEDs, weapons and ammunition to insurgents. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.